The Fine Art Of The Miniature

The Fine Art Of The Miniature:
Win Your Chessgames In Twenty-Five Moves Or Less
BY RAY CHARLES GORDON
© 2006-2011, Snodgrass Publishing Group
Philadelphia, PA
All Rights Reserved
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Dedication
To Richard Gilmartin, my first chess coach, who taught me how to achieve perfection
in the opening. Also to “Murph,” the legendary chess hustler that Mom and I once sicced on the
World Open Blitz, which he won (u-2200), with victories over Robert Byrne and Anthony Saidy,
thus proving his class to those who questioned his ability to play “real” tournament chess.
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Foreword
[Note from Ray: sadly, as I was training for my return to chess, with my playing
strength approaching 2300, advanced macular degeneration cataracts has had robbed my central
vision, which made it impossible for me to continue training, or to finish this text. In 2015,
however, my sight returned, and I have since returned to training, and now this older version of
my 518 opening repertoire is part of the Dice960 Starter Kit, available to all who join the
Official Dice960 Chess Federation (D9CF). Chess960 is exploding in popularity, and my work
960 Stems, a/k/a 9cO, is the first comprehensive, single-volume reference for Chess960
openings, the product of six straight months of engine exploration. A sequel, 518 Stems, and a
digital file of my repertoire, will be made available to all D9CF members. More information is
available at www.dice960.com.
The first official world chess champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, laid down the law for all
future champions by dictating that the key to winning a chessgame was through the gradual
accumulation of small advantages. Without question, Steinitz is correct, in that if you
accumulate small advantages over the course of the game, at some point your positional
superiority will give birth to a brilliant tactical finish, or a boring but easily won endgame.
Players are thus encouraged to seek out small advantages, accumulate them, and convert them
into a win with flawless positional or tactical technique.
Prior to Steinitz, however, the chess world was dominated by Paul Morphy, the
American player who is generally recognized as the first unofficial world champion, and who
retired at the ripe old age of twenty-one, with nothing left to prove in chess and a desire to be
taken seriously as a lawyer. Morphy’s games were not of the grind-it-out variety that was
common of Steinitz; rather, they were brilliant games, usually won “wire to wire” as Morphy just
loaded up the positional pressure and inevitably destroyed his opponent with combinations that
are still used today to instruct beginners. Not only were these games brilliant; they were also
usually very short, or what is commonly known in chess parlance as a miniature, or a game
lasting twenty moves or less from that era, now twenty-five moves or less in the modern era.
Morphy’s style was thought to be a product of his era, where what passed for his chess
peers played so poorly that Morphy could take chances and shorten the process of victory.
Steinitz was thought to have destroyed that approach with his positional play, but recently,
supercomputers like Hydra and Fritz play game after game, against even the world’s best
players, and make convincing arguments that Morphy’s approach – what I call the rapid
accumulation of large advantages – is still correct. In Hydra’s recent demolition of Michael
Adams, only one game was drawn, and by the time any endgames were reached (where Adams
didn’t resign first), they were hopeless for the human. Even before Hydra, champions such as
Alekhine, Fischer, and Tal won more than their fair share of miniatures, with what can be
characterized as a modern version of Morphy’s style, where every move would increase the
advantage in a way that lent itself to the opponent speeding up the process with blunders.
In my own play, I get lots of miniatures, and this is no accident, since winning a
miniature is my goal for literally every game, no matter how strong the opponent. Inspired by
the supercomputers, I want to play those moves that confound my opponent to the point where
his brain gets overloaded and confused, he blunders, and then with a brilliant flourish, I find the
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correct finish that has him resigning by the twenty-fifth move. I don’t always achieve my goal,
but I almost always get out of the opening with a better position, even against stronger
opponents, and that is worthwhile in and of itself. There are few players in the world who can
consistently outplay me in the opening, and not all of them are grandmasters. My style of play is
such that either you book up with intensity or you do not; either you know how to play the
opening or you do not.
Neither book knowledge nor instinct alone will get you consistent miniatures: you
need not only both of those things, but also the ability to handle whatever is thrown at you in the
opening, to the point where you play by rote and don’t even notice your opponent unless he is
familiar and you have a personal memory of him playing the same line against you in the past.
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Introduction
My Favorite Miniature
I will begin with this fourteen-move miniature, because it is the one I most commonly
win. It is caused by a trap that I set in the French Defense without having to compromise my
repertoire one bit. Consequently, opponents of almost all strengths (including one poor 2500rated grandmaster) have fallen victim to it.
Position after 14…Bg5
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6 8.
Be3 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Be7 10. Bd3 O-O 11. Qd2 f6 12. O-O-O fxe5 13. fxe5 Nxe5! 14.
Bxe5 Bg5 0-1
More than any other, this game – which I’ve won countless times on the Black side –
exemplifies my approach to chess, which is to play perfect moves as far into the game as you
can, while knowing how to exploit your opponent’s mistakes along the way. I have won more
games with this trap than with any other, primarily because it is not an obvious one: White is so
preoccupied with his kingside pressure that he often overlooks this powerful central
counterstrike. Granted, it’s more likely to work in blitz chess, but many top players “blitz” their
opening moves, and they can be trapped even at tournament time controls, while weaker players
often simply do not look for it no matter how long. Even if White does not fall into the trap,
Black is still in the main line, so he loses nothing by setting it, although I’ll probably lose the
most by publishing it! It wouldn’t be fair to my readers not to include it, however, so I have.
The trap shown above will get you a sizable number of fourteen-move wins, or
winning positions at move 14 if Black doesn’t resign. Part of my chess training must therefore
involve how to convert the winning position if the opponent falls into the trap, something almost
as crucial as getting the trap to work. No one wants to lose a won game, and even if he gives up
the Queen, Black still has some pressure, while if he practices good damage control and does not
recapture on e5, Black is simply up a pawn. Since I know this position will be occurring in your
play, it behooves me to learn every aspect of perfecting the win. This is a recurring theme, as my
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repertoire is designed to leave my opponent one mistake away from losing in the opening. Any
winning position which you will encounter repeatedly should be something you can win with
ease rather than having to find your way over the board, potentially in a game with prize money
on the line.
Traps are not the source of most miniatures, because either they are well-known mainline traps that most will avoid (as I’m sure the one from this chapter will become), or because
setting them up requires you to play inferior moves that don’t lend themselves to you winning in
under twenty-five moves otherwise. Instead, the typical modern miniature is the result of several
superior and complex moves that steadily grind the opponent into submission, with the finish
coming usually just after move fifteen or twenty, or thereabout. They also tend to come in lines
where you or your opponent deviate from the main lines early. In my case, it would be my
opponents for lines where I don’t use the main line, and me for those lines where I’ve carved out
new territory.
But What About The Endgame?
When I first proposed the 1/x Rule (see the later chapters) to explain why the opening
is the most important part of a chessgame, many considered it downright blasphemous,
reminding me that opening memorization was “useless” and that the key to becoming a great
chessplayer was to first master the middlegame and endgame, and to study only enough openings
so that you don’t lose during that part of the game. This is excellent advice for anyone who
wishes never to compete for the world championship or even become a strong grandmaster. To
win at anything under the FIDE 2700 rating level, you can do it with subpar opening play, as
long as you avoid disaster. However, if your opponents have names like Leko, Anand, Topalov,
and Polgar, you will not be able to compete, let alone win, by playing anything less than the best
lines.
Without question, endgames and middlegames are important, but only after you leave
the opening. The opening is to chess what the line of scrimmage is to football, and as in
football, if you do not control your half of the board, you will lose, with most of your endgames
and many of your middlegames hopelessly lost due to mistakes in the opening. The only way the
later stages of a chessgame will count is if you can systematically exit the opening (defined as
when at least one player is still in his prepared repertoire) with an equal or better position the
majority of the time. If you build your game this way, improving it will be like adding stories to
a well-constructed building: your opening preparation will extend further and further, and in the
process, your middlegame and endgame tasks will be far simpler. The earlier you perfect your
permanent repertoire, the more practice you will get in the middlegames and endgames which
result. Thus, to say that I neglect the later part of the game is inaccurate; rather, I keep first
things first, and in chess, the opening always comes first.
Miniatures are most likely to occur when you are still in book and your opponent is
not. The 14-move French miniature from above is a classic example of how traps work: the
player who is out of his book and unaware of the trap falls right into it; even strong players are
not immune from well-set traps. With a strong repertoire, almost every move will present minor
traps for the opponent, opportunities for him to go wrong that the miniature-oriented player will
ruthlessly exploit. The reason you don’t see many players properly executing this strategy is that
it is highly complex and requires a great deal of training. That is something I cannot fix: the
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demands of world-class chess are such that you should expect to have to devote full time to your
training. All I can do is show you how to make the most of the time you do spend on chess.
“Rating-Appropriate” Openings
Chessplayers often talk about openings as being playable for players at certain levels.
Take this opening, for example:
The Muzio Gambit after 6. Qxf3!
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O! gxf3 6. Qxf3
This is the Muzio Gambit, an opening I learned at the age of seventeen, during my
teenage dalliance with the King’s Gambit, a temptation which remains to this day, especially
when I want to crush a weak player quickly. I was exposed to the King’s Gambit in Washington
Square Park, when for the first time, my opponent responded with something other than 2. Nf3 to
my 1…e5, considered the “correct” first move for a beginner. I did not have MCO at the time,
but was impressed by White’s ability to build a big center, and Black’s difficulty in retaining the
extra pawn. The King’s Gambit Accepted (or even Declined) is a very complex opening for
which Black must be prepared, and which is a very volatile and difficult weapon for the
tournament player, especially the beginner. One very well-known former world champion
whose name I shall spare lost a game in this variation in all of eight moves!
Now the question is simple: for which rating is this opening appropriate? I give two
answers: all of them, and none of them. All of them, in that the King’s Gambit has never been
refuted, White can probably hold the draw, and Black is one mistake away from disaster for most
of the opening. The resulting pawn-up endgame isn’t even the picnic one might expect, and the
tactics are so explosive that endgames are rarely reached. None of them, in that there is no
reason for White to sacrifice a pawn that will convert to a loss if he makes even one positional
mistake, especially when he begins the game a quarter-pawn to the good, and a fine move like 2.
Nf3 is available. The Muzio Gambit is a great line, but there is no need for Black to risk it, and
the alternatives for White do not thrill me. Gata Kamsky took the simple approach against me in
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this line with 2…d5, which leads to even material and an out-of-book middlegame where his
technique enabled him to slaughter me. This was in the 1989 World Open Blitz.
The approach taken by me, and espoused in this book, is that the player should choose
the best possible opening moves, as early as possible, so that he has the greatest amount of time
to develop his repertoire, which in turn will lead to higher-quality middlegames and endgames,
which make for better study, and for positions in those phases of the game where he will have
much greater experience than his opponent. An opening like the King’s Gambit can be used as a
weapon for specific purposes, but the player who wants the strongest possible repertoire, and
therefore the greatest number of miniatures, should always be looking to play the “correct”
move, in this case 2. Nf3. Once that issue is resolved, you can rest comfortably knowing that
literally every game you play as White that begins with 1. e4 e5 will continue with 2. Nf3. This
may seem insignificant, but it is not: the more polished your repertoire, the fewer mistakes you
will make, the more games (and miniatures) you will win, and the easier it will become to first
take your opponent out of book while you are still in your book, and if he somehow manages to
survive that torture, to have a superior middlegame, or an equal one if your goal is to draw with
Black.
All of the above is true whether your rating is 600, 1600, or 2600. Players who think
that a 1400 doesn’t need to study the openings do not realize that 1400s who study openings very
quickly become 1600s, 1800s, and even 2200s and beyond. Saying that you’ll study the opening
when you get better is reversing the process: first you study the opening, then you get better.
That means that even a beginner can benefit from making the moves that the world champions
made. The understanding comes later, but in the meantime, the positions you get will be
stronger.
Building A Killer Opening Repertoire
By the time you are done with this book, and if you’re serious, the computer files
containing my opening repertoire and training database with comments (sold separately), you
should be able to hold your own in the opening against literally any player in the world, at least
through move ten, and as far as move twenty or beyond in some lines. Even Kasparov must wait
patiently for you to make a mistake if you play him, and if you play the opening perfectly, you
can extend his waiting to the point where he might be the one who blunders instead, or where he
has to settle for an equal position and crush you in the endgame instead (a moral victory). If you
are exceptionally gifted, you might even win the championship yourself, but few players will
ever reach that point. Instead, you might find yourself winning prizes in tournaments because of
brilliantly played openings leading to miniatures in key games.
Playing for the miniature is synonymous with developing a killer repertoire, so you’d
be perfectly justified in treating this book as a treatise on opening play in general. The miniature
is merely the crowning achievement for the well-prepared player, a reward for his job well done
in developing his repertoire. I take great pride in knowing that I have a distinctive style of
chessplay that confounds even my strong opponents, who know that when they play me, they are
in for a fight to the death from the very first move, and that even a minor mistake in the opening
will be exploited, while if they aren’t careful, they could wind up on the wrong end of a
miniature, and be laughed at by players all over the globe if the game is published.
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Most world championship games cover main-line territory, or openings that are hardly
difficult to duplicate for the first dozen moves. The titanic Kasparov-Karpov struggles, for
example, involved a well-known line of the Gruenfeld Defense that extended over a dozen
moves, with the novelties coming around move fourteen and beyond. One can therefore
conclude that those first fourteen moves are rock-solid, and that deviating from them
compromises that side’s chances of winning (as White) or drawing (as Black). What the
coverage of these title matches never mentions is that along the way to obtaining those 2700+
FIDE ratings, both Kasparov and Karpov won many games straight out of the opening –
miniatures – even against players rated as high as 2600, and especially against those rated under
2400.
A player who is expected to lose nineteen of twenty games to the world champion,
even if he carries the title of IM, is not playing very sound chess, and when you consider that
Hydra crushed Michael Adams, who is rated over 2700 himself, one can only be encouraged to
know that there is a large gap between the top players and perfection, a gap that a superior player
can exploit. I see game after game involving players who are not world championship caliber,
and mistakes abound, especially in the opening. Few players are capable of exploiting these
mistakes, so the players retain their high ratings, while those who do exploit them – the Karpovs,
Kasparovs, Fischers, Anands, Lekos, and Topalovs – have their ratings hit the 2700 stratosphere.
This is not an accident, but the logical consequence of superior play in general, and in the
opening in particular. The miniatures against 2200-2400 rated player that every grandmaster
picks up as a matter of course are what sustains their ratings at 2700, since without them they
would lose or draw too often to keep their rating that high.
Warning: The style of play you will be learning here is chess at its highest level, for the
opening of the game. Many moves which are perfectly playable at the lower rating levels will
not make the cut here, because they won’t put you in position to win miniatures the way this
repertoire and approach will. Once you have mastered this approach and built a repertoire
similar in structure and concept, odds are your rating will begin spiking up rapidly as you find it
easier to defeat what are now your rating peers. This improvement will not come overnight, and
very often will involve losing many games when you first play these lines. Once you master
them, however, your opponents will feel the sharp edge of the sword more often than you, and
the miniatures will flow from that.
7
Chapter One:
About Me
I learned the rules of chess as a toddler, in 1971 specifically, at the age of four, in New
York City, during the height of the “Fischer boom” that American chess experienced. New York
chess was always booming, however, as it is difficult to escape a game that is played everywhere
in parks, clubs, and coffee shops, as well as most public and private schools. The heavy
immigrant population of New York ensures a bountiful supply of talented players of all ages,
from the hustlers who are like furniture in the clubs and parks, to the young prodigies who are
shuttled into a world of lessons from top players, and sparring against the other prodigies as they
gain private-school scholarships and win tournaments. Long before Fischer, New Yorkers Frank
J. Marshall and Reuben Fine were contenders for the world championship. New York has a long
tradition of producing top talent in chess that is rivaled only in Europe.
Despite my having played chess throughout childhood, I did not train seriously at the
game until age seventeen, when I bought my first books and began taking lessons from a masterstrength player in Washington Square Park, for three hours each morning, after which I would
spar against my peers for another eight hours. A few years later I moved to Philadelphia, and in
1987 I played in my first rated tournament. By late 1988, I had achieved an expert’s rating of
2000, and when I quit in 1991, I was rated 1900 and age twenty-four. My rating was artificially
low, because I had taken a job the week before I “retired,” and was no longer into the game. My
rating dropped like a rock from 1988 to 1900 in several quads preceding the 1991 World Open. I
had been threatening to break the 2000 barrier several times, and would probably have wound up
rated near 2200 had I continued playing another year.
I quit chess for several reasons, many of which are no longer problems for today’s
players. Chess was never popular in America, and opportunities to earn a living at it prior to
becoming a champion were limited to publishing and teaching, something that was much more
restricted in the pre-internet era. I was confident that if I had kept playing, I would have become
a grandmaster around age thirty, but doing so would have required the sacrifice of my time,
money (for travel and training against other players), and youth. I do not regret this decision one
bit, because as it turns out, chess is the perfect activity for someone my age (38), who has done
most of what he set out to do in his youth, and now prefers a more sedentary lifestyle.
Whereas in my twenties I felt like I was missing out on things like nightlife, at my age
I’m too old for that game, my training is far less distracted, and computers and the internet have
changed the game to the point where we are all starting over anyway. Time was that to find
strong chess opponents, we had to travel, enter tournaments, and devote entire sessions to chess.
We also had no way of knowing how strong our moves were. Fast-forward to today, where I can
play the current United States champion from my home computer (as I have), and analyze the
game right afterwards to see how well I did. In the late 1980s, I had to travel to NYC or northern
New Jersey to find good tournaments, with the exception of the World Open, and I even rented
rooms in New York twice specifically so I could play chess.
Many believe that age is a hinderance to chess improvement, but as I believe this book
will clearly show, I find that lack of proper foundation for improvement is the culprit, while
distractions of life account for the rest. Additionally, most who are older simply will not alter
their lifestyle the way professional chessplaying demands, and among those who do, their
foundation in the opening is so weak that they never reach the point where they can survive the
opening against the world’s top players. If your goal is to “only” reach 2400, take comfort in
knowing that players who have already reached your goal still hang pieces when playing against
the super-elite. Here I will show you the openings that make this much more possible.
Ratings are a deceptive thing when it comes to the opening: a player’s strength in that
phase of the game has very little to do with his rating. There are 2600-rated players who do not
know much theory at all, while some 1200-rated players have memorized half of ECO, and can
scare the crap out of stronger players for ten moves or so. That the 1200 invariably loses to the
2600 is not the point, yet many critics of playing for the miniature will tell you that there’s no
point in booking up if you’re going to lose in the middlegame and endgame, when nothing could
be further from the truth. What they forget to mention is that 1200 players who book up turn into
1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, and even 2700-rated players eventually, just as today’s child studying
arithmetic becomes tomorrow’s calculus professor.
What is often blamed on age for lack of a player’s continued progress is more often a
case of poor foundation in the opening, for every opening repertoire “hits the wall” at a certain
rating level. I find that my strength rarely hits the wall, and improves whenever I train. I fully
attribute this to my fundamentally sound approach to the opening, having built a repertoire that I
rarely have to modify, and when I do, it becomes that much stronger. A 2500-rated player with a
main-line repertoire is well-positioned to move to 2700, whereas one who uses obscure openings
with limited potential will find himself stuck at 2500 for the rest of his days. Main lines are
more difficult to play, but far more rewarding in the long-term.
Once you have mastered main-line theory, you will also find yourself in a position to
truly innovate, or become the trailblazer who carves out tomorrow’s main lines. I hope to do that
several times in this book. Whereas I used to copy the main line in almost every opening I play,
since my return to chess I have begun deviating from “theory” early on, playing lines which have
either never been considered, or which have been discarded as inferior. That I win large
numbers of miniatures with these lines, and that my rating continues to improve as well, tells me
that these moves are as strong, if not stronger, than what you’ll find most people playing, with
the added benefit of surprise value. I will sacrifice some of that surprise value in order to further
the theory of the lines, and justify publishing a book for an audience that expects tangible
improvement to result from such a purpose.
I have trained several players, and a high-school team, over the years. The highschool team I coached consisted of one 1400-rated player and four beginners. I drilled them for
three hours a day after school, four or five days a week, for three months, in opening theory. I
gave them a basic repertoire (basic for me, anyway) to work with, as well as showing them how
to play the opening, so they would be able to find moves once they were out of book. The results
were startling to their official coach (the guy who drove them to tournaments): the team that was
0-3 when I got them in the middle of the season finished the year at 5-5 and in third place,
winning its last two matches against a decent Washington High team by a combined score of 9-1,
and the average game taking slightly more than twenty moves, which means they won mostly
miniatures. I was told that the other team’s students appeared shellshocked by my team’s
opening play, often getting up to ask their coach “can we resign now?” Eighteen months prior to
this, I had defeated Washington’s star player, Elvin Wilson (who outrated me by 250 Elo points)
in 23 moves with Black, and his coach had lectured me then about how the opening was not the
most important part of the game. Needless to say, I digress.
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Chapter Two:
How To Play The Opening
Before you worry about building your opening repertoire, you should first concern
yourself with learning how to play the opening, because sooner or later, you’ll wind up out of
your repertoire, or “book,” and forced to -- <gasp!> -- think for yourself. The notion of a strong
opening player as a bookworm who falls apart once he is out of his book is appealing to cynical
types, but does not reflect the player with true strength in the opening, one who is capable of
finding “book” moves on general principle, and great moves with his general knowledge applied
to a specific repertoire.
The Case For Memorization
I played chess for years before I ever developed an opening repertoire. Some of my
opponents had ratings approaching 1400, so their knowledge filtered down to me through our
play, and I did win a majority of games against them, so I must have picked up some theory. For
the most part, however, I had no clue about how to play the opening, playing mostly on instinct,
doing things right for the most part, but also making key errors that serious tournament players
would not make. My main opponent from those years used to play the Dutch Stonewall, so I
didn’t have to worry too much, and in that opening, things tend to occur naturally.
When I began taking daily lessons at age seventeen, however, I was schooled in the
basic theory of the classical openings (mostly double-king-pawn), and gravitated towards the
King’s Gambit for White and the French Defense for Black. I no longer play the King’s Gambit
(though I might whip it out for fun or to test a weaker opponent), but I continue to play the
French to this day, having detoured from that opening only briefly in the late 1980s, when I
bought a copy of Shveshnikov’s book on the Pelikan Sicilian (now called the Shveshnikov) and
began playing that variation. I liked that the theory was new, yet strong, and that I could get up
to speed with far less work than was required by the Najdorf or Dragon variations.
When you are a beginning player, and you want to play against very strong players,
one important thing is to know when to resign a lost game. A player of 2200 or greater strength
is not going to want to have to play out an endgame two pawns up against a beginner. Because
of this, I would often resign my positions against my teacher (who did not charge me more than
some food and drink I would give as a courtesy after the matches) once he got a clear advantage.
This enabled me to start fresh with a new game and study yet another opening variation, and over
time, I learned how to survive the first dozen moves of the game against him in several lines,
lines which I would often defeat even Class A players in when they tried them against me (one
such line was the Alekhine-Chatard attack).
The reason memorization is so powerful in the opening is that it delays the point at
which you make your first mistake, and the point at which you have to use up your time thinking.
Since I play one-minute chess almost exclusively now, this is a very big factor. Even at “slower”
time controls (up to a half-hour), you can gain critical time advantages just by having a book that
extends past your opponent’s. In some cases, you can set traps (like the one in the French) that
won’t be avoided even if he’s playing at three minutes per move. Players tend to play the
opening automatically, and a slow time control is no guarantee that he will go off auto-pilot in
order to deal with a new, subtle complexity.
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What happens when you leave your book does not alter the fact that playing perfect
moves from the beginning of the game is always the best strategy. You can argue all you want
that avoiding main lines is a good practical way to win, but that will not make 1. b3 a better
choice than 1. e4, which is a “main line opening” for a reason, as are 1. d4, 1. c4, and 1. Nf3.
These four moves are proven to be superior, perhaps not in the abstract (as chess is likely a
forced draw even with 1. b3), but also in the “practical” sense in that these four moves are the
ones most likely to give you a miniature, even against solid play. 1 On the other hand, I see
supercomputers on the chess servers routinely defeating players with moves like 1. b3 and 1. g3,
but often they transpose back into something resembling a main line, and the machines have an
incredible tactical ability that would be difficult for a human to duplicate.
One would expect a player with my repertoire not to get many miniatures, at least at
first glance, because the correct responses to what I play in many lines can be found in the books.
Nevertheless, few players – even top GMs – really master all that is out there, and are as
vulnerable as the next guy when it comes to playing a sharp line. The reason a grandmaster will
not test your Poisoned Pawn Sicilian, as a rule, is that he can do far better by playing the “anti”
system of 8. Nb3, leading to a complex, positional middlegame where one mistake is far less
likely to be fatal. The player who will allow lower-rated opponents into the main lines tends to
be the one who is most solid for his rating, because his rating incorporates his willingness to take
that “unnecessary” risk. I will not hesitate to let a 1200-rated player try me in my main-line
openings, not because I enjoy the risk, but because that is how I play: I use the same repertoire
against everyone, regardless of their rating.
When I began playing in tournaments in 1987, I wanted my opponents to respect my
ability in the opening, and I wanted to delay the point at which I played like something less than
a grandmaster. I began by copying Bobby Fischer’s repertoire, on the logic that any move good
enough for him would suffice for me, and I used that as the starting point to develop the
repertoire I use today. After about two years, I began moving away from Fischer’s lines, and to
some extent his style, instead choosing a more direct, forcing approach typical of a Kasparov or
Patrick Wolff, a young American GM who had a knack for playing the sharpest of the sharp
main-lines, and who I viewed as a sign that the “next generation” of my day was going to move
back to 1. e4 after a decade of Karpov and Kasparov. I noticed that Fischer, despite his prowess
in the opening, had serious defects in some of his lines, most notably the Winawer French and
the Caro-Kan. The lines I now play against both of these openings were not in favor during
Fischer’s era.
General Opening Principles
The chess opening is very basic, once you boil it down. There are four basic
objectives for each player: 1) control the center; 2) develop your pieces; 3) protect your king; and
4) gain space. Every opening move is judged on the basis of how well it helps you achieve all
four. Moves which violate general principles but which are still sound are usually those which
refute a previous move that did not conform to principles (such as with 1. f3? e5! 2. g4?? Qh4#
The “Grob” opening, 1. g4, probably leads to more miniatures overall than any other opening, but will usually lead
to disaster if you play it against anyone rated 2500 or higher.
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violating the principle of not bringing the queen out too early in order to refute White’s violation
of playing moves which expose his king.
All four factors are equally important in the same way the parts of your body are
equally important. An extreme condition with any one factor will usually override the others,
but in the final analysis, your position will only have one evaluation, one which computers
measure in pawns, and which humans measure as won, lost, or drawn, while noting where the
“winning chances” may tilt. On a practical level, an equal position where one side is threatening
to win is thought to favor that side, even if a computer will patiently wade through fifty moves of
complications to get the draw. A discussion of opening strategy, or why to play the “book”
moves (or innovate), would more or less be restricted to an analysis of these factors, and the use
of a supercomputer to check for tactical blunders. For the most part, opening moves are
acceptable as long as they don’t lead to more of a quarter-pawn or half-pawn advantage for either
side as evaluated by the top engines.
On a much more complex level, the question of how to play the opening extends way
beyond simple considerations, and into territory such as which type of game you prefer playing,
which lines you consider strongest, and why, which lines the general chess population does not
currently play correctly (and which are ripe for novelties), and how you want to construct your
overall repertoire. The one-minute chessplayer plays up to thirty games an hour during a
session, so he will confront these issues far more often than the tournament player. Each oneminute game is an “exam” of sorts that tests my repertoire, and the computer engine I use
(ChessGenius) enhances my analysis of the opening, and where I could have improved my play.
This allows me to sharpen and develop my repertoire much more quickly than if I were to play at
the slower time controls, and it is why I have been able to regain my opening strength in a short
period of time. Despite the shortened time control, the opening lessons from one-minute play
can be applied to slow chess, since we don’t use any time when playing from our repertoire.
Advanced Considerations In The Opening
I break my opening repertoire up several ways, as follows:


Novelties. Novelties are those lines I play which are not considered the main
line, even if they appear in the books somewhere, but which I also believe
will wind up the main line in the future. My lines against the Double king
pawn, Center Counter, Caro-Kan, Sicilian, and Winawer French all fit this
definition, as does my treatment of the Maroczy Bind for White, and the
Symmetrical English, and several lines of the French Defense for Black.
These are my favorite lines to play because my book usually extends well
beyond my opponent’s, and any opponent of mine is usually going to wind
up letting me dictate the terms of the battle. This is where most of my
miniatures come from.
Main lines. These are the openings where I have still not exhausted the
existing theory, and play one or more of the main variations. My work in
these lines is not yet finished, as I have not surpassed what is in the books.
This includes the Najdorf Sicilian, Alekhine’s Defense, King’s Gambit
(which I wind up on the Black side of if I play the From Gambit against the
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
Bird), the From Gambit, the Benko Gambit, and the three-knights variation of
the English opening.
Formation openings. My “formation” opening lines are those lines which
are based on the formation of the chess pieces that I strive for, in no
particular move order. These openings are my “safety net,” or where I
usually wind up when my opponent attempts to lead me out of book. Many
of these formations are derived from my novelty openings, so I often
transpose into that section, or alternatively, to one of the main-line
formations.
In each of my games, I am either playing into a line where I have innovated and my
opponent is unfamiliar, a main line where I am familiar with the opening but not innovative, or a
line that is out of both of our books, but where I am playing for a specific formation, letting the
strongest formation I can forge out of the variation be my objective. When I stick to the main
line, either the game runs through established theory for a dozen or two dozen moves, or my
opponent deviates with his “novelties” in an attempt to destroy me, in which case the game
becomes a battle of home preparation.
The opening lines where I have innovated are those where the main lines failed to give
me what I was seeking, and the alternatives began making more and more sense to me. Inspired
by watching the supercomputers win their games with just such an approach, I began seriously
considering alternatives to main-line theory in the openings I was having the greatest difficulty
with. Not all initial experiments were successful, however, and development is an ongoing
process.
Be Prepared To Lose Rating Points
When I was playing on ICC, my rating in the one-minute pool (not the bullet rating,
but the one-minute pool, where computers do not play and where opponents are selected by a
software) peaked at around 1900, which is a lot stronger than it appears, given that many IMs
and even GMs had lower ratings than me. On the Playchess.com server, by comparison, my
rating soared over 2100 without difficulty, but I hadn’t suddenly become stronger. I do not care
about the ego-boost of having a high online rating, and am much more concerned with accurately
reflecting my strength and progress. To do this, I recommend ICC’s one-minute pool because it
seems to have the strongest players, even though the experience of having a much lower rating
than your USCF rating (at least at first) may be quite humbling.
I bring up ICC because in March 2004, when I joined that server, I expected my oneminute rating to mimic my USCF peak rating of 2000, or at least my final rating of 1900. After
all, I was an Expert rated player who had defeated several masters over the board, in
tournaments, and even managed to draw Asa Hoffman in a quad at the Manhattan Chess Club,
thus depriving the famed hustler of $12.50 of his usual weekend “stipend” in a group where he
outrated all of us by 600 points. Despite my credentials, the combination of rust on my game,
the advent of computers, and fifteen years of new opening theory dropped my rating into the
1200s, with a brief peak at 1601. I was devastated, and began wondering if perhaps I was
washed up, though I decided to keep an open mind until I rebuilt my repertoire.
6
My rating had sunk so low because my primary weapon in the past – my repertoire –
had been neutralized by a generation of players who have ECO programmed into their home
computers, and who can run through their games for objective advice on where they went wrong.
Gone were the days where opponents had to purchase five volumes of ECO, twenty-five
specialized books, and then had to guess if their moves were sound, without the benefit of having
an engine check out their moves in lines like the Poisoned Pawn Sicilian. The “caveman” days
of chess were over, replaced by a high-tech world in which players were closer to perfection than
ever before. I quickly realized that the games which led me to the 2000 rating I enjoyed as a
young adult would now barely get me to 1600.
To counteract this problem, and to protect my rating, I began playing a very
conservative repertoire, that included the closed Sicilian. In doing so, my rating went up, but I
realized very quickly that my game had no teeth. Sure, I could get to 1700 if I mastered a
mediocre repertoire, but instead I chose to bite the bullet and begin playing what I had played
fifteen years ago. Those forays back into the open Sicilian, Benko Gambit, and other sharp lines
was ugly at first, as I lost almost every game where my opponent was even mildly booked up.
However, the fog soon parted and my rating improved several hundred points over the next year
and a half. It is still improving at a mild rate, a bit over 100 points a year, and if I continue
training for another decade or so I might make some noise. The lesson in all this for the reader is
not to worry about your rating today, but instead where it will be years down the road, when you
reach your peak.
Computers And Opening Play
Chess computers are essential for opening study, because you can program them to
simulate tournament play (by weighing the move percentages to reflect what you see in real life),
and you can use them to isolate your likely first mistake for every game you play. Every game I
play online is recorded into a database, and used to further extend my repertoire. For every
game, either I win in the opening because my opponent makes a mistake before I have (these are
perfect games that don’t alter my repertoire), or more commonly, I find an improvement for one
side or the other that has me reassessing or confirming my existing repertoire.
The engine I use, ChessGenius, is far from the strongest one on the market, but it suits
my purposes. It is reasonably priced ($25.00), and is included free of charge with the purchase
of my opening repertoire and PGN training files (I get a reduced price since I buy in bulk, and
pass those savings onto my customers). I use the software to weigh my repertoire and train
against it, as well as to check for tactical shots that I might have missed. I have refined my
training process to something that is very easy to execute: I play one-minute chess for most of
the day, and when my database accumulates a large number of games (up to 300), I spend
several hours going over the openings from each game, and refine my repertoire accordingly. I
also check to see how much of my repertoire I remember to play correctly; in some lines, I never
forget what I’m supposed to play, while in others I do, either because I haven’t grasped the line,
or sometimes because I found a better approach over the board.
Bottom Line: As with any approach to chess improvement, your progress will be painfully s-lo-w. Consider that a rating improvement of 100 points a year, enough to give most players a title
after a decade or so, represents all of one-third of one rating point per day. Even Bobby
Fischer’s rise to his 2800 rating took twenty-one years for him, and he studied twelve hours a
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day! Kasparov didn’t reach his peak FIDE rating of over 2800 until thirty-five years after he
learned the rules, so his progress was even slower. It is not easy to keep the faith when one’s
improvement is imperceptible in the short run, since you won’t get immediate feedback on your
progress.
8
Chapter Three:
Playing The Perfect French
The French Defense: 1. e4 e6
Back in 1984, when I bought my first opening book, Modern Chess Openings, I
treated it the way one treats the menu at a fine restaurant. It did not take a genius to figure out
that a reference book as popular as this one would contain a wide selection of “five star” opening
moves, from which I would select my initial repertoire. Since I was playing for hours a day in
Washington Square Park against more or less the same group of players, it made sense to have a
book that I could turn to anytime I was thrown a curveball at the beginning of the game. This
helped my progress immensely, as it allowed me to avoid repeatedly falling into the same
opening traps and inferior lines.
It was from this book that I would select the French Defense, which I have played for
over two decades now, with a two-year detour through the Pelikan Sicilian in 1989-1991, thanks
to Shveshnikov’s excellent work on this line.1 Even now, I still allow the Pelikan after 1. Nf3 c5
2. e4, but few take me up on it. This is the only “hole” in my repertoire that allows for a second
stem game (i.e., a game I’d play from either side). The French Defense, however, is the only
opening that I have no choice but to study from both sides, and have been doing so for almost my
entire adult life. It is an opening I am extremely familiar with and comfortable playing; not that
this makes me immune to losing with it, but the games are usually much sharper, and it is no
shock that many of my upsets come in this line.
The French Defense is very positional and somewhat intuitive. I say somewhat,
because the moves that appear correct at first glance are indeed sound, but the French contains
many subtleties which allow for the exploration of moves and positional schemes which are
incredibly complex, and which give many winning chances without surrendering Black’s
already-excellent drawing chances. White can always give himself some winning chances and
Shveshnikov’s sparring partner, Gennady Timoschenko, is at least as responsible for the popularity of the Pelikan.
Though the lower-rated of the two, Timoschenko’s games are critical to understanding how the lines developed, and
the opening should be named the Shveshnikov-Timoschenko variation.
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9
keep the draw in hand, and the result is that the superior player usually prevails if both players
are equally well-prepared. Players who are not booked up will do fine in this opening until they
encounter someone who is, and then the results can get ugly fast.
The French Defense (1. e4 e6) is based on the notion of a more passive and flexible
defense of the center. On many levels, it makes sense to concede to White a small spatial
advantage due to the first move, and work on solidifying that foothold while preparing to break
out or equalize in the middlegame. If chess is a forced draw, there should be no difficulty
executing this plan, and if it is a forced win for White, then it should still put up maximum
resistance. In the post-computer era, notions of a major opening being unsound should have
vanished, as many top computers crush the world’s strongest players with the French.
My Stem Game:
Every player has at least one “stem game,” or an opening they play as White or Black.
Fischer’s was the Poisoned Pawn Sicilian, while Kasparov’s was the Symmetrical English, at
least early in his career, but he, like many modern players, carried multiple stems since they
played more than one move from the same position as White or Black. With the exception of the
Pelikan, and only through an obscure move order, and the Black side of the King’s Gambit
(which I allow through the From Gambit of the Bird Opening), my true stem game occurs in the
Classical variation of the French Defense, as follows:
Stem Game Position After 12…dxc3
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8.
Nf3 c5 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. Bxh7+ Kxh7 11. Ng5+ Qxg5 12. fxg5 dxc3 (-0.36).
If I were to play a game of chess against myself, this queen sacrifice is what would
result! Every player has at least one stem. What’s yours?
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Alternatives To 2. d4
The “correct” move against the French is 2. d4 in that it occupies the center and
“punishes” Black for not playing 1. e5. This does not mean there aren’t alternatives, however,
and there are many. Many of these alternatives transpose into the main lines of the opening, and
attempt to “cheat” by omitting a move in order to speed up an attack. Still others are just cute
ways of getting into the main lines, but all must be studied for a player to be properly prepared:




1
2. c4. This usually leads to the Panov-Botvinnik variation of the Caro-Kan
after 2…e5 3. cxd5 exd5 4. exd5. Black then plays Nf6 and recaptures on d5.
There is extensive theory in this variation which is beyond the scope of this
book, but this line is covered in the electronic version of my repertoire, for
serious students who need to prepare. Most of the resulting formations
involve Black attempting to exploit White’s isolani,1 a common theme in
many other openings. A common continuation is 4…Nf6 5. d4 Nxd5, at
which point 5. Nc3 is met with 5…Bb4, and 5. Bd2 gets 5…Be7, with the
computer giving a slight edge to Black (-0.30).
2. Nf3 d5. The most common alternative, against which I play 2…d5 as a
reflex for Black. White will usually continue with 3. exd5, transposing to the
Exchange variation (with an early commitment to Nf3 that can be exploited),
or he’ll try 3. e5, which is also unfavorable, as he cannot support this move
with f4. If you purchase my repertoire, you’ll find most of White’s other
move orders covered, but intuition should be fine against this line as long as
you are booked up in the main lines.
2. f4 Qh4+!! One of my favorite lines, because it turns the tables on White
and takes him out of whatever surprises he has planned for me. The
computers back me up on this, and my engine even says Black is 0.09 pawns
to the good! In other words, there is nothing wrong with this move, and a lot
right with it: forcing White to play 3. g3 airs out his kingside, while making
it more difficult for White to attack on that side. After 3…Qd8, Black can
counterstrike as usual, with d5, c5, Ne7-c6, and Nd7. If White plays c3, after
cxd4, Black will have favorable versions of the line I use against the Advance
and Trash. In many cases, after 3…Qd8, White will be out of book, while
you won’t be, which is a huge practical advantage.
2. d3 d5. Often White will transpose to the Exchange variation (a move
down!) after 3. exd5 exd5, but the extra move doesn’t mean as much in this
line as it normally would, except that White cannot get as frisky in going for
the win. Play this line as you would the Exchange variation. Odds are there
is a line for Black that yields a slight advantage due to the extra move, but I
have not yet found it. This would be a fruitful area of study. Other lines with
d3 involve the King’s Indian formation (where White plays g3), and should
be studied along with games in that line which fit this scheme. For example,
An isolani is an isolated queen-pawn.
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

if 3…Nd2, I play d4, and grab an aggressive formation more commonly
associated with White.
2 Qe2!? A true “alternative” line that takes the game away from the standard
formations which usually result. I haven’t even decided what to play next,
but this line is nothing to fear. Both 2…e5!? and even 2…d5!? have their
appeal. The tempo White picks up after 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qd8 is offset
by the poorly placed Qe2, so this line should equalize relatively quickly for
Black. 2…e5 is more intricate, as Black has attempted a formation more
commonly given to White, and must achieve it without the benefit of the first
move: e.g., 3. Nf3 Nc6, and now we have a double-king-pawn game where
White has an extra tempo, but has used it to play Qe2, which again should
offset to equality.
2. b3 d5. Against the French, 2. b3 doesn’t lend itself to 2…f6, since Black
has already has a pawn on e6. Therefore, 2…d5 gets a quick equality, where
all Black really has to worry about is the long diagonal, so Nf6 and Be7 are
almost certain to be played. Once Black is developed, the counterstrike at c5
is going to be stronger thanks to the poorly placed Bb2. These systems are
obviously similar to those where White plays 1. b3. You should have little
difficulty getting a -0.25 (black better by a quarter-pawn) out of these lines.
Alternatives To 2…d5
The defining characteristic of your stem game is that you have to consider multiple
variations for each side. In the Sicilian, I only have to select one move for White in each
variation, but because I play against the French in addition to playing it, I have to select moves
against all of the main lines, not just the lines I play. This will always lead to a much deeper
understanding of your “stem” opening than the remainder of your repertoire.
After 1. e4 e5 2. d4, Black almost always plays d5, but 2...b6 is a strong, independent
variation that resembles the Queen’s Indian formations, and should be treated as such. My
personal preference against this line is to set up a King’s Indian/Samisch formation with 3. c4
followed by f3, while if Black plays c5, I may add in Ne2 with the idea of Nxd4 and a favorable
Maroczy Bind setup. No matter what, Black’s passive play allows White to get pretty much any
formation he wants, which means that your ability to play against this move will be determined
by your ability to construct a superior formation. You can also let Black “off the hook” and set
up a passive formation if that is your preference, but squandering opportunity in the opening is
not a good way to get miniatures.
Other alternatives to d5 (such as 2…Nc6 or 2…g6) are highly antipositional. They are
covered in my electronic repertoire, which is sold separately.
Alternatives To 3. Nc3
The French has three main alternatives to 3. Nc3, the main line.
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


3. Nd2 (Tarrasch Variation) Against the Trash, I have a unique strategy
which I also use against the Advance Variation (3. e5), as follows: 3…Nf6 4.
e5 Nfd7! 5. c3 c5 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. Ngf3 Nb6 9. O-O Bd7 10. Nb3
Rc8 11. Bg5 Be7 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. a3 O-O 14. Rc1 (0.30), and since White
has taken so much effort to stop Black’s knights from being adventurous on
the queenside, 14…f6 gives Black a perfectly playable and almost equal
position. The deviations from this line are numerous, but most roads lead
back to this formation or something better.
3. e5 (Advance Variation). I use the same formation as above against the
Advance French. This is my stem: 3…c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. cxd4 Ne7! 6. Nc3
Nec6 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bd3 Nd7 9. O-O Nb6 10. Bf4 Nb4 11. Bb1 Bd7 12. a3
Nc6 13. b3 Rc8 14. Qc2 Na4 (0.45), and Black has marshaled his queenside
nicely, while the uncastled king appears no less safe than a castled one. If
Black castles, the defensive stop at g6 is often Black’s only option, and
sufficient to stall any counterattack by White. The computer likes White’s
spatial advantage, yet there is no clear way for White to exploit it, and in
extreme situations, the Black king could even attempt to reach safety at b8,
leaving the kingside open for a counterattack.
3. exd5 (Exchange Variation). I would guess that I see more games in this
variation than any single other, and I welcome it. I use a very standardized
and solid formation for Black that holds equality with winning chances, and
if White does not play correctly, or if Black is just feeling aggressive, I have
a unique formation I designed to punish White’s attempt to cheat his normal
development, and use the solid formation for when White’s play is kosher.
The stem game is 3…exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Bd6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 c6!
The move order is flexible, with many transpositions; White’s formation is
key to dictating Black’s moves. With 7…c6, Black has solidified his center
and obtained a dead equality that leads to an interesting middlegame. The
most thematic line follows 8. c3 Bg4 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Nbd2 Qc7 (0.09),
which even the computers will tell you is drawish, a great thing for Black,
especially in international play. If White refuses this formation, Black can
take advantage of moves like Bf5 (if White doesn’t play Bd3), or even b6 and
Ba6, trading off the bad bishop. When White has played Re1 and Nf3,
however, the threat of Ne5 is enough to make that plan uninspiring.
These “alternative” lines are all main lines in their own right, and are a fact of life for
any player of the French. Black’s passive first move is solid defensively, but gives White
extraordinary flexibility in choosing a plan. On the downside for White, no matter what plan he
chooses, he can expect Black to hang around for the middlegame fight, and to do so at least on
equal terms. The opening is no picnic for White, either, as Black has many options and plans, all
of which are facts of life for White. The biggest upside for Black, however, is that the French is
a formation-driven opening, and a player who can properly evaluate a formation will have little
difficulty steering his game to a superior (or equal) one.
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Alternatives to 3…Nf6
Black’s alternatives to 3…Nf6 explain to me why so many players with White avoid
3. Nc3. As with White’s third-move alternatives, both of the lines below qualify as main lines,
and cannot be easily avoided:



3…Bb4 (Winawer Variation). A hellish opening for either side in which
Black attempts to saw the board in half and trap all of your pieces on the
irrelevant side. White usually counters this strategy with an early Qg4 and a
wipeout of Black’s kingside, but Black can then castle queenside and convert
his pawn deficit into open files against White’s castled king. White’s
queenside pressure is awkward at best. The main lines are saturated with
positions which, according to one author, “defy rational assessment,” and he
was pretty much on the money. Because theory has never satisfied me here, I
deviate rather early with this stem: 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxa3 6. bxa3 Ne7 7. f4!
When I first read MCO, I looked for this move, yet couldn’t find it. I found
7. Qg4 (the “main line”), 7. a4, 7. Nf3, and even 7. Nge2 and 7. Rb1, but no
7. f4. I found this odd, because it is very logical to support e5, and if the
move was a blunder, that would usually have been noted. Instead, I found
nothing on the move, so I just took the plunge and began playing it last year.
Theory after this move is barren, and I rely exclusively on my own games to
develop it. So far, I consider this to be best for both sides: 7...O-O 8. Nf3
Nbc6 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O c4 11. Be2 b6 12. a4 (0.06), and my computer
agrees with me even if the world doesn’t. My practice with this line has been
favorable, and I expect that there are ideas hidden deep beneath the surface
which neither I nor anyone else will grasp for at least a decade. Anytime the
“main line” of an opening has me sending my queen on a search-and-destroy
mission at the cost of all positional sanity, I am suspicious. Those lines have
not proven a forced win for White, so a positional approach is likely the
sounder of the two. After 7. f4, Black’s opening preparation more or less
goes out the window, thus making miniatures much more likely.
3…dxe5 (Rubinstein Variation). The darling of the silicon set, this
simplifying move gives White a slightly superior position where book
knowledge has limited effectiveness. Chess computers love this move
because it is devoid of tricks, and their brute-force analysis cannot be tricked
as easily through the horizon effect. Against this line, I use a novel approach
if Black does not play an immediate Nf6: 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. c4 Ngf6 6. Nc3,
and Black has been steered away from his preparation and into a system
which is hardly inferior for White, the computer’s evaluation of -0.15
notwithstanding. The game might continue 6…c5 7. Nf3 cxd5 8. Nxd4 e5 9.
Ndb5 a6 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. Na3 Bf5 12. Be3 Bxa3 13. bxa3 (0.09).
3...b6. The only reasonably independent alternative leads to positions
covered in the section on Queen’s Indian formations. The general plan of f3,
Be3 and Nge2 will lead to Pirc-like positions, where Black has a bad bishop
stuck on b7. Other third moves for Black are either inferior positionally
(such as 3…Nc6 or 3…Ne7), or outright tactical blunders (such as 3…c5).
14
Alternatives To 4. Bg5
As we weave our way through my stem game, we see another set of alternatives for
White, who is by no means required to follow my scripting with 4. Bg5. Instead, he can try the
following:


4. e5 (Steinitz Variation). The first world chess champion did a lot for the
theory of the French, and this is yet another one of his contributions, a
deviation from the main line of the Classical variation which also bears his
name. My stem game in this line contains the trap in the introduction:
4…Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6 8. Be3 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Be7 10.
Qd2 O-O 11. Bd3 f6 (-0.06), where the computer says Black has already
equalized and may even have winning chances. If 12. O-O-O? 12…fxe5!!
13. fxe5 Nxe5 is winning for Black (-1.06), as 14. Bxe5 Bg5 nets Black the
queen. That even a grandmaster is vulnerable to a trap like this shows why
opening preparation is critical: “intuitive” moves that look good on the
surface belie the hidden dangers. An alternative to this line for Black is to
use the same formation that I use against the Advance and Trash variations
4…exd5 (Delayed Exchange Variation). The only reason you don’t see this
move more often is that it restricts White’s options by committing the knight
early, when there is no real reason to, especially since c3 can be a very useful
move. This move is covered under the analysis of the Exchange variation.
Alternatives To 4…Be7
The five-star menu continues for both sides. Black still does not have to commit to a
Classical French, and can continue to annoy White by steering the game off course:


4…Bb4 (MacCutcheon Variation). Very similar to the Winawer Variation
in that Black attacks the Nc3, but nowhere near as popular or theoretically
rich. My stem in this position deviates early from the main line, but appears
to be no less sound: 5. e5 h6 6. Bc1 Ne4 7. Qg4!, and White has an attacking
position that allows him to keep both his bishop pair and pawn structure, or at
least threaten to. This is very disturbing to most MacCutcheon/Winawer
players, and the theory of the positional uses of Qg4 for White are welldocumented. Fortunately, not much analysis has been devoted to this line, so
you can get your opponent out of book before you are, and get your share of
miniatures without risking a weak position if Black isn’t so accommodating.
Finding the best play from here is a bit of a challenge: e.g., 7…g6 8. Bd3
Nxc3 9. a3 10. Bd2 (-0.06), with the computer giving a slight edge to Black,
but with White holding lots of tactical threats.
4…dxe4 transposes to the Rubinstein Variation above.
Other alternatives for Black are generally inferior, and should be exploited via the
construction of a superior formation not possible in the main lines.
15
Alternatives To 5. e5
White is by no means obligated to play 5. e5, but it is by far the most common, and
almost certainly best. That does not mean, however, the avoidance moves won’t creep their way
into your practice:


5. exd5. A further delayed Exchange Variation which is even more
restrictive, but hardly unsound (0.18). These moves and positional themes
are covered under the Exchange Variation.
5. f3!? The sacrifice can catch one off-guard: 5…dxe4 6. Bc4 h6 7. Bf4 exf3
8. Nxf3 (-0.78), and the computer score reflects White’s compensation for the
pawn. In practice, the sacrificial player will attack, while the defender will
attempt to consolidate, and the better player will usually prevail. This makes
the opening very practical stylistically, and something that Black needs to be
prepared for.
For the most part, you can expect White to play e5 here, but beware of the sacrifice
with 5. f3. The way to terrorize someone who tries that move on you in an important tournament
is to be equally prepared in a favorable position.
Alternatives To 5…Nd7
Even here, Black has options:


5…Ng8!? This “hypermodern” approach has validity, as the basic formation
is not disrupted, and since the position is closed, time is not the critical factor
it would be in say a double-king-pawn game. The move is nothing for White
to fear, as Black now has to fight for equality, without many winning
chances. My computer-assisted stem in this line is 6. Bxe7 Nxe7 7. f4 O-O 8.
Nf3 c5 9. Bd3 c4 10. Be2 Nbc6 11. O-O Nf5 12. Qd2 f6 13. exf6 Rxf6 14.
Nd1 (0.12), and White is now threatening to solidify his pawns with c3.
Black’s backward e-pawn will also be no picnic to defend.
5…Ne4?! Many master-strength players love moves like this because they
understand the resulting formations, and it is only a matter of time before a
weaker opponent simply blunders. Still other players “sacrifice” a good halfpawn or better just to get an obscure opening that they have studied, and
which hopefully you have not. After 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nxe4 dxe4 8. c3 O-O
9. Qg4 f5 10. exf6 Qxf6 11. Qg3 (0.57), the engine starts to like White for the
same reason most humans will, but don’t get too giddy about the advantage,
as Black has not been provably busted (yet).
We are now at the starting point for the Classical French, if White trades with Bxe7.
If not, however, we get some other interesting variations:
16



Alternatives To 6. Bxe7
6. h4 (Alekhine-Chatard Attack). I do not play this for white, but I have
seen it so many times as Black that it is definitely worth considering as an
alternative to the main line, which I do play. This move, named after yet
another world champion (Alekhine), is a very sound and aggressive sacrifice
of the h-pawn that opens up the h-file for an attack on White’s alreadycompromised kingside. Black must play very precisely to win, and have an
understanding of both positional play and tactics if he is to have a chance
against a strong, prepared opponent. My stem game in this line breaks very
clearly from established theory: 6…Bxg5 7. hxg5 Qxg5 8. Nh3 Qe7 9. Qg4
g6 10. Nf4 Nc6 11. O-O-O Nf8! Here, White has several options: e.g., 12.
Qg3 Qd8! 13. Be2 h6 (0.36); 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Rh6 f5 (0.27); or 12. Bd3 f5
13. exf6 Qxf6 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. Rde1 O-O-O (0.33). All of these lines are
very dynamic, and survivable for Black.
6. Be3. A very annoying line, though nothing Black should fear. What’s
annoying is that you can count on White knowing every subtlety of this line,
which means you have to do your homework to claim the advantage. After
6…O-O 7. Bd3 c5 8. Qg4 f5 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Qd1 cxd4 11. Bxd4 Nc6 12.
Nf3 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 e5 (-1.39), White is all but lost, but there could be a
hidden resource along the way. Keeping the bad bishop on the board for
Black’s good bishop is not a sound strategy for White.
6. Bc1 is intriguing, and Black should continue with his development through
6. O-O, but if he wants to be adventurous, 6. Bf8 transposes to the Steinitz
variation. Other moves, like 6. Bd2, are antipositional and give Black an
excellent game.
Classical French After 6. Bxe7 Bxe7
Position after 6. Bxe7 Bxe7
17
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nd7 6. Bxe7 Bxe7
French players will play into this position almost instantly: it is the main line of the
entire opening. White has a clear-cut advantage in space, but that is all he has, and the risk of
overextension is always present. Black seeks counterplay through pawn breaks at f6 and c5,
while White can castle short or long, and will be seeking to solidify his spatial advantage as he
organizes his forces behind his big pawn center.
Since I play this position for both sides, I have to consider all options for each side:
Alternatives To 7. f4
If White chooses not to play 7. f4 and support his center, Black can usually exploit the
premature aggression, but this is easier said than done. Black must be on guard for several
surprises here:





7. Nb5!? Thematic, in that it threatens both Nc7+ and c3, and after 7…Nb6
8. c3 a6 9. Na3 c5 10. Nf3 cxd4 11. cxd4 O-O 12. Nc2 Nc6 13. Bd3 f6 14.
exf6 Rxf6 15. O-O Bd7 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 (-0.03), the engines like
Black, and give several moves as leading to equality. This move is also
attractive as White if 7. f4 gives you temporary trouble, or as a surprise
weapon.
7. Qg4. White treats the Classical as if it were a Winawer. The move I
found in MCO over twenty years ago is the one I play against this to this day:
7…O-O 8. f4 c5 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. O-O-O cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 f6 13.
Bd3 Nc5 (-0.06), and again Black has equality with good counterplay. This
line is very tricky, and that it is rarely played will not help you should you
encounter it in a tournament, so be prepared.
7. Bd3!? Very sound, useful, and flexible. This has main-line potential if
someone ever does it justice. I have no real stem here, but I would expect a
continuation like 7…O-O 8. Nb5 Nb6 9. c3 a6 10. Na3 c5 11. Nf3 Nc6 12.
Nc2 f6 (0.06), with yet another equal and imbalanced position and the threat
of major fireworks in the center.
7. Qh5?! Black has to weather a minor storm, but afterwards he gets a good
position: e.g., 7…O-O 8. f4 c5 9. Nf3 f6 10. Bd3 g6 11. Qh4 Nc6 12. exf6
Nxf6 13. dxc5 Qxc5 14. O-O-O (0.00). The following “computer fun” led to
a draw after 14…b5 15. Bxb5 Rb8 16. Bxc6 Qxc6 17. Rde1 Qb6 18. Nd1
Ne4 19. Ng5 Nxg5 20. Qxg5 Bd7 21. g3 d4 22. Rhf1 Rfc8 23. Rf2 d3 24.
Qe7 dxc2 25. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 26. Kxc2 Ba4+ 27. b3 Bxb3+ 28. axb3 Qxb3+ 29.
Kd2 Qd5+ 30. Ke3 Rb1 31. Kf2 Rxd1 32. Rxd1 Qxd1 33. Qxe6+ Kg7 34.
Qe7+ Kg8 35. Qe6+ Kg7 36. Qe7+ ½-½ .
7. Qd2!? The “older” line, but still playable. White tries to castle long
quickly in order to gain time for his attack. This is not easily refuted, and
Black can get “cheated” into a superior version of the main lines if he is not
18

careful. As Black, I would continue with something like 7…O-O 8. Nf3 c5
9. dxc5 Nc6 10. Qe3 Qxc5 11. Qxc5 Nxc5 (-0.06), and the computer
evaluation reflects the progress Black has made towards what should be a
favorable endgame.
Other moves, such as 7. Nf3, are antipositional and should be dealt with via
construction of a superior formation not usually possible in the main line.
Alternatives To 7…O-O
As you can see, on every move in the Classical French, each player has many good
choices. For Black’s seventh, he does not have to castle, and can instead try a more traditional
approach, or even something adventurous:





1
7…a6. The older continuation, and it has survived the test of time. The
move stops 8. Nb5, but castling makes this irrelevant. This pawn move is a
useful part of the formation, but playing it early does little to bolster Black.
As White, I continue here with normal development: 8. Nf3 c5 9. Ne2 cxd4
10. a3!1 O-O 11. Nexd4 f6 12. exf6 Qxf6 13. Be2 Nc6 14. g3 e5 15. Nb3 Ne7
16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Qd4 (0.18), and White retains a very slight
initiative.
7…c5? Often played by mistake (Black forgets to play 7…O-O), or by an
inexperienced player, and it pays for White to know the refutation: 8. Nb5!
Kd8 9. c3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nc6 11. Ngf3 Kc7 12. Bb5 Nc5 13. O-O Bc7 14. c4
(1.03), and Black has self-destructed on move seven. This line demonstrates
very clearly why 7…O-O is the main line.
7…f6!? A bit premature, but still thematic. If Black understands the
resulting formation, White will have difficulty cracking it. A lively strategy
for White is advised: e.g., 8. Nb5 Na6 Nb5 Na6 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Nc3 O-O
11. Bxa6 bxa6 12. Nf3 Qb4 13. O-O Nh5 14. g3 Qxb2 15. Qd3 (0.54), and
Black is wishing about now that he’d played something a little more solid.
7…f5!? This move resolves the tension surrounding the f-file immediately:
White must continue with 8. exf6, which transposes to the 7…f6 lines above,
or accept a locked pawn structure. It appears the latter may be the superior
option, for after the very direct 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qh6 (0.78), Black has some
explaining to do regarding his strategy, at least to the computers. The airedout king and lack of development, combined with the lack of space, do not
bode well for this line.
7…Nb6!? This move is not too bad, but it is not reflective of a purposedriven life. Removing support from f6 is dubious, but not likely fatal. After
8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O c5 11. Nb5 cxd4 12. Nbxd4 N8d7 13. c3
(0.39), White’s computer score is comparable to the other main lines, but the
10. Nexd4? Qb4+! (-0.78)
19


path to this evaluation is less risky, and the advantage more persistent, albeit
still slight.
7…b6?! This move is played with the idea of finding a use for the bad Bc8,
and steering White out of his opening preparation. After 8. Nb5 Qh4+ 9. g3
Qd8 10. c4! O-O 11. cxd5 Bb7 12. Bg2 Bxd5 13. Bxd5 exd5 14. Nf3 (0.36),
White has found a relatively simple way to keep the winning chances with
the draw in hand. The computer evaluation does not even take into account
the pawn majority on the kingside, which could explode at any time as the
game wears on. This position may very well be lost for Black already.
Formation-oriented players (i.e., anyone who studies this book properly)
should have no difficulty here.
7…Qb4!? Why not hit White on the dark squares of the queenside? After 8.
a3 Qb61 9. Nf3 O-O 10. Bd3 f6 11. O-O fxe5 12. fxe5 h6 13. Na4 Qc6 14. b3
Nb6 15. Nb2 Qc3 16. Qd2 Qxd2 17. Nxd2 Rxf1+ 18. Rxf1 c5 19. c3 (0.36),
we see why: White can avoid the attack with normal development and strand
Black’s heavy artillery. On the other hand, the computer says Black can
survive, but he better be prepared for a long struggle just for equality, or hope
that White gets tricked.
Other alternatives, most notably 7…g6 and 7…Nc6, should be dealt with instinctively,
as all they do is get in the way of Black’s normal development. The electronic version of my
repertoire (sold separately) will cover these lines to the extent I see them in practice, which is
rare.
Alternatives To 8. Nf3
White now has several options at his disposal, and how he continues will set the tone
for the middlegame:


1
2
8. Qd2!? The “other” main line, usually leading to queenside castling, given
White’s undeveloped kingside. The counterstrike 8…c5 is a given, at which
point for Black I would expect the game to continue 9. Nf3 cxd4 10. Nxd4
Nc6 11. O-O-O f6 12. exf6 Qxf6 13. g3 Nc5 (0.27), and White gets the
positive evaluation, but in a very dynamic position which is very lively for
Black.
8. Bd3!? Delaying Nf3 allows White to keep a direct line to the kingside
open for his queen, but the lack of support for d4 and poor development on
the kingside offset this: 8…c5 9. Nf3 h6 2 10. Nb5 Nc6 11. c3 cxd4 12. cxd4
Qb4+ 13. Qd2 Qxd2+ 14. Kxd2 (0.30), and White has little to complain
about. Black’s best bet is to steer back to the main line formation, where he
has more options.
8…Qxb2?? Na4! (3.90)
9…cxd4, 9…Nc6, and 9…f6 generally transpose to the stem game or something similar.
20


8. Nb5?! Thematic, but a bit misplaced. This doesn’t make it a picnic for
Black, but he does have some interesting options. Simple enough is 8…a6!
9. Nc31 c5 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. dxc5 f6 12. exf6 Qxf6 (-0.24), and Black has a
slightly better version of the main lines with a6.
8. Qh5!? About the only other alternative that is not clearly antipositional,
the counterstrike 8…c5 (-0.18) punishes black electronically, and there
doesn’t seem to be anything over the horizon to contradict the silicon
assessment: e.g., 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. O-O-O cxd4 11. Nxd4 (-0.18).
Other tries, such as 8. Qc1 or 8. Bb5, should not present any difficulty for the
formation-oriented player.
Alternatives To 8…c5
Most of Black’s other eighth moves are transpositions to earlier alternative lines:



8…a6. A key difference here is that without playing c5 as in the main lines
involving 7…a6, the threat of Qb4+ is stronger, and deters 9. Ne2. On the
other hand, White is better developed on the kingside, so it makes sense to
play normally: 9. Bd3 f6 10. O-O c5 11. dxc5 Qxc5+ 12. Kh1 Nc6 13. exf6
Rxf6 14. Ng5 (0.24), and the horizon seems a bit favorable for White, even if
the evaluation is commensurate with the main line.
8…f6!? Very promising, since Black wants to play this move as soon as
possible. 9. Nb5 Nb6 10. c3 a6 11. Na3 c5 12. Bd3 c4 13. Bb1 (0.09), and
White should be very happy with this formation, even if the bots are
indifferent.
8…f5!? The question is whether or not 9. exf6 is “forced.” If so, it
transposes into the footnote above, while if not, White can try 9. Bd3 c5 10.
Nb5 Nc6 11. c3 cxd4 12. Nbxd4 Nc5 13. O-O Nxd3 14. Qxd3 (0.18), and
White gets a nice post at d4 in a closed position, with a favorable horizon.
Alternatives To 9. Bd3
In my stem game, White baits Black into playing 9…cxd4, which all but forces a
queen sacrifice and hopeless complications. By no means is White forced to allow this:

1
9. Nxc7? Ra7!
9. Nb5. A recurring theme in which this move is made not to threaten d6 or
c7, but simply to vacate c3 so that the pawn structure may be solidified. The
threat of Nc7 can be dealt with, but the threat of c3 cannot. This may very
well be the “correct” move if the stem game proves unsound. My stem game
in this line is just as wild, however: 9…cxd4! 10. Nc7 Nxe5 11. Nxa8 Nxf3+
12. Qxf3 b6 13. Qa3 Qb7 14. Bd3 g6 15. Nxb6 Qxb6 16. O-O Nc6 17. Qb3
Qc7 18. Qb5 Bd7 (0.57), and White has problems on the queenside that will
21


not go away. Given that Black has only a pawn for the exchange, the
numerical evaluation suggests superiority.
9. Qd2. Mostly a transpositional line that leads to similar or identical
formations already discussed: e.g., 9…cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nc6 11. O-O-O Nxd4
12. Qxd4 (0.00).
9. dxc5. Not a bad idea to beat Black to the punch by relieving the tension on
c5, but it does allow him to gain a little time: 9…Nc6! 10. Bd3 Nxc5 11. O-O
Nxd3 12. Qxd3 Nb4 13. Qd2 (-0.18) gives us a very typical position from this
line, with a score typical of a deviation from the main line.
Other tries, such as 9. Ne2,1 9. Be2, and 9. Bb5 are not thematic, not best, and there is
no need to abandon a main-line classical variation that has held up for over a century, and which
has been the choice of many if not most of the world champions.
Alternatives To 9…cxd4
Now the fun starts: as White, my stem game is assured, while as Black, I am tempting
White to play exactly like me, and into a line I play for both sides. I will not deviate from
9…cxd4 as Black, but as White, I get to see my opponents do so all the time. I view their refusal
to play the stem line as a sign of weakness and cowardice, which is supposed to help my
confidence:



1
9…f6. The “cowardly” alternative to my stem game can lead to material and
positional complexity: 10. O-O Nc6 11. Nb5 a6 12. Nd6 cxd4 13. Nh4 g6 14.
Qg4 Nc5 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Bxg6 Qg7 17. Ne8 Rxe8 18. exf6 Qxf6 19.
Bxe8+ Qg7 20. Qxg7+ Kxg7 (0.39), with major complications.
9…f5. The thematic and direct approach seems solid here: 10. Nb5 Nc6 11.
c3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Qb4+ 13. Qd2 Qxd2+ 14. Kxd2 (0.60). The lines with …f5
appeal to those who want to lock up the position, but the weakness on e6
becomes much easier to attack. Better to play f6 for Black and let White
resolve the tension.
9…Nc6. Inviting the sacrifice on h7, but on different terms than the stem
game, since both Queens (usually) remain on the board: 10. Bxh7+ Kxh7 11.
Ng5+ Kg6 12. Qd3+ f5 13. Qg3 (0.24), and it is dangerous to commit any
further analysis to print, since even the computers have no idea what to do,
something that says a lot about the deep tactics inherent in this sacrificial
play. Players who are used to computers “spellchecking” their repertoire
become very vulnerable when the machines cannot guide them to the correct
plan. Even if you think you’ve found a refutation, there may be a hidden
resource buried in the +/- 2.75 electronic declarations that the position is won
or lost for Black or White. A good tactician, working with a good program,
could do some amazing research here, but that would be beyond the scope of
9. Nb5 achieves the same pawn structure and is more aggressive.
22
this book. To the extent that I do such research, that is included in the
electronic version of my repertoire, which I may have mentioned is sold
separately.
Alternatives To 10. Bxh7+ Kxh7 11. Ng5+ Qxg5
White is not required to play into the queen sacrifice, but it is probably best for him to
do so. He does have a few detours should he desire to wimp out instead:




10. Nb5. The generic thematic alternative rears its head once again. The
game might continue 10…Qb4+ 11. Qd2 Nc6 12. Qxb4 Nxb4 13. Nfxd4
Nxd3+ 14. cxd3 Nc5 15. Ke2 a5 (0.27). The obvious choice for White if he
wants to avoid the risk of blunder or perpetual check associated with the
stem.
10. Nxd4. Dubious: Black is too far ahead in development, and with too
strong a center, for me to take this option seriously. After 10…Nc6 11. Nxc6
bxc6 12. O-O Qb4 (-0.15), Black’s queenside is active, his kingside is secure,
and his pawn center is solidified. That’s a pretty good day’s work for a
dozen moves into the game. Score notwithstanding, the horizon isn’t
particularly thrilling for White.
10…Kh8. The “independent” try leaves Black in a defensive position: 11.
Ng5 g6 12. Qxd4 13. Nb5 (0.06). Computers are notoriously bad with
positions like this, so we have great fodder for the player who can think for
himself. The better-prepared player will almost always win here.
11…Kg6. Black is not required to sacrifice his queen here, and can choose
instead to rely on the usual and surprisingly resilient resources against this
normally fatal kingside attack: 12. Qd3+ f5 13. exf6+ Kxf6 14. Qxd4+ Kg6
15. Qd3+ Kf6 16. Nh7+ Kf7 17. Nxf8 Nxf8 18. O-O Nc6 19. f5 exf5 20.
Nxd5 Qc5+ 21. Kh1 (0.24), and White has a rook and a pawn for two minor
pieces in a complex middlegame, with the option to draw by perpetual check.
23
Stem Game: 11…Qxg5 12. fxg5 dxc3
Position After 12…dxc3
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8.
Nf3 c5 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. Bxh7+ Kxh7 11. Ng5+ Qxg5 12. fxg5 dxc3 (-0.36).
Black has three minor pieces for the queen, and a very solid defensive setup. White
has some tricks on the kingside for which Black must be prepared, but if Black can get his army
in motion, he has excellent winning chances.
My analysis of this line stops here, simply because only an advanced player would
need to book up in this line. It is included in the electronic repertoire for those who want to
explore it. You will not see it very often, as the escape hatches along the way for each side are
numerous. A few players like this line, but most of them won’t play it for both sides unless they
play 1. e4 and 1…e6. Computer evaluations have limited value, but are useful as blundercheckers.
Once you have a carefully chosen stem game in place, you can build your entire
opening repertoire from it. Ideally, you should select a stem that you will never have to change,
since this will give you more time to develop a deeper knowledge of all variations you are likely
to see in tournament play. Since I have been playing the French for over twenty years, I have
had a very long time to fine-tune my approach to the opening, and after exhausting most of the
existing theory, have begun developing much of my own, especially with regard to move orders.
The key to playing the “perfect” French Defense is extensive book preparation, and a
firm grasp of the various positional themes in the main lines. Often, one side or the other will
play a heavily antipositional move (such as Bb5+, giving Black a free tempo with c6), and allow
an easy advantage. This is especially common among weaker players.
24
Chapter Four:
The Ponziani!? (Double King Pawn)
Position After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c3!?
For every defense that you do not play as Black against the opening(s) you play as
White, you will have a theoretical stem game that you would play if you had chosen that defense
instead of the one that leads to your stem. While I play (and highly recommend) the French
Defense for my stem game, if you are a player of another defense, including the topic of this
chapter (1…e5), then your stem will be practical as well as hypothetical. I am not a double-kingpawn player, but if I were, the Ponziani Opening would be my stem.
Hardcore opening theorists view the Lopez as the only way for White to try for an
advantage after 1. e4 e5, but Kasparov’s success with the Scotch Opening, and other players’
success with defenses like the Petroff, indicate that this assessment is premature. The view that
lines like the Scotch, King’s Gambit, Bishop’s Opening, Four Knights Game, Three Knights
Game, Vienna, or the Ponziani are instructive and fruitful, but only equality against best play, is
somewhat narrow. I do not see how an extremely useful move like c3 can possibly squander the
first-move advantage, for an early d5 break by Black is hardly a guarantee of equality, and often
leaves him one mistake away from disaster. Certainly you could find yourself with far more
problems in any of a half-dozen “main line” variations of the Ruy Lopez. One could almost
argue that it is the Lopez which lets Black equalize too easily, and the “other” king-pawn games
are where White’s real opportunities lay.
The Ponziani generally turns a double king-pawn game into something more
commonly found in the English or in the queen pawn games. The center often winds up locked,
and a complex positional battle results. If Black gets frisky, White’s extra move comes into
play, and he uses that tempo either to fuel his attack or bolster his pawn center, and sometimes
both. There are a few decent books on the Ponziani out there if you want to check them out, but
I prefer not to consult chess books anymore for my lines, as I will usually see these lines anyway
in my training, and can use my computer-enhanced analysis to determine what to play.
25
In this chapter, I will examine the lines I play in the Ponziani, in order of frequency
and importance:
Alternatives To 2…Nc6
To get to the Ponziani, White must first face a few deviances from Black, all of which
are very playable:




2…f5!? The Latvian Gambit, which is far stronger than its reputation, as the
silicon is beginning to confirm. Pity the unprepared player with White who
thinks he has an easy win, but also pity the player with Black who thinks
White can’t find the complicated near-win that results: 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. Nc4
fxe4 5. Nd3 Qf7 6. Ne3 Nf6 7. Bc4 Qg6 8. d3 Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3
(1.09) leaves White with a substantial advantage in development and the
bishop pair, which should prove fatal beyond the horizon.
2…d6. Philidor’s defense, the terror of the eighteenth century, has made a
bit of a comeback thanks to the engines showing new paths to equality or
near-equality for Black. I prefer a direct approach here: 3. d4! exd4 4. Nxd4
Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bc4 O-O 7. Bf4 Nbd7 8. O-O Nb6 9. Qe2 Nxc4 10. Qxc4
Nxe4 11. Nxe4 d5 12. Qd3 dxe4 13. Qxe4 (0.15), where White has a strong
presence in the center to counteract Black’s bishop pair. It should be noted
that the computer evaluations in the Philidor are similar to those of the
Lopez, and with far less theory to master. This opening could easily be
chosen for Black for the same reasons I chose the Ponziani for White.
2…Nf6. The Petroff Defense, which is almost as old as the Philidor and the
Lopez. The idea of counterstriking White’s king-pawn and equalizing
quickly in the center has stood the test of time, and has been played at one
time or another by almost every world champion dating back to Steinitz. A
prepared player for White will not get killed by this defense, but he won’t be
killing it easily either. My stem game continues with 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3
Nxe4 5. d3 Nf6 6. d4 Be7 7. c4 O-O 8.Nc3 Bg4 9. Be2 Nc6 10. d5 Bxf3 11.
Bxf3 Ne5 12. Be2 c6 13. f4 Ng6 14. Be3 Nh4 15. O-O (0.54), where White
has better coordination and development, as well as more space.
2…d5!? Welcome to 21st century chess: moves that players never would
have tried in the past are commonplace today. The computer scores are
tolerable, and many lines lead to an advantage for Black, with the added
bonus of catching many White players unprepared. My stem game here is
rather tenuous, but necessary as a building block: 3. Nxe5 dxe4 4. Bc4 Qg5 5.
Bxf7+ Ke7 6. d4 Qxg2 7. Rf1 Nf6 8. Bf4 Bh3 9. Bc4 Nbd7 10. Nc3 Nb6 11.
Be2 Rd8 12. Qd2 c5 13. O-O-O Rxd4 14. Qe1 Be6 15. Rg1 Qh3 16. f3 exf3
17. Bxf3 Rxf4 18. Bxb7 Rd4 19. Nc6+ Kf7 20. Nxd4 cxd4 21. Ne4 Qe3+ 22.
Qxe3 dxe3 23. Ng5+ Ke7 24. Rge1 Ng4 25. h3 Ne5 26. Rxe3 (0.69). By no
means is this a definitive main line, but it is typical of what to expect if two
well-booked players collide. Many improvements are possible for both sides,
but it will take work to find them.
26



2…Bc5. Black boldly sacrifices the e-pawn: 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. d3
Qf6 6. f4 Qd4 7. Qf3 Nf6 8.c3 Qd8 9. d4 Bb6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Bg4 12.
Qg3 (1.66), and Black is fast approaching the wrong side of a miniature.
2…c6?! Reversing the Ponziani formation is passive, but it’d take a strong
computer to exploit: 3. Nxe5 Qe7 4. d4 d6 5. Nf3 Qxe4+ 6. Be3 d5 7. Bd3
Qe7 8. O-O Qb4 9. Qe2 Be7 10. c3 Qd6 11. Re1 Bg4 12. Bg5 Nd7 13. Bxe7
Nxe7 14. Nbd2 h6 15. h3 Be6 16. Ne5 O-O 17. Nxd7 Qxd7 18. Nf3 (0.54).
Perhaps I didn’t find eighteen consecutive perfect moves and there are
improvements, but every opening tree has to start somewhere, and this seems
representative of the line.
Other moves, such as 2…Be7, 2…Ne7, 2…Qe7, 2…Nc6, 2...a6, and 2…g6
are passive and/or antipositional. As usual, constructing the most aggressive
formation you can get away with is the best antidote to any “surprise value”
your opponent seeks to claim.
It should be noted that the Ruy Lopez is included in the electronic repertoire (sold
separately), as that was my mainstay for a while before I switched, and there’s always the chance
that I may have to switch back. There is no shortage of theory on the Lopez if you wish to
pursue a more traditional path, but be prepared to have a thirty-move stem game with as many or
more deviations along the way than were covered in the French chapter.
Alternatives To 3…Nf6
Until the Ponziani is played at the world championship level, there is no true main
line, because we don’t know how the world’s best players would treat the opening. I also cannot
assure you that this opening will take you beyond 2600 FIDE, since there are definite problems
with playing such a narrow repertoire for White. I can say that if your middlegame and endgame
are the best in the world, that this opening is probably the correct choice, because anyone who is
going to beat you on the Black side of it is going to have to be super-patient even to claim the
draw. Since the opening is so narrow, however, it behooves the player with White to book up
even more intensely than normal, especially when you consider how often you’ll be playing it.
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3, Black usually replies with 3...Nf6, with a few key
alternatives, which will be examined here:

3…d5. A very complex move, with an equally complex antidote: 4. Qa4! f6
5. Bb5 Nge7 6. O-O dxe4 7. Qxe4 Bf5 8. Qe2 a6 9. Bxc6+ Nxc6 10. d4 Bg4
11. dxe51 Nxe5 12. Nbd2 Qd32 13. Qe1 Bd63 14. Nxe5 fxe5 15. Qe4 Qxe4
16. Nxe4 (0.21), and White maintains a slight initiative and positive score.
11. Nbd2 Bd6 12. Re1 (+0.03).
12…Bc5 Qe4 (+0.30).
3
13… O-O-O 14. Nxe5 fxe5 15. Qxe5 Bd6 16. Qe4 Bf5 17. Qxd3 Bxd3 18. Re1 Rhe8 19. Nf3 Rxe1+ 20. Nxe1
Bc4 21. Be3 Bd5 22. Nc2 (+0.00).
1
2
27


3…Bc5. Terribly antipositional, yet surprisingly popular even among players
who should know better. Giving White a free tempo is bad enough, but
giving him d4 is just plain stupid: 4. d4! exd4 5. cxd4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.
Nbxd2 d5 8. e5 Ne7 9. Bd3 Bf5 10. Bxf5 Nxf5 11. O-O (0.27), and White
has a typical setup with a typical score.
3…f5!? Hardly a folly, this counterstrike has punch because of White’s slow
development in the center: 4. exf5 e4 5. Ng1 Nf6 6. d3 d5 7. dxe4 dxe4 8.
Qxd8+ Nxd8 9. Ne2 Bxf5 10. Ng3 Bg6 11. Bc4 Nc6 12. O-O Ne5 13. Be6
Nd3 14. Bg5 Nxb2 15. Nd2 Rd8 16. Rab1 e3 17. Rxb2 exd2 18. Rxd2 Rxd2
19. Bxd2 Bc5 20. Re1 (0.30), and we have a typical stem.
Alternatives To 4. d4 exd4
What I call the Fischer Principle demands that I select only one move in any opening
position and stick with it unless I can make a convincing case for an alternative. In the Ponziani,
that means I play 4. d4. Black has one main alternative to the stem here, as well as one or two
dubious detours:


4…Nxe4!? Very nasty, and befitting of the “other main line.” The positional
tricks are necessary to master, but White can see his way clear to a slight
initiative. Following is my current stem: 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nxe5 Nxe5 7. dxe5
Bc5 8. O-O O-O 9. Nd2 Bf5 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Bc4 Qe7 12. Bf4 Rad8 13.
Qh5 Bg6 14. Qg5 Qxg5 15. Bxg5 (0.15).
4…d6!? Limiting, yet there is no clear advantage for White. My approach
here is to aim for a generic big center that can result from several other move
orders, and with which I’m very familiar: e.g., 5. d5 Nb8 6. Bd3 Be7 7. c4 OO 8. Nc3 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Be3 Nbd7 11. O-O c5 12. Rb1 a5 13. a3 (0.21),
and Black is cramped. The silicon could be misleading here given White’s
spatial advantage.
Alternatives To 5. e5 Nd5
The move 5. e5 all but defines the Ponziani, and the main-line continuation is 5…Nd5,
putting pressure on c3. Black has a few key alternatives, most of which accomplish nothing, and
some of which give White a very easy game:

5…Ne4!? Useful, but less popular than 5…Nd5. My stem here involves a
direct approach: 6. cxd41 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8. Nbxd2 d6 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. OO O-O 11. Bd3 Re8 12. exd6 Bxd6 13. Ne4 Nb4 14. Nxd6 cxd6 15. Bb1 Qb6
16. a3 Nc6 17. b4 Ne7 18. Re1 Ng6 19. Bxg6 hxg6 20. Qb3 (0.00).
An interesting alternative is 6. Bd3 d5 7. exd6 Nxd6 8. cxd4 Nf5 9. O-O Ncxd4 10. Re1+ Be7 11. Bg5 Nxf3+ 12.
Qxf3 O-O 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Nc3 Ng6 15. Rad1 Qg5 16. Qd5 Qxd5 17. Nxd5 c6 18. Ne7+ Nxe7 19. Rxe7 Rb8
20. Bc4 (0.30).
1
28


5…Qe7!? Nothing wrong with loading up the e-file and leads to a typical
stem. 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bb5 Bd7 8. O-O dxe5 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. Nxe5 Bd5 11.
Nc3 Qd6 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. Re1 (0.18).
5…Ng4?! The aggression against e5 is ill-timed: 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 d6 8.
h3 Nh6 9. Bg5 Qd7 10. Bxh6 gxh6 11. Bb5 a6 12. Qa4 Rb8 13. Bxc6 bxc6
14. O-O Rg8 15. Kh1 Kd8 16. Rfe1 c5 17. Qd1 Bb7 18. a3 Bxc3 19. bxc3
Qf5 20. d5 Qg6 21. g3 Qh5 22. Kg2 (0.81). White may even have better
along the way.
Alternatives To 6. cxd4 Bb4+
With 6…Bb4+, Black undertakes a thematic and difficult initiative that other moves
do not offer:


6…d6?! Directly undermining White’s pawn center is sensical, even if the
silicon is a bit unforgiving in my stem. Perhaps there are improvements
along the way; I wouldn’t be shocked at all to find one: 7. Bb5 dxe5 8. dxe5
Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Bg5 Nde7 12. a3 Bc5 13. b4 h6 14. Bh4
g5 15. bxc5 gxh4 16. Ra2 Bg4 17. Rd2 (0.87).
6. Be7?! Another low-scoring move on the silicon scale, but which may have
hidden potential. 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 d6 9. exd6 Bxd6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O
Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Rb1 b6 14. Be4 (1.03), and White has a strong position.
Other tries are slow and antipositional: 6…f6 7. Bc4 (0.60) or 6…a6 7 Nc3 (0.54).
Alternatives To 7. Bd2 Bxd2+
Black does not have to trade on d2 immediately:


7…d6. A thematic, if slightly premature, try, this appears to be playable: 8.
Bb5 O-O 9. O-O Bxd2 10. Nbxd2 Bf5 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Qa4 (0.33) appears
to be a typical continuation with a typical score.
7…0-0!? It’s hard to think that this natural developing move would be
unsound, and the silicon doesn’t mind the move at all, so perhaps neither
should we: 8. Bxb4 Ncxb4 9. a3 Nc6 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 d6 12. Bb5 Bg4
13. h3 Bh5 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. O-O dxe5 16. g4 e4 17. Ne5 Bg6 18. Nxc6
Qh4 19. Kg2 f5 20. Ne5 fxg4 21. Qxg4 Qxg4+ 22. hxg4 (0.51), with a very
complex and imbalanced position that may or may not be accurately scored
by the silicon.
Alternatives To 8. Qxd2 d6
The Ponziani stem game has one main alternative:
29



8…O-O. A little slow in that Black’s king is not in imminent danger, while
the center appears to need his immediate attention: 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 d6
11. exd6 Qxd6 12. Be2 Re8 13. O-O Bg4 14. Rab1 b6 15. Rfe1 (0.18), and
we have a comparable score to the main lines.
8…Qe7. A logical approach to pressuring the center that should be further
analyzed: 9. Bc4 Nb6 10. Bb5 a6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. O-O O-O 13. Nc3
(0.33), and Black is certainly not badly off, while White still has chances of
his own. The silicon appears conflicted between several viable continuations.
8…a6?! A bit slow, but playable if Black is patient: 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3
O-O 11. Bd3 d6 12. O-O dxe5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bf5 15. Rad1 Bxd3
16. Qxd3 Qxd3 17. Rxd3 Rae8 18. f4 (0.33), and we have a complex ending
that superior endgame players will relish from either side, with Black having
superior pawn structure against White’s kingside pawn majority and slightly
more space, with better development.
Stem Game After 9. Nc3
After 9. Nc3, my Ponziani stem has ended:
Ponziani Stem After 9. Nc3
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Nd5 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.
Qxd2 d6 9. Nc3 (0.12).
The lack of world championship practice for the Ponziani makes it difficult to define a
main line, but one has to start somewhere, and the stem game is one of the more popular
variations of the opening, and has many of the characteristics of main lines for other openings.
White’s attempt for an advantage is much more subtle in the Ponziani, but as the analysis from
this chapter shows, it is also very persistent. There are no easy answers for Black, who finds
himself having to play “real chess” from the first move and not rely so easily on his opening
30
preparation, or that of Anand, Leko, Topalov, and the other top GMs. He must -- <gasp!> -think for himself.
Black’s options for continuing from the stem are several, and it is not yet clear which
one is best. There are two main lines and three alternative lines:




9…dxe5. A very logical continuation and one of the main lines, this presents
the basic central challenge to White’s attempted superiority. My stem here
continues with 10. dxe5 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 Qd5 12. Be2 Qe4 13. Qc4 Qxc4 14.
Bxc4 Bg4 15. O-O-O Bxf3 16. gxf3 (0.12), and we are fast approaching an
endgame where White has the bishop for the knight and Black has slightly
better pawns.
9…Nxc3. I consider this the other main line. This exchange is solid for
Black because the natural recapture with the pawn leads to a poor endgame
for White after the forced exchange sequence. Instead, we get 10. Qxc3 O-O
11. Be2 Re8 12. O-O Bg4 13. Rac1 Qe7 14. h3 Be6 15. Ba6 Rab8 16. Bxb7
Nxe5 17. Rfe1 Rxb7 18. dxe5 d5 19. Nd4 (0.24). This is a forcing
continuation for White that is very promising, and with a silicon score that is
comparable to the main lines of the Ruy Lopez.
9…Nb6!? Interesting, but not terribly sharp. Black could build a queenside
initiative here, and White has to beware of the pressure on c4, though he
generally doesn’t need to develop the light-squared Bishop there. My current
stem is 10. Bb5 O-O 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. O-O f6 13. exd6 cxd6 14. Rfe1 Bg4
15. Qf4 Qd7 16. Re4 Bf5 17. Re2 Rfe8 18. Rae1 (0.12), and now it is up to
Black to deal with White’s rook battery on the e-file.
9…Nce7. A bit obtuse, but hardly unsound. Perhaps White can dig for a
bigger advantage, but after 10. Bc4 Nb6 11. Bd3 dxe5 12. dxe5 Bg4 13. Be4
Qxd2+ 14. Nxd2 c6 15. Bf3 Bxf3 16. Nxf3 Rd8 17. Ne4 Nbc8 18. O-O O-O
19. Rfd1 Nd5 20. Rd2 Nb4 21. Rad1 Rxd2 22. Rxd2 (0.27), he maintains a
slight spatial and development advantage.
The Ponziani opening treats the double-king-pawn game in a manner more commonly
associated with 1. d4 and 1. c4. I have attempted to cover every major try for Black, and explain
why certain moves were chosen for White. The purpose of a restricted repertoire for White is to
allow for maximum practice in variations that you can play against anyone in the world and still
have a chance to win. The idea that the Ruy Lopez gives White anything more than this opening
is not something of which I am convinced: time after time, I see Black equalize in the Lopez, and
often he will put tremendous pressure on White. The imbalanced, rich nature of that opening
favors the better player; by contrast, Black has few options in the Ponziani, and not only must
deal with White having a slight initiative, but often must do so well into the middlegame or even
the endgame.
If Black is not properly prepared for this opening, he is in for a rough ride. Getting
cute, such as with 3…d5, can lead to disaster if Black does not know how to confront 4. Qa4 and
the vicious attack on the a4-e8 diagonal. If Black does not understand pawn play, he might wind
31
up trading knights on c3 and giving White an excellent formation. Even with best play, Black
has no easy path to equality, and the opening battle will be protracted. That it requires great
strength in the middlegame and endgame to execute this opening for White is also a big plus, as
anyone who is training to become a championship-level player needs to be forced to develop that
part of his game. All in all, I see no reason not to recommend the Ponziani not as an avoidance
maneuver, but because I believe it is truly White’s best chance to play for the win.
The electronic version of my repertoire (sold separately) contains a lot of analysis of
various lines of the Ruy Lopez, from when I was still playing it, but I have not added to it in
quite some time. It never hurts to be familiar with backup opening systems in the event you wish
to experiment or develop a surprise weapon. I played the Ruy Lopez for years, and am proficient
in it. I abandoned it because it offers Black numerous options for equalizing, and to imbalance
the position, which puts White at much greater risk of drawing or losing than if he clamps down
with a small but persistent advantage.
32
Chapter Five:
The Maroczy Bind (Sicilian)
Maroczy Stem Game After 14. Rfd1
Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c4 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 8. f3
O-O 9. Be2 Bd7 10. O-O Qa5 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rac1 Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rfd1
(NOTE: The term “stem game” is relative in the Maroczy Bind, because of the massive
transpositional possibilities, and because the Bind is something I do not play as Black, since it has to
be more or less allowed. I consider the Bind to be the correct punishment for allowing it, and to be
bordering on a forced win for White. I know that Black has counterplay in some lines, but he can
get that without allowing White to build such an imposing formation.)
Geza Maroczy was one of the strongest chessplayers who ever lived. This brilliant man
never won the world championship, but he left a lasting contribution to the theory of the Sicilian
Defense, and which serves as a clinic in how to strangle Black in this opening. My approach to the
Sicilian has been radically changed by the Maroczy Bind, as I now eschew the main lines of the
open Sicilian for a much more strategic battle, one in which Black’s only avoidance option is the
closed Sicilian, which has many of the characteristics of the White side of the King’s Indian
Defense.
Current “theory” suggests that c4 should only be played by White when Black does not
play 2…d6 or 2...Nc6, and sometimes 2…e6 (opinion on this is split). Instead, the recommendation
is to play 3. c4 only against moves like 2...g6, the Accelerated Dragon, where if White does not play
3. c4, then Black can wind up a move ahead of the main line by playing d5 without first having to
play d6. My approach to the bind is more radical: I play 3. c4 against almost any second move for
Black, including 2…d6, 2…Nc6, 2…e6, 2…b6, and just about any other alternative (obviously I
won’t play it against 2…d5). In doing so, I force Black to accept the Maroczy Bind, and the only
way he can avoid it is to play 3…e5 (or sometimes 4…e5), locking up the position into a Closed
Sicilian and giving White a formation commonly associated with the White side of the King’s Indian
Defense.
33
Given the strength of the Pelikan, Najdorf, Classical, and Dragon Sicilians, replacing the
need to study against those four systems and replace it with a simple but strong formation such as the
Bind is pricelessly efficient. The electronic version of my repertoire (sold separately) covers the
Open Sicilian very thoroughly; if you wish to play those lines, you have more than enough material
to get you started, and you can modify the book as your practice and study dictate. I have even
included several novel approaches to these lines, but abandoned them recently in favor of 3. c4
because, as with the Ponziani, I am no longer convinced that the main line is even correct. Rather
than bang my head against the wall keeping up with the theory in four very complex main lines
which are all excellent for Black, I have instead focused on economizing the Sicilian for White, with
a strong and very narrow positional approach.
Overview of 3. c4
Since the Maroczy Bind is a formation-driven opening, move orders and variations take a
backseat to formational considerations: White is trying for a very specific formation, and to do this,
he needs to play 3. c4, unless Black allows him to transpose later, but that is hardly a given:
Accelerated Dragon:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4
Position After
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4
Position After
Position After
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c4 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4
The Accelerated Dragon (2…g6) is played with the idea of cheating on development if
White plays 3. Nc3, by playing d5 in one move later in the opening instead of the two moves this
pawn break normally takes to achieve. Giving Black a free move in the opening is no small matter,
and the only way to “punish” Black for the passive 2...g6 is with 3. c4, which sets up the Maroczy
Bind. White intends to play 4. d4, and after Black captures with his c-pawn, recapture with the
Knight, and set up a strong central barricade that is all but impossible for Black to dismantle. The
Bind is so powerful that I have altered my repertoire to aim for it no matter what Black plays on his
second move.
The popularity of the Open Sicilian has waned in recent years, and White often plays the
Closed Sicilian or even 3. Bb5+ in this position. 3. c4 belongs in league with these alternatives, and
perhaps a step above them, as Black has few options here, mostly a choice between allowing the
Bind or forcing White into a closed Sicilian/King’s Indian formation with 3…e5. If Black does not
play 3…e5, White almost always gets the Bind. The Closed Sicilian is a “deviant” opening that may
only lead to equality, while on the other hand it may be a solid positional approach to the Sicilian
that deserves treatment as a main line.
The beauty of the Maroczy Bind, and the above approach, is that Black’s options are
severely restricted. White can establish the formation from the stem game almost unmolested, and if
34
Black attempts to interrupt this development (except with the Closed Sicilian), he usually winds up
worse off than if he plays into the stem. There are some forcing attempts by Black that can trip up
an unprepared player with White, but White must take it upon himself to learn to deal with these
complications, lest he abandon this entire construct. Once White is comfortable with all flavors of
the Bind, he will score many miniatures against opponents who do not know how to play against it,
and he will have ultra-solid positions against even the strongest players in the world, even when they
do know how to defend. One cannot ask for much more out of the opening!
The analysis in this chapter will still be based on the stem game for this opening, but
beware: this is not an opening that lends itself to concrete variations. It is far more important to
master the formation and tactical and positional themes, because without them, the move orders
won’t make any sense. I will do the best I can to capture this in my analysis, and refer the serious
reader to the electronic version of my repertoire for more specific and complete variations:
Alternatives To 2…Nc6
I use the 2…Nc6 move order for my stem game because this is the only move order I
allow as Black (1. Nf3 c5 2. e4). Even then, as Black I would play into the Closed Sicilian. I
suspect that most players rated 2400 and above will choose the Closed Sicilian over the Maroczy,
and my practice has shown that higher-rated players definitely prefer this option. However, most
other players, and even some strong players, simply won’t “punish” White’s aggressive strategy, and
even if they do, it’s still no picnic.
As for Black’s second move, the alternatives to 2…Nc6 are well-defined. Some are mainline, and some are avoidance moves designed to throw White severely off balance:



2…d6. Aiming for a Najdorf, Dragon, or Classical Sicilian setup, White can of
course play the Open Sicilian, but that is not the theme of this chapter. Instead,
we get 3. c4! Nc61 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be2!2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O
9. Be3 Bd7 10. f3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rac1 Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rad1, and we
are back to the stem game.
2…g6. This will usually transpose: 3. c4! Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Be3
Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. f3 Ne5 11. Qd2 Qa5 12. Rad1 Rfc8
13. b3 a6 14. Rac1, and again we have the stem game.
2...e6. A more favorable setup for Black, and one that discourages the Maroczy
from most players, but not from me! 3. c4! Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3
Bb4 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Qb3 c5 9. Bd3 d6 10. O-O O-O 11. a3 Ba5 12. Bf4 h6 13.
Rad1 e5 14. Bc1 Bg4 15. f3 Rb8 16. Qc2 (0.06), and Black must find another
path to “refute” this amazingly resilient formation. The key to this line is playing
8. Qb3, as most other moves are too favorable to Black. This also may be
3…e5 is the Closed Sicilian.
7. Be3?! Ng4! 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bxa7 Bg7 10. Bd4 e5 11. Be3 Nxe3 12. fxe3 O-O (0.24), and despite the encouragement
from the Silicon, White does not have a picnic, and since White is up a pawn, odds are the compensation extends beyond
the horizon and is worth far more for Black. This line may be playable for White, but it’s not why I adopted the Bind in
my repertoire.
1
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35
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Black’s best chance to encourage White to return to the Open Sicilian (which I
don’t mind either if push comes to shove).
2…b6!? This passive move does little to deter White: 3. c4! Bb7 4. Nc3 Qc7 5.
d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nf6 7. f31 Nc6 8. Be3 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 e5 10. Be3 Bb4 11. Rc1 OO 12. Be2 Rfc8 13. O-O Bc5 14. Qd2 Bxe3+ 15. Qxe3 d6 16. Rfd1 (0.24), and
White has little to complain about.
2…Nf6?! A very dubious try that deserves a direct confrontation: 3. e5! Nd5 4.
c4 Nc7 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 d6 9. exd6 exd6 10. O-O
Be7 11. Nc3 O-O 12. Qf3 (0.54), and Black is on the defensive, one mistake
away from disaster, without much counterplay.
2…d5!? Very premature, but tricky. White needs a firm grasp of this line to
maintain an edge, but that grasp is within his grasp: 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qe6+ 5.
Be2 Qg6 6. O-O Bh3 7. Nh4 Qg5 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Qf3 Bd7 11.
Nb5 O-O-O 12. g3 Qf6 13. Nc3 (0.75), and White gets a solid advantage despite
taking some risks. More conservative strategies are available, and they lead to
superior positions as well.
Other alternatives on the second move (e.g., 2…a6 or 2…h6) are best dealt with by 3. c4
whenever possible, or direct “punishment” of whatever they are trying to cheat on by avoiding.
Alternatives to 3. c4 g6
Black is not forced to go into the Accelerated Dragon. His main alternative to this entire
scheme, the Closed Sicilian, can be played on this move. Other alternatives tend to transpose or
favor White:


3…e5! Almost certainly best for Black, as White allows what is usually an
equalizing variation in order to get to the stem. There is no avoiding this line for
White, so he’s going to have to book up pretty seriously here, far more than a
mere footnote justifies. Fortunately, in practice, few players will take you up on
your offer. After 4. Nc3 g6 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 d6 9. Bg5
(0.00), we get a very dynamic position worthy of its own opening treatise. I
strongly recommend The Chess Struggle In Practice: Lessons From The 1953
Candidates’ Matches, by David Bronstein, if you want to understand this
position. White’s general plan is to set up a pawn break on f4, and perhaps post a
knight to d5 or even go for the pawn break at b4 after setting it up with Rb1,
while Black’s plans are roughly a mirror of White’s.
3…d6. This usually transposes as well: 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7.
Be2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 Bd7 10. f3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rfd1 Ne5 13. b3
a6 14. Rac1 leads to the stem game.
White can try 7. Bd3 here, but the ideal formation has the Bishop on e2, so this move should only be tried if the
alternatives fail.
1
36
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
3…Qb6!? Good for shock value, and I only found this move because I was
writing this book! The idea is simple: Black plays this move because he can!
(And because the silicon doesn’t dislike it). The move stops 4. d4, but the
Closed Sicilian doesn’t usually see Qb6, so White should not mind this. For this
stem, I’ll stick to something thematic: 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nd5 Nxd5 6. exd5 Nd4 7.
Nxd4 cxd4 8. Be2 e5 9. O-O Bc5 10. a3 O-O 11. b4 Be7 12. c5 Qg6 13. d6 Bg5
14. d3 Bxc1 15. Rxc1 (0.30), with a very imbalanced pawn structure that is
difficult for the silicon to assess. It is easy to see the strength of either side here,
but the nod has to go to White due to the pawn pressure on the queenside.
3…b6 gives White very little to worry about: 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nxd4 6. Qxd4
Bb7 7. Nc3 Rc8 8. Be2 e6 9. O-O Nf6 10. e5 Bc5 11. Qd3 Ng8 12. Rd1 Ne7 13.
Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 g5 15. Bg3 Nf5 16. Bh5 O-O 17. Qxd7 (0.96) may not represent
best play for Black, but it shows what can happen if Black attempts any type of
battle when he is not prepared. A more traditional approach by Black leads to
the slight inferiority that can be found in the lines with 2…b6, and is probably his
best hope.
Other third moves for Black are not significant.
Alternatives To 4. d4 cxd4
It is not a given that Black will play 4…cxd4 here, even though this is likely best. Instead,
he might allow White to build a big center, and this is an invitation I will always accept. As a
general rule, I will take as much of the center as my opponent allows in the opening:


4…Bg7!? The obvious alternative. White can get a spatial advantage without
much difficulty: 5. d5 Nd4 6. Nxd4 cxd4 7. Be2 e5 8. O-O Nf6 9. Qd3 O-O 10.
f4 d6 11. fxe5 dxe5 12. Bg5 (0.45), and the endgame should heavily favor White
if he can keep his pawns intact.
4…Nxd4!? Attempting to relieve the tension in the center while behind in
development usually leads to a slightly weaker position, and this seems to be no
exception: 5. Nxd4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. e5 Nh5 8. Be2 Ng7 9. O-O Nf5 10. Qe4
Bg7 11. Nc3 O-O 12. g4 Nh6 13. Rd1 (0.57), and white has more space, along
with better activity and piece coordination.
If you can find another fourth move even remotely viable for Black, you are a better
player than me.
Alternatives to 5. Nxd4 Bg7
While 5…Bg7 is very thematic and logical, there are other moves which you may
encounter:

5…Qb6?! Black’s idea is to put pressure on d4 and disrupt White on the
queenside. The silicon says he should stick with normal development instead: 6.
37


Nb5 Bg7 7. N1c3 Nf61 8. Nd5 Nxd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. Be3 Qa5+ 11. Nc3 Nd8 12.
Bd4 Bxd4 13. Qxd4 O-O 14. Be2 d6 15. O-O (0.51), and Black has a large hole
on the kingside, less space, and a silicon score which may not fully reflect this.
This is not a position I would want to have as Black.
5…d6!? This mostly transposes to one of the lines already covered. Here is an
“independent” try: 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 Nxd4 8. Bxd4 Nf6 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O
b6 11. f3 Bb7 12. Qd2 Rc8 13. Rac1 Qd7 14. Nd5 (-0.01), and according to the
Silicon, it’s even, but White has more space and that often shows up past the
horizon.
5…Nf6!? Transpositions are possible, but so are some unique variations: 6. Nc3
Nxd4 7. Qxd4 Bg7 8. Bg5 h6 9. Be3 O-O 10. e5 Ne8 11. Rd1 d6 12. Qd2 Bxe5
13. Bxh6 Ng7 14. Be2 Bf5 15. O-O (0.21), with an imbalanced position in which
Black’s Knight is a bit distracted at g7, and where White has slightly better
overall piece placement.
Other fifth moves for Black are antipositional and should be easily punished.
Alternatives To 6. Be3 Nf6
Positional openings like the Maroczy lend themselves to multiple plans, subtle changes in
move order, and nuances that one must constantly be on the lookout for. As usual, Black has
alternatives to the stem:



6…d6!? Very sound, and quite possibly the future stem game if any of the
alternatives to the transposition to the current stem prove superior in practice.
For now, we get 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. f3 O-O 9. Be2 a6 10. O-O Bd7 11. Qd2 Ne5 12.
Rac1 Qa5 13. Rfd1 Rfc8 14. b3, which transposes to the stem game.
6…Qb6!? Counterintuitive as it may be to put the Queen on the “discovery
channel,” this is far from easy: 7. Nb5 Qa5+ 8. N1c3 Nf6 9. Bd2 Qd8 2 10. Nd5
O-O 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Bc3 Bxc3+ 13. Nxc3 Qb6 14. Qd2 d6 15. Nd5 Qd8 16.
Qg5 f6 17. Qd2 f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Be2 e5 20. O-O Nd4 21. f4 Qh4 22. g3
Qd83 23. Bd3 Bh3 24. Rf2 (0.30), and White has a slight advantage due to better
development and more space.
6…Qa5+!? Very playable, but committing the Queen early gives White more
options: 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. f3 O-O 9. Be2 d6 10. O-O Bd7 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rfd1
Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rac1 leads to the stem game, with some interesting detours
along the way.
7…Qa5 8. Bd2 Qd8 9. Nd5 Be5 10. f4 a6 11. Qa4 Bb8 12. Be3 (4.03).
9…O-O 10. Be2 d6 11. Nd5 Qd8 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Bc3 Bxc3+ 14. Nxc3 Qa5 15. O-O Be6 16. Qd2 Ne5 17. b3 Bg4
18. f3 Bd7 19. Rfd1 Qc5+ 20. Kh1 (0.03), but White still has the basic bind that may be better than the silicon thinks.
3
22…Qh6 23. Ne7+ Kg7 24. Nxf5+ Rxf5 25. Bg4 Rf6 26. Qg2 (0.51)
1
2
38
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6…a6!? The silicon is very kind to this move, all but saying that Black could
pass this off as a playable line. I find it a bit slow, but that doesn’t mean it can be
easily refuted. In fact, 7. Be2 d6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. O-O O-O 10. f3 Qa5 11. Rc1 Bd7
12. Qd2 Rfc8 13. Rfd1 Ne5 14. b3 leads us back to the stem game, if the detours
along the way don’t pan out.
6…b6!? 7. Nxc6 dxc6 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Kc7 10. Rc1 Bb7 11. Be2 (0.42),
and White’s advantage is persistent, though not as much as one might expect
given that Black surrendered the right to castle. Those who play this line as
Black likely want White to overplay his hand, and are also likely to be strong in
the endgame. I still don’t recommend the line for Black, however.
Other sixth moves for Black are antipositional, or banal.
Alternatives To 7. Nc3 d6
The plans for both sides have taken shape, so the alternatives have more of a
transpositional and/or thematic flavor by now:




7…Ng4! A very serious and forcing alternative that may be Black’s best choice.
It should be noted that after 8. Qxg4 Nxd4 9. Qd1 Nc6 10. Rc1 O-O 11. Be2 d6
12. O-O Bd7 13. Qd2 Qa5 14. f3 Rfc8 15. Rfd1 a6 16. b3 (0.09), White has
steered the game back to the stem, with the removal of the knights at d4 and e5,
and Black’s other knight is moved from f6 to c6, so we have essentially the same
positional setup.
7…O-O. This move order requires a little adjustment in strategy from White to
prevent Black from being active with Ng4: 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. f4 1 Nxd4
11. Bxd4 Bc6 12. Bf3 Qa5 13. Qe2 Nh5 14. Bxg7 Nxg7 15. Nd5 Rae8 16. Rae1
Qc5+ 17. Kh1 (0.06), and White keeps a slight initiative.
7…Nxd4. This thematic exchange is worthy of consideration for Black. White
can steer this game back to something very similar to the stem by playing into 8.
Bxd4 O-O 9. f32 d6 10. Be2 Bd7 11. O-O Qa5 12. Qd2 Rfc8 13. Rfd1 Qb4 14.
b3 a6 15. Rac1 (0.12). The difference here is that Black’s queen is on b4 instead
of a5, and White’s Bishop is on d4 instead of e3, which does not change the
position drastically.
7…Qa5!? Played earlier here than in the stem, this allows White more options.
8. Nb3 Qh5!3 9. Qxh5 Nxh5 10. Rc1 O-O 11. Be2 Nf6 12. c5 (0.27), and Black is
no closer to fully equalizing than he was at the start of the game. I can say this
10. Qd2 Ng4 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bg5 Rb8 13. h3 Nf6 14. b3 c5 15. Rad1 Bc6 16. f3 Nh5 17. Nd5 Bd4+ 18. Be3 Ng3
19. Rf2 e5 20. Kh2 Bxe3 21. Qxe3 Qh4 22. Bd3 f5 23. f4 fxe4 24. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 25. Kxg3 Bxd5 26. cxd5 exf4+
27. Rxf4 exd3 28. Rxd3 Rxf4 29. Kxf4 Rf8+ 30. Ke3 Rf5 (-0.21), and we get a complex rook ending that could be won
by either side, but which appears dynamically drawish.
2
9. e5 Ne8 10. f4 d6 11. exd6 Nxd6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qd4+ Kg8 14. Be2 Nf5 15. Qe5 Be6 16. O-O Rc8 (0.00)
3
8…Qc7 9. Nd5 Qe5 10. f4 Qb8 11. e5 Ng8 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 (0.72); 8...Qd8 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O d6 11. c5
dxc5 12. Nxc5 b6 13. Qa4 Qc7 14. Na6 Bxa6 15. Qxa6 (0.30)
1
39
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
with confidence because I ran lots of errands and left the silicon to think about
the position, and the score reflects several hours of analysis! Beyond that,
White’s intrusion on the queenside has potential.
7…b6. This move is not so much inferior as it just restricts Black’s options.
Black has to avoid formations where b6 is useless to hold the balance: 8. Nxc6
dxc6 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Rd1+ Ke8 11. Be2 Ng4 12. Bd2 Ne5 13. f4 Ng4 14. h3
Nh6 15. Be3 Ba6 16. Bd4 Bxd4 17. Rxd4 f6 18. O-O (0.27).
7…Kf8?! The main problem with this move is the undeveloped rook on h8.
White’s goal is to complete development while preventing Black from freeing
the rook: 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. f3 b6 12. Qd2 Qd7 13. Rad1
Rc8 14. Nd5 Bb7 15. Bh6 Qe6 16. Qf4 Kg8 17. b3 Nxd5 18. cxd5 Qf6 19. Qxf6
Bxf6 20. Rc1 Bd4+ 21. Kh1 Bb2 22. Rxc8+ Bxc8 23. Rb1 Bg7 24. Be3 f5 25.
Rc1 Kf7 26. Rc7 fxe4 27. fxe4 (2.21), and Black is in an impressive positional
vise, as if strangled by a boa constrictor.
We are now halfway through the stem game:
Maroczy Stem Game After 7…d6
Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c4 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 (8. f3
O-O 9. Be2 Bd7 10. O-O Qa5 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rac1 Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rfd1).
Alternatives To 8. f3 O-O
Black is not obliged to castle, but by now, transposition to the stem becomes move
difficult to avoid favorably:

8…Bd7!? A “stem” move played out of sequence. 9. Be2 O-O transposes to the
stem.
40



8…a6!? A later “stem” move, but White can transpose: 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O
Qa5 11. Qd2 Bd7 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13. Rac1 Ne5 14. b3.
8…Nd7!? A tricky move, designed to exploit blind development by White, who
needs to take a step back and notice the subtleties in this position: 9. Be2 O-O 10.
Qd2 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bxd4 12. Qxd4 Qb6 13. Qxb6 Nxb6 14. Kf2 Bd7 15. Rhd1
Rfc8 16. b3 (0.09), and White has good positional pressure, plus the approval of
the silicon.
8…Kf8?! The silicon is forgiving of this “blunder,” at least at first. White
should continue as with 7…Kf8 above, and just develop: 9. Be2 Be6 1 10. Nxe6+
fxe6 11. O-O Kf7 12. Qb3 b6 13. Rad1 (0.69), and Black has freed his problem
rook on h8, but at the expense of his pawn structure and king safety, and White is
still slightly better developed, with more space. Black is one mistake away from
losing here.
Other eighth moves for Black should present few problems for White that can’t be
addressed over the board by general principles and similar variations and themes explored here.
Alternatives To 9. Be2 Bd7
With his early development complete, Black now ha a wide menu of options, most of
which provide near-equality or equality in a dynamic setting with chances for both sides:





1
9…Nxd4. The forcing exchange does little to alter the stem if White plays for a
near-transposition: 10. Bxd4 Bd7 11. O-O Qa5 12. Qd2 Rfc8 13. Rfd1 a6 14.
Rac1 (0.03), and we have the same elements as the stem game, with only a pair
of knight’s removed, and White’s Bishop at d4 instead of e3, and pawn at b3
instead of b2.
9…Qa5!? An interesting early use of this “stem” move that bolsters the
hypermodern attack on White’s center. As always, White should aim for the
stem: 10. O-O Bd7 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rfd1 Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rac1.
9…Qb6!? Black’s direct pressure on the center forces White to exchange in
order to relieve some of the tension: 10. Nxc6 Qxc6 11. Qd2 a6 12. O-O Re8 13.
Nd5 Bd7 14. Nb6 Rab8 15. Nxd7 Nxd7 16. Rfd1 Rbc8 17. Rac1 (0.03), and
White’s bishop pair should make for a promising endgame that could easily
improve upon the current score.
9…a6!? White should aim for the stem as he invites Black to try something new
on the way there: 10. O-O Bd7 11. Qd2 Qa5 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13. Rac1 Ne5 14. b3.
9…Nh5!? Black attempts to capitalize on White’s lagging development by
opening up the long diagonal. White counters best by relieving the tension
9…Bd7 transposes to 7…Kf8 above.
41


through exchanges: 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Rc1 Rb8 12. b3 Qa5 13. Qd2 c5 14. Nd5
Qxd2+ 15. Bxd2 Re8 16. Bg5 Kf8 17. O-O (0.00), and Black’s inactive knight on
the edge of the board gives White some chances.
9…Ne8!? With the position locked, Black can afford to dilly-dally. White
should just continue developing: 10. Qd2 Ne5 11. O-O Nf6 12. Rfd1 Bd7 13.
Rac1 Rb8 14. b3 (0.21), and we have a favorable version of the stem, with Black
a bit disorganized and White in the complete stem formation. White is likely to
improve the score on the horizon due to Black’s less active development.
9…Re8!? The move appears to do nothing, but the silicon keeps suggesting it,
so I figure I should include it. About the only use for Re8 in this line is to
prevent the Nd5 trap that nets a pawn through the Nxe7 intermezzo in between
the exchange of queens on d2, but that is a ways away from here. White should
continue to set up the stem formation: 10. O-O Ne5 11. Qd2 Bd7 12. Rfd1 Qa5
13. Rac1 Rac8 14. b3, and we have the stem game where Black has played Re8
instead of the more useful a6. There also may be stronger independent tries for
White along the way.
With eight choices for the ninth move (including the stem), Black can test White in many
ways. White should be prepared for all of these tests, given how often he will reach the stem
position or something similar. Many of the positional and tactical themes are similar, and the
narrowness of White’s formations, regardless of variation, ensures that he’ll have maximum time to
study relatively minimal material.
Alternatives To 10. O-O Qa5
With 10…Qa5, Black begins activating his queenside. He does have alternatives:





10…a6!? This will usually lead back to the stem: 11. Qa5 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13.
Rac1 Ne5 14. b3.
10...Ne5!? The only other way to continue towards the stem. White can
continue on towards transposition, while Black has independent tries: 11. Qd2
Qa5 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13. b3 a6 14. Rac1, and we are back at the stem.
10…Nxd4!? Black reduces the tension: 11. Bxd4 Qa5 12. Qd2 Rfc8 13. Rfd1 a6
14. Rac1 (0.01) gives us the stem game with the exceptions of White’s Bishop at
d4 instead of e3, and his pawn at b2 instead of b3.
10…Qb6!? This may be the ideal time for Black to try this idea: 11. Kh1 Rfc8
12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. c5 Ne8 14. cxd6 Qxd6 15. Rc1 a6 16. Qxd6 Nxd6 17. Nd5
Kf8 18. Bg5 f6 19. Bf4 Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Rc8 21. Rxc8+ Nxc8 22. Be3 (0.00), and
White has slightly more space.
10…Rc8. Black can choose to keep his other rook on a8 or f8, depending on
which one he plays to c8. This move is less common than the strategy of
42




bringing over the rook from f8, as it reduces the overall force on the queenside,
but the plan is sound and you will see it fairly frequently. After 11. Qd2 Ne5 12.
b3 a6 13. Rfd1 Qc7 14. Rac1 (0.18), White gets the stem formation, and Black’s
slower development leads to the slightly better score for White.
10…b6!? A bit slower than the stem, but playable: 11. Qd2 Rc8 12. Rfd1 Ne5
13. b3 Qc7 14. Rac1 Rfe8 15. Nd5 (0.24), and White has a strong central
presence with slightly better chances.
10…a5. Black branches off from the stem in a way that White cannot transpose,
but he can pursue the stem formation from his side: 11. Qd2 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Rc8
13. Rac1 Qc7 14. b3 Rfe8 15. Rfd1 (0.45), and it appears Black’s pawn is better
off on a6 than on a5, especially given how useful b5 can be to White.
10…Nh5!? White can exchange as when this is played a move earlier, with the
added benefit of having castled: 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Rc1 Rb8 13. b3 Qa5 14. Qd2
c5 15. Nd5! Qd81 16. Bg5 Re8 17. Rfd1 (0.03), and White has a similar position
to the earlier version of this line.
10…Ne8!? White can transpose to the version of this line a move earlier shown
above, with 11. Qd2 Ne5 12. Rfd1 Nf6 13. Rac1 Rb8 14. b3 (0.21).
Here we have nine alternatives plus the main line, which assures no shortage of home
preparation in this line.
Alternatives To 11. Qd2 Rfc8
this point:
Since 11…Rfc8 is the point of 10…Qa5, you are less likely to encounter deviant moves at




11…cxd4!? The main alternative, where Black erases some central tension
through exchanging. This will give White a lead in development which he needs
to convert into an attack against underdeveloped forces: 12. Bxd4 Rfc8 13. Rfd1
a6 14. b3 (0.09), and we have a position similar to others with cxd4 for Black
which have been discussed in this chapter.
11…a6!? White can aim for transposition to the stem with 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13.
Rac1 Ne5 14. b3.
11…Ne5!? This move can also transpose to the stem after 12. Rfd1 Rfc8 13. b3
a6 14. Rac1.
11…Nh5!? This try is no more relevant than when previously explored. It
appears playable, but slightly inferior to the stem: 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Nd5 Qd8
14. Rac1 Qd7 15. b3 Rfc8 16. Rfd1 (0.30).
As white is now castled, which is not the case in the 9…Nh5 branch, 15…Qxd2? 16. Ne7+ gives White a winning
edge.
1
43


11…Ne8!? An odd move, but one which leads to a unique position which your
opponent will be prepared for, so you should be as well: 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. c5
Rb8 14. cxd6 exd6 15. Rac1 Be6 16. b3 f5 17. exf5 Bxf5 18. Rfd1 (0.21), and
Black has – surprise! – an inactive knight on e8 that also splits his rooks.
11…Rac8!? The decision of which rook to move to the center is always a tough
one. I find this move inconsistent with the queenside attack that Black is best
prepared for, but his defensive posture may be a little stronger here, increasing
his drawing chances: 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. c5 Ne8 14. cxd6 exd6 15. Bd4 Bxd4+
16. Qxd4 Rb8 17. b3 Qb6 18. Rfd1 Be6 19. Rac1 (0.33), and White has superior
pawn structure and slightly better piece placement.
Other eleventh moves do not measure up and should be dealt with on general principle.
Alternatives To 12. Rac1 Ne5
By now, we are well on the way to the stem position, but we still have a few detours left:




12…Nxd4!? A thematic detour that has been addressed in earlier lines which
leads to rough equality. White should stick to the basic stem formation to the
extent the tactics allow him to: 13. Bxd4 b6 14. Rfd1 Bc6 15. b3 Bb7 16. Rc2
Qh5 17. Nd5 Nxd5 18. exd5 Bxd4+ 19. Qxd4 Rc7 20. Bd3 Qg5 21. Re1 (0.21),
and White has a persistent advantage that could be much greater in the endgame
than the silicon is taking into consideration.
12…a6 should revert to the stem game after 13. Rfd1 Ne5 1 14. b3.
12…Kf8!? is thematic and tricky. White should not take this move lightly, nor
should he fear it. He just has to be familiar with the resulting formation. 13.
Nb3 is a logical try, and after 13… Qb4 14. c5 (0.42), the silicon already dislikes
Black, who is now one move away from being on the wrong side of a miniature.
12…Be6?! attempts to confuse White, but readers should have little difficulty
after 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. f4 (0.63).
Other tries seem uninspiring and should be dealt with through general opening principles
and aiming towards a superior formation.
Alternatives To 13. b3 a6
White’s 13. b3 is easily the best choice. Black, on the other hand, has a few options here
that White should be prepared for:
1
13…Nex4 14 Bxd4 generally transposes to other lines and formations with this exchange.
44



13…Rc7. Doubling up on the c-file must certainly be explored, as it sets up for
good middlegame pressure. After 14. Rfd1 a6 1 15. Qb2 Nc6 16. Nxc6 Rxc62 17.
c5 Ne8 18. b4 Qd8 19. Qb3 Be6 20. Nd5 (0.36), and White still has the bind,
with a promising formation.
13…b6. Not something I’d play myself, but my opponents often throw moves
like this at me. Silicon-aided exploration gives me what appears to be best for
White: 14. Qb2 Nc6 15. Rfd1 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Qg5 17. Bf1! 3 Rab8 18. Qf2!
(0.03.), and despite the silicon equality, White has everything he seeks from the
opening: more space, a rock-solid formation, and fluid development. I would not
want this position as Black.
13…Kf8!? This “alternative” theme can surface anytime, only here White no
longer gains a tempo with Nb3, since the pawn now occupies that square. 14.
Rfd1 a6 transposes to the stem game, and this continuation will be analyzed from
there (below).
We are now at the end of the stem game, with “perfect” play for both sides. This is the
official start of the “middlegame,” and your goals at this point are to 1) extend the stem; and 2) reach
a won endgame as quickly as possible. You now have eleven more moves with which to score a
miniature, assuming your opponent has not blundered in the theoretical minefield leading to this
position.
Maroczy stem game after 14. Rfd1
Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c4 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 8. f3
O-O 9. Be2 Bd7 10. O-O Qa5 11. Qd2 Rfc8 12. Rac1 Ne5 13. b3 a6 14. Rfd1
14...Rc8? Ndb5! (0.81); 14…b6!?
16…bxc6 17. c5 (0.42).
3
17 Qd2?? Qxd2 18. Rxd2 Bh6 (-1.27).
1
2
45
I have not decided the ideal way to continue this position for either side. I am still
experimenting with several approaches for White. If you are serious enough to need to be booked up
this far into the game, I highly recommend purchasing my entire repertoire, which contains the most
up-to-date variations that I am playing at the time.






14…Kf8!? Stronger when delayed. Probably best is 15. Bh61 Bxh6 16. Qxh6+
Kg8 17. Qd2 (0.06), with White keeping his nose in front.
14…Nc6. Black retreats the knight and applies pressure once again on d4. After
15. Nxc62 Rxc6 16. Rxc6 16. Bd4 Rac8 17. Nd5 Qxd2 18. Rxd2 Nxd5 19. exd5
R6d7 20. Re1 b5 21. Bf1 Bxd4+ 22. Rxd4 bxc4 23. Rxc4 Rxc4 24. Bxc4 (0.12),
and White has good winning chances with a draw in hand due to Black’s more
vulnerable pawn structure.
14…Be8!? Freeing up d7, Black bides his time. After 15. Rc2 Kf8 16. Nd5
Qxd2 17. Rcxd2 Nxd5 18. exd5 Nd7 19. Re1 Rc7 20. Bg5 Nc5 21. Bf1 Rac8 22.
h4 b63 23. b4 Nb7 24. h5 Ba4 25. hxg6 hxg6 26. Re4 (0.12), White holds a slight
spatial edge, with good pressure on the key squares, as well as a fluid formation.
14…b6!? A little passive, but playable. The direct approach seems to give White
a decent queenless middlegame: 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Bxd2 Nxd5 17. cxd5 b5 18.
Be3 h6 19. h3 g54 20. Bf1 (0.24), and White has the usual spatial superiority, and
he has good queenside pressure and a slight edge in the battle for the open c-file,
as Black’s Bg7 will have difficulty entering that theater, while the long diagonal
upon which it sits is no longer central to White’s plan. White’s potential outpost
on c6 looms large.
14…Rc7!? Preparing to apply pressure with doubled rooks on the c-file, after
any rook traps are thwarted. White now has time to make some noise in the
center, and should emerge slightly better. After 15. Qb2 Nc6 16. Nxc6 Rxc6 17.
c5 Ne8 18. b4 Qd8 19. Qb3 Be6 20. Nd5 (0.36), we get the same line as the one
analyzed under 13…Rc7 above.
14…e6?! Yet another try that all but dangles the d6 pawn in front of White.
After 15. Nc2 Ne8 16. Bd4 Nc6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Na4 Qxd2 19. Rxd2 (0.54),
however, Black is barely holding on, and may already be lost if White can
overpower him on the d-file.
15. Bf1!? (-0.03) is well worth a look.
15. h3!? b5 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. cxb5 axb5 18. Nxb5 Qxa2 19. Rc2 Qxb3 20. Na7 Bh6 21. Rc3 Bxe3+ 22. Qxe3 Qxc3
23. Qxc3 Rxa7 24. e5 (0.33), and Black has a pawn for the “exchange” (R+N+P v. Q). If you can afford giving up the
draw, this line is fine, but the pawns all being on one side of the board will make getting the win a bit difficult.
3
22…h6 23. Bf4 Bd7 24. Nc2 Bc3 25. Bxh6+ Kg8 26. Rxe7 Bxd2 27. Bxd2 Bf5 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 29. Nd4 (0.30), but
since White has sacrificed the exchange, the silicon may be underestimating the positional compensation.
4
White was threatening to win the Knight with f4.
1
2
46

14…b5? The most aggressive continuation must first be analyzed to see if we
need to look further. In this case it doesn’t work: 15. cxb5 axb5 16. Bxb5 Bxb5
17. Ndxb5 (1.00), and Black’s choices are not appetizing.
Once we get to this point, the stronger player should prevail (as usual). For the relatively
small price of allowing Black one (and only one) chance to force a Closed Sicilian – something he
will do only occasionally – you can impose upon him the dreaded Maroczy Bind. The lines you see
above where Black holds the tension represent the best-case scenario: if Black is not equally booked
up to you, he is far more likely to blunder along the way, leaving you with a winning position that is
relatively easy to convert.
With six continuations from the stem – five of them viable – Black is not without options
here, but in most cases, White will have far more experience with the stem position than Black, since
there are so many different ways of reaching it. In cases where Black has played 2...d6 or 2…Nc6,
he may not even be prepared for the Maroczy, since current “theory” frowns on 3. c4 against either
of these moves. Given, however, that the main lines of the Open Sicilian are no more a forced win
for White than these lines, and given how Black can often turn the tables on White, there appears to
be little downside to choosing the less-trodden paths, since even the main lines are likely as
“drawish” as the alternatives that were dismissed because they don’t offer White a theoretical
advantage.
In the post-computer chess era, the idea of forcing a win with a superior opening variation
is becoming more and more alien to players who are able to “proofread” their repertoire, and use
computer-aided home preparation to take once-obscure lines and become as familiar with them as
they once were with the main lines that got the lion’s share of attention in reference manuals like
ECO. Practical advantages such as greater familiarity with a line, and taking your opponent out of
his preparation, have gained value at a time when all players know where their repertoire stands,
move by move, down to a hundredth of a point.
47
Chapter Six:
Alekhine’s Defense: Four Pawns Attack
Where angels fear to tread, and where even the silicon doesn’t have a clue. A living testament
to Alekhine’s greatness, other than his match win over Capablanca, are the many opening lines, or in
this case an entire opening, named after him. The Alekhine Defense (1. e4 Nf6) plays out favorably for
White, but that is likely because most Black players cannot carry the mantle of the former world
champion, who no doubt would have a field day with the silicon in sharpening his lines. That this
opening sees little action in world championship play is more a result of the taste of the recent
contenders rather than anything being wrong with the defense. If anything, this defense provides fertile
ground for innovation, yielding victories to the grandmaster who is brave and talented enough to inject it
with new ideas.
Most GMs do not fear the Four Pawns Attack, an acceptance of Black’s invitation for White
to build a big center. My style is predicated on building big centers, so there is no question in my mind
about whether or not to enter the extreme complications that ensue. If you are not as courageous,
however, an early Nf3 will give you a solid game, and it is actually those lines which scare most Black
players away from the Alekhine.
My stem game in the Alekhine is a powder keg that even the silicon can’t figure out, which is
one of the reasons I adore it so much:
Alekhine Stem After 18. gxh4
Moves: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8.
Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Be7 10. d5 exd5 11. cxd5 Nb4 12. Nd4 Bd7 13. e6 fxe6 14. dxe6
Bc6 15. Qh5+ g6 16. Qh6 Bh4+ 17. g3 Bxh1 18. gxh41
When players talk about avoiding complicated book lines, this is the type of variation of
which they speak. It is generally suicidal to play either side of a position this complex if you aren’t
properly booked up, but we all have to start somewhere. This is another reason why choosing the right
1
18. O-O-O?? Bf6! 19. Nf5! (19. a3? N4d5 20. Bb5+ c6 21. Nxc6 bxc6 22. Bxc6+ Ke7 -4.84)
48
opening repertoire as early in your career as possible is preferable, as you’ll have many years to grow
into lines like this, and once you are familiar with them, you’ll actually look forward (sort of) to being
challenged by an opponent who is equally confident of his ability to outbook you.
This line has no shortage of fireworks, and the silicon rates Black stronger due to the material
advantage. This makes it difficult to rely on computer-aided analysis, since the machine evaluations can
be very misleading due to tactics which extend beyond even its horizons (yet another testament to
Alekhine!). Even getting to this posfition is difficult, because the detours along the way, especially for
Black, can throw many wrenches into the works. Black players who use the Alekhine – Lev Alburt was
the most famous one in the 1980s – are usually very familiar with the limited number of main lines, as
well as the many backwaters you’ll be introduced to along the way to the stem.
Alternatives To 2. e5 Nd5
Long before we get through the stem game, Black can sidetrack White, creating subtle
positional differences that require astute observation and precise analysis. On move two, however, the
detours are more pronounced:


2…Ng8!? The hypermodern approach: after successfully provoking 2. e5, Black
retreats the knight to its home base and invites White to overextend the big center he
is inviting White to build. Against this I play 3. d4 (0.36), the equivalent of being
given the first three moves of the game, yet still not that much of an advantage,
according to the silicon. I would likely follow up with f4, Nf3, c3 (or sometimes c4),
Be3, Be2, and castle on the kingside to solidify the big center.
2…Ne4!? The more common deviance, requiring very precise play by White, lest he
hang the e5 pawn out to dry. 3. d3 Nc5 4. d4 Na4 5. Bb5 Nb6 6. e6 fxe6! 1 7. Qh5+
g6 8. Qe5 Rg8 9. Qxe6 Rg7 10. Qe2 a6 11. Bd3 Nc6 12. c3 e6 13. Nf3 (0.45), and
despite the odd formation on the kingside, Black is hanging on, though I wouldn’t be
as confident over the board as the silicon says I should be.
Alternatives To 3. c4 Nb6
With 3. c4, I force the issue for Black, since he can’t leave the knight on d5 and instead has to
commit. Many players with White prefer 3. d4, which keeps their options open, but I’ve never felt that
need. The detours include:

1
3…Nb4!? There is some justification for this move, as it disrupts White behind his
big center. Black can retreat the knight to a6, supporting c5, which further
undermines White’s fortress. White must be careful here, but after 4. d4 d5 5. a3
N4c6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 Qd8 9. Nf3 e6 10. Bb5 a6 11. Ba4 Be7 12. d5
exd5 13. Qxd5 O-O 14. Rd1 (0.33), he has better activity to go with his spatial
advantage, and his uncastled king has time to get out of Dodge, or to hang around the
center if the queens come off. Black must proceed with precision in order to justify
the optimism of the silicon.
In the event this awkward move fails: 6…Nc6 7. exf7+ Kxf7 8. Nf3 e6 9. O-O (0.66)
49

3…Nf4?! Awkward, and Black has to play very precisely to avoid falling behind: 4.
d4 Ng6 5. h4! e6 6. h5 Nh4 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Qg4 Nf5 9. Bd3 O-O 10. a3 Bxc3+ 11.
bxc3 (0.96), and without any visible blunders, Black is already being squeezed. He
can get much more out of the main lines.
Alternatives To 4. d4 d6
After 4. d4, White “threatens” the Four Pawns Attack, and this is Black’s last chance to bail
out. Nothing here is particularly inspiring:




4…e6. The silicon does not like 5. f4 (-0.09) here, which would explain the slight
following this move has. Instead, White should proceed with 5. Nf3 Be7 6. Be2 O-O
7. Nc3 d6 8. O-O dxe5 9. dxe5 Nc6 10. Bf4 a6 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. Rad1 (0.37), and
Black winds up cramped, with his pieces concentrated on the queenside, where there
is limited attacking potential.
4…g6?! The “hypermodern” approach is a bit overdone here, as Black should be
getting his pawns into the center first. My current stem includes the “dreaded”
advance of the c-pawn unique to this opening: 5. c5 Nd5 6. Bc4 c6 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8.
bxc3 b6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Ba3 O-O 11. O-O bxc5 12. Bxc5 (0.48), and Black is one
mistake away from a miniature. Then again, so is White.
4…d5?! This premature central thrust aides White: 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nc3 Bf5 7. Bd3
Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Nc6 9. e6 fxe6 10. Nf3 Ndb4 11. Qe4 Nxd4 12. O-O Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3
c6 14. Qh5+ g6 15. Qe5 Rg8 16. Qxe6 Rh8 17. Qb3 e5 18. a3 Nd3 19. Qxb7 (1.30).
4…Nc6?! White’s pawns go to town on the knights: 5. d51 Nb4 6. c5 Nb4 7. 7. a3
Nc6 8. Qxd5 e6 9. Qe4 Bxc5 10. Nf3 d5 11. Qc2 (1.51)
You can count on Black trying the above moves from time to time, even the unsound ones.
4…g6 is barely playable and therefore “sound” to someone who is looking to bail out of the main lines.
Alternatives To 5. f4 dxe5
Alekhine.
White’s 5. f4 defines the Four Pawns Attack, by far the most aggressive line against the



1
5…Nc6!? Black opts to maintain the tension in the center and apply more pressure.
White can aim back at the stem with 6. Be3 Bf5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Nf3 dxe5 9. fxe5,
which transposes.
5…Bf5 also transposes to the stem after 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nf3 dxe5 8. fxe5 Be7 9. Be3
Nc6.
5…g5?! One wonders at first glance why Black would consider such an “atrocity,”
but White should be patient in exploiting this: g5 6. exd6 cxd6 7. fxg5 Bg7 8. Nc3
Nc6 9. Be3 Bf5 10. Nf3 Qd7 11. b3 (0.84), and the silicon gives Black some
5…Nxe5 6. c5 Nxd5 7. Qxd5 d6 8. Nc3 e6 9. Qe4 Be7 10. cxd6 cxd6 11. Bb5+
50



compensation for the missing pawn. I get a nagging feeling that I may be looking at
a future main line here, so be careful.
5…g6!? Black often plays this move later on in the stem, and it seems to be
tolerable here. After 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Be2 Bf5 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 (0.30),
White has more or less transposed to those later lines, which will be analyzed in
depth, well, later.
5…c6!? The silicon says White can’t refute this, and I say White should just
develop along the lines of the stem: 6. Nc3 Bf5 7. Nf3 dxe5 8. fxe5 e6 9. Be3 Be7
10. Be2 N8d7 11. O-O O-O 12. Qd2 (0.42), with a persistent edge.
5…e6?! Against this passive approach, White should consolidate his big center: 6.
Nc3 Be7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O f6 10. Be3 fxe5 11. fxe5 dxe5 12. Nxe5
Nxe5 13. dxe5 Rxf1+ 14. Qxf1 (0.78), and White has capitalized on Black’s sluggish
development.
Alternatives To 6. fxe5 Nc6
Black has some important alternatives here:





6…c5!? I see this a lot, especially from higher-rated players who seem to be
banking on White’s positional ignorance. White has to play carefully, but he also
has several good options against this move. My current preference is for 7. d5 e6 8.
Nc3 exd5 9. cxd5 c4 10. d6 Nc6 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. Bf4 (0.57), where White’s invasive
pawn center is holding its own and threatening to squash Black.
6…Bf5!? Black eschews the pawn exchange and instead develops his light-squared
bishop in the center. 7. Be3 e6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Nf3 transposes to the stem game.
6…e6?! My silicon-aided stem game continues: 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bd3 Nc6
10. Be3 Nb4 11. O-O Nxd3 12. Qxd3 Bd7 13. Kh1 Bc6 14. Rad1 Na4 15. Nxa4
Bxa4 16. b3 Bd7 17. d5 exd5 18. cxd5 (0.42), with a slight initiative for White.
6…g6. A well-established alternative which also appears sound. I find that
Alekhine players don’t like lines where White can play c5, and this is one of them: 7.
Nc3 Bg7 8. c5 Nd5 9. Bc4 c6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. O-O b6 12. Qb3 (0.69), with a very
silicon-friendly evaluation that I don’t totally trust, but the line appears to be as good
as any other, if not better.
6…N8d7. Not a bad move per se, but one that creates a bit of a traffic jam.
Miniature-oriented players are not likely to resist the direct, sacrificial approach: 7.
e6! fxe6 8. Nf3 g6 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Be2 Nb8 12. Ne4 Nc6 13. O-O e5
14. d5 Nb8 15. Qb3 (0.51), with good pressure for White against Black’s poor
development.
Other alternatives should be dealt with on general principle.
51
Alternatives To 7. Be3 Bf5
Black now has to decide whether or not to commit to the traditional Four Pawns Attack or
take one of the final detours along the way:



7…g6!? The primary “thematic” alternative formation is one that White must
master if he is to properly attack the Alekhine. White’s best bet appears to be to
proceed normally when possible, but 7. Be3 makes the line used against 6…g6 fail
here because the Be3 is vulnerable after Black’s Nd5. White must therefore find an
alternative: 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Nf31 Bg42 10. Be2 Bxf3 11. gxf3 (0.30) exposes White a
bit on the kingside, but Black is in no position to exploit this.
7…e6!? The passive alternative is not as easy to crack as an aggressive White player
may wish, but White does get a bit of a breather which he should use to consolidate
his spatial advantage and get the jump on the middlegame: 8. Nf3 Bb4+ 3 9. Nbd2 OO 10. Qc2 Be7 11. Qe4 (0.57), and White is well-positioned to begin the
middlegame.
7…h6?! Black will have to avoid the stem here, as h6 is a useless move against that
formation. Black seems to hang on after 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Nf3 e6 10. d5 Na5 4 11. Nd4
Bb4 12. Nxf5 exf5 13. Qd4 c5 14. Qf4 Qg5 15.Qf2 Qe7 16. O-O-O Naxc4 17. Bxc4
Nxc4 18. d6 Qd7 19. Nd5 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 (0.69), but White’s passed d-pawn and big
center are beginning to look imposing.
Alternatives To 8. Nc3 e6
With 7…Bf5 in place, Black’s options are now restricted. There is one main alternative here:


8…Nb4!? Very thematic, and not easily refutable. White’s next move appears
forced, and he should emerge okay given Black’s premature aggression. The most
forcing continuation, which should be explored first, is 9. Rc1 e6 10. a3 Nc6 11.
Be2 Be7 12. Nf3 O-O 13. d5 Nb8 14. O-O N8d7 15. Qd2 Nc5 16. Nd4 Bg6 17. b4
Ncd7 18. Nf3 (0.63), where White has the edge.
8…Qd7!? A move earlier than in one of the key deviations from the main line,
White should rely on that line’s analysis for guidance here, in which Nf3 for White
and e6 for Black are “missing.” After 9. Nf3 Bg4 5 10. 10. c5 Nd5 11. Bf2 O-O-O
12. Qa4! Nxc3 13. bxc3 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Nxe5 15. Qxa7 Nxf3+ 16. Kd1 Qc6 17. Kc2
e6 18. Bd3 (0.54), the silicon says White is better despite having sacrificed a pawn,
usually an indicator of crushing positional pressure. As 12. Qa4! looks almost like a
9. c5!? Nd5 10. Bf2 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 (0.00) should be strongly considered due to the familiar formation.
9…O-O?! 10. Be2 Bf5 11. O-O Bg4 12. a4 Qd7 13. a5 Nc8 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 (1.12) leaves Black in bad shape, while
9…Na5 10. d5 Bg4 11. c5 Bxf3 (11…Nd7? 12. e6! (1.60)) 12. gxf3 Nd7 13. f4 c6 14. b4 cxd5 15. bxa5 Qxa5 16. Qd2 e6 17.
Rb1 (1.48) needs a major improvement to be playable.
3
8…Be7 9. Be2 Bh4+ 10. Nxh4 Qxh4+ 11. Bf2 Qg5 12. O-O O-O (12. Bd7?! 13. Qd2 (0.72)) 13. Qd2 Qxd2 14. Nxd2
(0.93), and Black is worse off than in the parent variation.
4
10…Nb4? Leads to the stem formation, and after 11. Nd4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qg4 13. a3 Qxd1+ 14. Rxd1 Nc2+ 15. Nxc2 Bxc2
16. Rd2 Bg6 17. Nb5 (1.30), White has exploited Black’s passivity.
5
9…e6 transposes to the 9…Qd7 deviation analyzed below.
1
2
52

blunder, this line could almost be considered a trap. At worst, Black will transpose
to the 9…Qd7 lines.
8…Na5?! Premature and not directed at the center, this move should be punishable:
9. Nf3 e6 10. Be2 Bb4 11. c5 Nd5 12. Bd2 Nc6 13. O-O O-O 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3
(0.69) puts the burden on Black to find a purpose.
Alternatives To 9. Nf3 Be7
The main line of the Alekhine branches off in several directions from this point. One game is
chosen as the stem because I believe there is always one preferable move, but you will see several
attempts by Black to tear down your center. To proceed from here, you will have to master the same
complexities as players of the defense, and do so in several lines rather than just one. The payoff is that
if you can outbook your opponents in this variation, you will score many easy miniatures, because
Black’s margin for error is razor-thin, and most of his rating points will come against players who
simply don’t understand the theory.


9…Bg4!? A very “arrogant” continuation in that Black can sense White’s
discomfort with such a “modern” move. I can almost hear Black laughing at me
whenever he plays it. The move loses a tempo, but a necessary one, as Black has to
wait for White to play Nf3 before aiming at the formation he wants. This move can
be very frustrating to play against, but the system I came up with seems to turn all
these tables on White: 10. c5!! Nd5 1 11. Bf2!! Be72 12. Bc4 O-O3 13. O-O Nf44 14.
Be3 Ng65 15. Be2 Qd76 16. h3 Bxf3 17. Bxf3 (0.33), where not only does White
have the silicon advantage, but also a formation that will confound all but the
strongest of Black players, and will leave you a nose ahead of even the strong ones.
9…Qd7!? An older main line, this move is still seen relatively frequently. White
more or less heads for the stem formation, but there are key differences here which
limit how far he can go with that. My normal reaction is to play for my stem
position unless I have a reason not to, and the silicon keeps saying that 10. d5 is bad,
with Black having almost all winning chances in the resulting lines, and which
appears to maybe even be a forced win for Black (see footnote 2 below). While
White may have play, there is no need to torture himself, and a more restrained
10…Nd7?! 11. Qb3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 (0.78); 10…Nc8 11. Qb3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 (0.81)
11…Bxf3?! 12. Qxf3 Ncb4 13. Bb5+ c6 14. Ba4 Be7 15. O-O O-O 16. a3 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Nd5 18. c4 (1.09); 11…Ncb4 12.
a3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Nd5 14. c4 Nf4 15. Rb1 (0.63); 11…Ndb4!? 12. a3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Nd5 14. Qb3 (0.60), and Black is on the
defensive; 11…f6!? 12. exf6! gxf6 13. Qb3 (0.48), with Black slightly exposed; 11…Qd7!? 12. Qb3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 O-O-O
14. Bb5 f6 15. O-O-O a6 16. Ba4 Nxc3 17. Qxc3 (0.30); 11…a6!? 12. Qb3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 (0.30); 11…h6?! 12. Qb3 Bxf3 13.
gxf3 (0.54).
3
12…Qd7 13. O-O O-O-O 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 (0.45); 12…Nxc3 13. bxc3 O-O 14. O-O Bf5 15. Qa4 (0.36); 12…Bxf3?!
13. Qxf3 Ndb4 14. O-O (0.54); 12…a6!? 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 (0.42).
4
13…Na5 14. Be2! Nf4 15. Be3 Nxe2+ 16. Qxe2 Nc6 17. Rad1 Qd7 18. h3 Bh5 (18…Bf5 19. d5 exd5 20. Nxd5 Qd8 +0.78)
19. g4 Bg6 20. d5 Nb4 21. d6 Bd8 22. a3 Nc6 23. b4 (0.04), and White has definite positional pressure and a spatial
advantage that the silicon may not fully appreciate.
5
14… Na5 15. b3 Ng6 16. h3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Nxc4 18. bxc4 b6 19. c6 Nh4 20. Qg4 Nf5 21. Rxf5 exf5 22. Qxf5 g6 23. Qg4
f5 24. Qf4 (-0.18), and the silicon evaluation is more favorable to White given the exchange sacrifice. If Alekhine were
alive today, this is the type of position he’d reach from either side.
6
15…Nb4!? 16. Qb3 Nd5 17. Nxd5 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 exd5 19. h3 (0.33); 15…Qd7?! 16. Qa4 Rad8 17. Rad1 h6 18. h3 Bxf3
19 Bxf3 (0.90);
1
2
53

approach is called for here: 10. Be2!1 Be72 11. O-O O-O3 12. Kh14 Rad85 13. Qd2
Nb46 14. Rad1 c57 15. Nb5 Qc68 16. a3 Nc2 17. Bg5 Bxg59 18. Qxg5 h610 18. Qf4
(0.37), and White is keeping up the pressure with massive complications that will
always favor the better-prepared player.
9…Bb4!? A very logical approach: Black applies pressure on the Queenside while
developing his dark-squared bishop. As with 9…Qd7, White should adopt a bit of a
restrained approach in the center and develop the kingside first: 10. Be2 11 Na512 11.
10. d5?! exd5! 11. cxd5 Nb4 12. Nd4 Bg6! 13. e6? fxe6 14. dxe6 Qd6 15. Qf3 Be7! (0.48), and all roads lead to crushing
advantages for Black, despite the generous silicon evaluation, which takes a nasty turn as the horizon expands: e.g., 16. Ncb5
Qe5 17. Qf4 Qxf4 18. Bxf4 O-O (-0.81); 16. Be2 c6 17. O-O N6d5! 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Rad1 Rf8 20. Qh3 Rxf1+ 21. Bxf1
Nxe3 22. Qxe3 Rd8 (-1.37), and White is smashed; 16. Qxb7? O-O (-3.15). This is a good example of how computers can
only aid a grandmaster so far, and can even be used to deceive weaker players who rely too much on their analysis. 10. Be2
preserves the tension and White’s center, and since the aggressive 10.d5 is now refuted, must be considered the proper
continuation.
2
10…Nb4?! 11. Rc1 Be7 12. a3 Na6 (12. Nc6 13. d5 Nd8 14. O-O O-O 15. Nd4 +0.81) 13. O-O O-O 14. b4 (0.51) both
appear good for White, while 10…O-O-O 11. O-O Bg4 12. c5 transposes to the similar 9…Bg4 formations and variations;
10…a6 11. d5 exd5 12. Bxb6 cxb6 13. cxd5 Nb4 14. Rc1 (0.27) is not likely to live up to the silicon evaluation as the
horizon moves outwards; 10…Bb4 11. O-O O-O-O (11…O-O 12. Nh4 Na5 13. Nxf5 exf5 14. c5 +0.90) 12. a3 Bxc3 13.
bxc3 (1.03).
3
11…O-O-O 12. d5 exd5 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. cxd5 Bc5+ 15. Kh1 (0.48); 11…Rd8 12. Qd2 O-O 13. Rad1 Bg6 14. Kh1 f6
15. exf6 Bxf6 16. b3 (0.33), and White has better pawns with more space; 11…a6?? 12. d5! exd5 13. cxd5 Nb4 14. Bxb6
cxb6 15. d6 (2.00).
4
12. a3 is playable, but after 12…Na5, 13. b3 (0.06) is not as potent, whereas 12. Kh1 is more flexible and almost certainly
necessary prior to any aggression on the kingside.
5
12…Rfd8 13. d5 exd5 14. Bxb6 axb6 15. cxd5 Nb4 16. Nd4 Bg6 17. Bg4 Qe8 18. Ndb5 Na6 19. d6 (0.54); 12…a6? 13. d5
exd5 14. cxd5 Nb4 15. Bxb6 cxb6 16. Rc1 (1.36); 12…Nb4 13. Rc1 Rad8 14. a3 Nc6 (14…Na6 15. b4 +0.39) 15. Qe1 Bg6
16. Qg3 (0.36).12…Na5 13. b3 Rad8 14. Qd2 Nc6 15. Rad1 Nb4 16. Ng5 Nc2 17. Bg1 (0.42); 12…f6 13. Nh4 fxe5 14. Nxf5
Rxf5 15. Rxf5 exf5 16. c5 Nxd4 17. cxb6 axb6 18. Bc4+ Kh8 19. Qh5 (0.60).
6
13…Na5 14. b3, transposes to 12…Na5 in note #6 above; 13…f6 14. exf6 (14. Nh4 fxe5 15. Nxf5 Rxf5 16. Rxf5 exf5 17.
c5 -1.09, where this line works in note #6 above with the Qd1 and not Qd2) Bxf6 15. Rad1 Qe7 16. b3 Nb4 17. Qc1 Nc2 18.
Bg1 Qb4 19. Nb1 (0.51); 13…a6? 14. d5 exd5 15. Bxb6 cxb6 16. cxd5 (1.54); 13…h6? 14. Rad1 Nb4 15. a3 Nc2 16. Bg1
(1.18).
7
14…Nc2 15. Bg1 Na4 16. Bd3 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Nb4 18. Qe2 (0.21); 14…h6? 15. a3 Nc6 16. d5 Na5 17. Bxb6 axb6
(17…Nb3 18. Qe3 axb6 19. dxe6 +2.66) 18. b4 (2.09); 14…Bc2 15. Rc1 Bg6 16. a3 Nc6 17. b4 (0.30); 14…a6?! 15. d5
exd5 16. Bxb6 cxb6 17. cxd5 (0.78); 14…f6 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Nb5 Nc6 17. Bf4 Rc8 18. Qe3 a6 19. Nc3 Rcd8 20. Ne5
(0.33);
8
15…Qe8 16. a3 Nc2 17. Bg1 a6 18. Qa5 Nc8 (18…axb5 19. Qxb6 +0.42) 19. Nc3 cxd4 20. Nxd4 Nxd4 21. Bxd4 Bc2 22.
Rd2 Bg6 23. Bf3 (0.21); 15…Bg6 16. a3! (16. Nxa7? Qa4! +0.03) Nc6 17. Qc1 (0.45) 19. 15…a6?! 16. Nd6 Bxd6 17. exd6
Nc2 18. dxc5 Nxe3 19. Qxe3 (1.78);
9
17…f6 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Bxf6 gxf6 (19…Rxf6 20. Ne5 +1.47) 20. Bd3 (20. Qf4? Qe4 21. Qg3+ Kh8 22. Bd3 Qxd3 23.
Rxd3 Bxd3 24. Rd1 Bxc4 25. Nd6 cxd4 26. Nxd4 Nxd4 27. Rxd4 e5 28. Rxh7+ ½) Bxd3 21. Qxd3 Nxc4 22. Qxc4 Ne3 23.
Qb3 Nxd1 24. Rxd1 a6 25. Nc3 c4 26. Qc2 (1.06); 17…Qd7 18. Qf4 (18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Qf4 Nxd4 20. Nfxd4 cxd4 21.
Nxd4 Bg6 22. Nb5 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Nc8 24. Nd6 +0.12) Bxg5 19. Qxg5 (0.84).
10
18…a6?! 19. Nd6 cxd4 20. Nxd4 Nxd4 21. Rxd4 Bg6 22. Nf5! Qc7 23. Ne7+ Kh8 24. Rdf4 Nd7 25. Nxg6+ (0.75).
11
10. a3 is a direct challenge that has potential, but after 10…Bxc3 11. bxc3 O-O 12. Bd3 Na5 13. c5 Nd5 14. Bg5 Qd7 15.
c4 Ne7 16. O-O Bxd3 17. Qxd3 b6 18. Rab1 (0.24), White begins to look overextended.
12
10…O-O 11. O-O Qd7 transposes to the 9…Qd7 lines, but Black has options, such as 11…Be7, 11…Na5 or 11…Bxc3.
1
54

c5 Nd51 12. Bd2 Nc62 13. O-O O-O3 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Qd7 16. Nh4 Be4 4 17.
Qb3 b65 18. cxb6 axb6 19. Bb5 (0.51).
9…Nb4!? Another logical approach, where Black pressures White’s queenside with
the knight rather than the bishop. White’s next move is all but forced, and sets the
tone for the stem: 10. Rc1 c56 11. Be2 cxd47 12. Nxd4 Bg68 13. a3 Nc69 14. Nxc6
bxc6 15. Qxd8+ Rxd8 16. Bf3 Rc8 17. Bxb6 axb6 18. Na4 Bc5 19. Nxc5 bxc5 20.
O-O (0.66).
Alternatives To 10. d5 exd5
Black’s ninth move represents a crossroads with several solid alternatives that are all mainline quality. Once he chooses a plan, the battle becomes more clear, as do White’s choices. After 10.
d5, Black will usually capture with 10…exd5, but this is not the only way the game might progress:

10…Nb4!? A little premature, but difficult to refute if you aren’t well-prepared.
White should be able to keep a slight lead after 11. Nd4 Bg6 10 12. a3 Na611 13. dxe6
O-O 14. Be2! Bg512 15. Qd2 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 c5 17. exf7+ Bxf713 18. Nf314 Bxc415 19.
O-O Bxe216 20. Qxe2 Nc717 21. Qe4 Rb8 22. Rad1 Qe7 23. Rd6 Kh8 24. Rfd1 Ne8
25. R6d2 (0.42)
11…Nbc4 12. Qa4+ c6 13. Bg5 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Qd5 15. O-O O-O 16. Qb4 (0.69); 11…Nd7 12. O-O Nc6 13. a3 Bxc3 14.
bxc3 O-O 15. Qb3 (0.90); 11…Nc8 12. Qa4+ Nc6 13. Bb5 Bxc3 14. bxc3 (0.84).
2
12…Bxc3 13. bxc3 Nc6 14. O-O O-O 15. Qb3 (0.78). 12…O-O?? 13. Nxd5! Bxd2+ 14. Qxd2 (3.09);
3
13…Qd7 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 O-O (15…O-O-O?! 16. Qb3 +1.05) 16. Nh4 is the stem; 13…f6 14. exf6 gxf6 15 a3 Bxc3
16. bxc3 (0.93). 13…a6 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 O-O 16. Qb3 (0.81); 13…h6?! 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 O-O 16. Qb3 (0.75).
4
16…Bg6?! 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. Qb3 b6 19. cxb6 axb6 20. Bb5 (1.06).
5
17…a6 18. Nf3 h6 19. Kh1 (0.63); 17…Rad8 18. Rae1 (0.66) (18. Qxb7? Nxd4! -1.15); 17…Rfd8 18. Rae1 (1.15).
6
10…Be7!? 11. a3 Nc6 (11…Na6?! c5! +0.66) 12. d5 Nb8 13. Be2 N8d7 14. O-O O-O 15. Qd2 transposes to a line analyzed
under 8…Nb4; 10…Qd7?! 11. Nh4 Nc6 12. Nxf5 exf5 13. c5 Nd5 14. Bf2 Nxc3 15. bxc3 (0.66) is good for White;
10…a6?! 11. a3 Nc6 12. d5 Ne7 13. Bxb6 cxb6 14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 exd5 16. cxd5 (1.40) doesn’t seem promising,
either. 10…h6 11. a3 Nc6 12. Be2 Bg4 13. O-O Be7 14. Ng3 Qd7 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 (0.67).
7
11...Be7 12. O-O cxd4 (12…O-O 13. a3 +0.72) 13. Nxd4 Bg6 14. Ndb5 Nd3 15. Bxd3 Bxd3 16. Rf4 (0.69); 11…Bg4 12.
O-O cxd4 13. Nxd4 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 Bc5 15. Ne4 Be7 16. a3 Nc6 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. Rcd1 (0.87); 11…Rc8 12. O-O Be7
(12…Bg6 13. d5 exd5 14. cxd5 c4 15. d6 Nd3 16. Bxd3 Bxd3 17. Rf2 +1.63) 13. a3 Na6 (13…Nc6? 14. d5! +1.18) 14. d5
Qd7 15. d6 Bd8 16. Kh1 O-O 17. Nb5 (0.96)
8
12…Nc6?! 13. Nxf5 exf5 14. O-O g6 15. Nb5 Nxe5 16. Qxd8+ Rxd8 17. b3 Bg7 18. Nxa7 Nc8 19. Nxc8 (0.54);
9
13…Na6 14. Ndb5 14. Ndb5 Nd7 15. Nd6+ Bxd6 16. exd6 Qf6 (16…O-O 17. O-O +0.60) 17. Bf3 Qe5 18. Qe2 (0.72);
10
11…O-O 12. Nxf5 exf5 13. a3 Na6 14. Be2 Bc5 (14…Bh4+ 15. g3 Bg5 16. Bd4 Re8 17. O-O +0.84) 15. Bxc5 Nxc5 16.
O-O g6 17. b4 Ncd7 18. c5 Nc8 19. Qd4 Re8 20. e6 fxe6 21.dxe6 Nf6 22. Qe5 c6 23. Rad1 (1.30); 11…c5?! 12. Nxf5 exf5
13. a3 Na6 14. Bd3 Bg5 15. Qd2 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 Qh4+ 17. g3 Qe7 18. O-O (1.24); 11…Bg5? 12. Nxf5 exf5 13. Bd4 Qe7 14.
a3 Na6 15. Qf3 g6 16. b4 Bf6 17. Qe2 Bh4+ 18. g3 (2.78)
11
12…c5 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. axb4 cxb4 15. Na4 Nd7 16. Qd4 Qa5 17. d6 Bf8 17…Bd8 18. c5 (1.30); 12…cxd4 13. axb4
Nxc4 14. Bxc4 dxc4 15. Qf3 c6 16. O-O Bxb4 17. Nf5 O-O 18. Ne4 (1.12)
12
14…Nc5 `15. exf7+ Rxf7 (15…Bxf7 ) 16. Qd2 c6 17. b4 Ne4 18. Nxe4 Bxe4 19. O-O-O Bxg2 20. Rhg1 Be4 21. Qc3 Qc7
22. Bh5 g6 23. Ne6 Qb8 24. Ng5 Bxg5 25. Rxg5 Qc7 26. e6 Re7 27. Re5!! (1.00);
13
17…Rxf7 18. Nf3 Rf8 19. O-O (1.27)
14
18. Nf5!? (+0.06) is worth considering if the stem should ever fail.
15
18…Nxc4?! 19. Qe4! Nxb2 20. e6 Bg6 21. e7 Bxe4 22. exd8=Q Raxd8 23. Nxe4 Rfe8 24. Nfd2 Nd3+ 25. Bxd3 (1.15).
16
19…Qe7!? 20. Bxc4+ (20. Rae1!? avoids the very drawish stem: 20…Bxe2 21. Qxe2 +0.24) Nxc4 21. Qe4 Nb6
(21…Nxb2?? 22. Rab1! +2.60) 22. Rae1 Rad8 23. Nb5 Nc8 24. Nh4 Rxf1+ 25. Rxf1 g6 26. Nf3 Nb8 27. Qf4 Rf8 28. Qc4+
Kh8 29. Ng5 Rxf1+ 30. Qxf1 h6 (0.45); 19…Rc8 20. Bxc4+ Nxc4 21. Qe2 Nb6 22. Rad1 (0.75).
17
20…Kh8 21. Ne4 Qd5 (21…Qe7? 22. Nfg5! +1.54) 22. Rad1 (0.69); 20…Rc8 21. Rad1 Qe7 22. Ne4 (0.69)
1
55


10…Na5?! Black attacks c4. White should consolidate his big center: 11. Bd3
Bxd31 12. Bxb6 axb6 13. Qxd3 O-O2 14. O-O exd53 15. cxd5 f64 16. e6 Nc65 17.
Rad1 Nb46 18. Qb1 Ra57 19. Kh1 (0.72), and White is clearly preferable.
10…Nb8? A cute “hypermodern” try, but deep analysis so far has revealed a line
highly favorable to White, with the silicon ways too generous to Black along the way.
After 11. Be2 exd58 12. cxd5 Bb49 13. O-O Bxc310 14. Ng5 Bxe511 15. Rxf5 f612 16.
Ne6 Qe713 17. Qb3 N8d714 18. Bh6!15 g6 19. Rxe5! Nxe5 20. Bb5+ c6 21. dxc6 bxc6
22. Rd1 Nbd716 23. Ng7+ Kd8 24. Ne6+ Ke8 25. Bxc6 Nxc6 26. Nc7+ Kd8 27. Nxa8
Kc8 28. Rc1 (1.79), White has a crushing attack.
Alternatives To 11. cxd5 Nb4
With 10…exd5, Black has more or less committed to the stem for at least a few moves; now
his options become much more restricted. He can still try to get cute, and the silicon will enable him in
11…Bg6 12. Bxg6 hxg6 13. dxe6 Naxc4 14. exf7+ Kxf7 15. Qe2 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 (1.00).
13…Nc6?! 14. Qe4 exd5 15. cxd5 Nb8 16. O-O O-O 17. Rad1 Nd7 18. Kh1 Nc5 19. Qf4 Qd7 20. d6 Bd8 21. Nd4 (0.81);
13…Nb3?! 14. Rd1 Nc5 15. Qe2 exc5 16. O-O O-O 17. Nxd5 c6! 18. Nf6+ Bxf6 19. Rxd8 Bxd8 20. a3 (1.06); 13…f6? 14.
Nd4! exd5 15. Nxd5 Qd7 (15…O-O 16. Ne6 Bb4+ 17. Kd1 +1.93) 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Qe4+ Kf7 18. Nxf6 gxf6 (18…Kxf6??
19. O-O+ #5.00) 19. O-O (2.63).
3
14…Nc6 15. Qe4 exd5 16. cxd5 Nb8 is note #2 with 13…Nc6; 14…f6!? 15. Kh1! Nc6 16. Qe4 exd5 17. Nxd5 f5 18. Qf4
(0.54) leaves White in firm command of the center and a passed pawn, but a very tricky conversion task.
4
15…Nc6 16. Qe4 Nb8 is note #2 again; 15…h6?! 16. Kh1! (0.69); 15…Kh8?! 16. Qe4 f5 17. Qf4 g5 18. Qa4 Bc5+ 19.
Kh1! g4 20. Nd4 Nb3 21. Qxb3 Bxd4 22. Rae1 (0.88); 15…Bc5+ 16. Kh1 Nc6 17. Qe4 Nb8 18. Rad1 (1.12).
5
16…Kh8?! 17. Kh1! Nc6 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Nxe5 fxe5 20. Rxf8+ Bxf8 21. Rf1 (1.21) is similar to note #4; 16…Qd6?! 17.
Kh1 Nc6 18. a3 Ne5 (18…Rad8? 19. Rad1! +1.15) 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. Rf5! Qd6 21. Ne4 Qd8 22. Raf1 Ra5 23. b4 Ra8 24.
g4 h6 25. h4 Bd6 26. g5 fxg5 27. Rxf8+ Bxf8 28. Rf7 (3.27); 16…Bc5+ 17. Kh1 Nc6 18. Qe4 Ne7 19. Rad1 Bd6 20. Nb5
Ng6 21. Rc1 (0.54), with a nice grip for White.
6
17…Ne5?! 18. Nxe5 fxe5 19. Rxf8+ Bxf8 20. Ne4 Bd6 21. a3 Qe7 22. Nxd6 (22. Rc1 +0.82) Qxd6 23. Qe4 Rd8 24. b4
(1.01); 17…Nb8?! 18. Kh1! Na6 19. a3 Bd6 (19…Nc5 20. Qc2 Bd6 21. b4 Na6 22. Nb5 +0.90) 20. Nb5 Qe7 21. b4 (0.93);
17…Na7?! 18. Kh1! Nc8 19. a3 Bd6 20. Nb5 Ne7 21. b4 Re8 22. Nd2 Ng6 23. Ne4 Be5 24. d6 cxd6 25. Nexd6 Rxe6 26.
Qc4 Qd7 27. Nc7 Bxd6 28. Nxe6 Ne5 29. Qd5 Nf7 30. Nd4 Rd8 31. Nf5 (1.81)
7
18…Bc5+?! 19. Kh1! Bd6 20. a3 Na6 21. Nb5 Qe7 22. b4 (0.87); 18…Kh8? 19. a3 Nh6 20. Kh1! Bd6 21. b4 Nb8; 22.
Nb5 (1.75); 18…Na6?! 19. a3 Bd6 20. Kh1! Qe7 21. b4 Nb8 22. Nb5 Kh8 23. Qe4 (1.36).
8
11…Bb4 12. Nd4 Be4 (12…Bg6 13. dxe6 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Qh4+ 15. Bf2 Qe7 16. exf7+ Bxf7 17. O-O O-O 18. Nf5 +1.36)
13. O-O Bxc3 14. dxe6 Bxd4 15. exf7+ Kf8 16. Qxd4 Qxd4 17. Bxd4 Nc6 18. Bc5+ Ne7 19. Rf4 (0.84); 11…O-O 12. Nd4
N8d7 13. Nxf5 exf5 14. d6 cxd6 15. exd6 Bf6 16. O-O Bxc3 17. bxc3 Re8 18. Bd4 (0.66); 11…N8d7 12. Bd4 O-O 13. O-O
(13…a5 14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Nc5 16. Bxc5 Bxc5+ 17. Kh1 Bb4 18. Rad1 Bxc3 19. Qxc3 exd5 20. cxd5
Nxd5 21. Qb3 c6 22. Qxb7 Rb8 23. Qxc6 +0.90) Bb4 14. a3 Bxc3 15. Bxc3 Re8 16. Qd4 Na4 17. Bd2 c5 18. Qf4 Nxb2 19.
Ng5 Rf8 20. Ne4 (0.03), with a very White-friendly evaluation given Black’s extra pawn.
9
12…O-O?! 13. O-O Bb4 14. Bg5 Be7 15. Qd2 f6 16. Nd4 Bd7 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Bxf6 Rxf6 19. Rxf6 Qxf6 20. Rf1 (0.81);
12…N8d7!? 13. O-O O-O 14. Rc1 Bg6 15. Bd3 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 Nc5 17. Qb5 a6 (17…c6? 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. Qxc6 Qd3 20.
Bd4 +0.63) 18. Qe2 Ncd7 19. Qd3 (0.60).
10
13…O-O 14. Bg5 transposes to 12…O-O?! from note #2 above; 13…N8d7 14. Qb3! Be7 15. Nd4 Bg6 16. e6 Nf6 17.
Qb5+ Kf8 18. exf7 Bxf7 19. Ne6+ Bxe6 20. dxe6 (1.78).
11
14…Bxb2? 15. Rxf5 Qxd5 (15…Bxa1?? 16. Bb5+ c6 17. e6! fxe6 18. Nxe6 +2.45) 16. Bf3 Qxd1+ 17. Rxd1 Nc6 18. Bc5
Nd8 19. Nxf7! Nxf7 20. Bxb7 Nd8 21. Bxa8 Nxa8 22. Rb1 (1.93); 14…Bg6 15. bxc3 Qxd5 (15…Nxd5? 16. Qb3 Nxe3 17.
Nxf7 +2.30) 16. Bf3 Qxd1+ 17. Raxd1 Nc6 18. Bc5 Na4 19. Ba3 Nb6 20. Bxc6+ bxc6 21. e6! f6 22. e7 c5 23. Bxc5 (1.18)
12
15…Bf6? 16. Bc5 (16…Bxg5? 17. Re5+ Be7 18. Rxe7+ Qxe7 19. Bex7 Kxe7 20. Qd4 +2.18) N8d7 17. Bb5! Bxg5 18.
Re5+ Be7 19. Rxe7+ Qxe7 20. Bxe7 (3.30); 15…Qe7 16. Bb5+ (16…N8d7?? 17. Bxb6! +2.51) 17. Rxf7 Bxh2+ 18. Qf3
Bxh2+ 19. Kh1 Be5 20. Rxd7 Nxd7 21. Nf7 Qf6 22. Qxf6 Bxf6 23. Nxh8 a6 24. Bxd7+ Kxd7 25. Nf7 Re8 26. Bf4 (1.10).
13
16…Qd6? 17. Bc5 Bxh2+ 18. Kh1 Qg3 19. Rf3 (3.21); 16…Qc8? 17. Nxg7+ Kf8 18. Ne6+ (2.54).
14
17…g6 18. Rxe5! fxe5 19. d6! cxd6 20. Bg5 (5.07);
15
18. Rc115 Rc8 19. a4 (0.58) gives White good pressure, in the event the stem should fail.
16
22…cxb5?? 23. Ng7+ Kf8 24. Nf5+ Ke8 25. Nxe7 Kxe7 26. Be3 (2.21).
1
2
56
his task, but the myriad of alternatives that existed for the two or three moves previous to this are pared
down. What the annotators of GM games rarely tell their audience, however, is that the “main line” you
see the top players jump into against each other only occurs once it has been well established that the
many detours you’ve seen, such as in this chapter, won’t work. Against a weak player, a GM will
usually move off the beaten path as soon as possible, knowing he can beat you soundly once you are out
of book.
After 11. cxd5, 11…Nb4 is considered best, but as the silicon often shows, the difference
between the “correct” move and the uncharted alternatives is often far less than “theory” would like to
have you believe. Here we deal with other landing spots for Black’s threatened knight, most of which
transpose to the same alternatives played earlier:


11…Na5!? Black focuses on c4 instead of c2/d3, coordinating with the other knight
rather than the Bf5. Since 12. Bd3 Bxd31 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Qxd3 O-O2 15. O-O
leads to the same stem (branch) analyzed under 10…Na5 above, leaving only the
footnotes to consider. Of those, 12…Bg6!? and 14…f6 are most notable.
11…Nb8?!. Black gets “hypermodern” and White should use the extra time to
consolidate, as in the previous detour (10…Nb8): 12. Be2 transposes to the lines
analyzed there.
Alternatives To 12. Nd4 Bd7
The last major fork in the road for the stem has Black deciding what to do with the Bf5:


12…Bg6?! A common alternative has Black abandoning the light squares near his
king for a more aggressive posture that supports the Nb4 against White’s queenside,
while threatening to win the pawn on d5. The most forcing continuation is 13. Bb5+
Kf83 14. O-O Kg8 (Ne6+ was threatened) 15. Nf5 Bxf54 16. Bxb6 axb6 17. Rxf5
Bc5+ 18. Kh1 (1.27), and Black is seriously compromised.
12…Bc8!? presents a separate problem, with White’s Nd4 preventing Bax6, and
White has to find a separate plan: 13. Bb5+ c6 5 14. dxc6 O-O6 15. O-O Bc57 16. Kh1
a68 17. Be2 Qc71 18. Ne6 Bxe6 19. Bxc5 Rfd8 20. cxb7 Qxb7 21. Qb1 (1.09) leaves
White up a pawn and Black without much in the way of compensation.
12…Bg6!? 13. O-O Bxd3 14. Qxd3 Nac4 15. Bd4 O-O 16. b3 Na3 17. Qe4 f5 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Rae1 a6 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21.
Nd4 (0.63); 12…Bd7?! 13. e6! fxe6 14. Ng5 Bxg5 15. Qh5+ Kf8 16. Bxg5 Qe8 17. O-O+ Kg8 18. Qf3 (1.54); 12…Bc8 13.
Bxb6 axb6 14. O-O (0.84); 12…Bg4? 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. O-O Bc5+ 15. Kh1 c6 16. Qa4 Bxf3 17. Rxf3 (1.75).
2
14…c6? 15. d6 Nb3 16. Rd1 Nc5 17. Qc4 Bg5 18. d7+! Nxd7 19. e6! fxe6 20. Qxe6+ (2.51); 14…f6!? 15. O-O O-O
transposes to lines analyzed under 10…Na5; 14…Qd7 15. O-O O-O 16. Rad1 Bc5+ 17. Kh1 Be7 18. Qe4 (1.15).
3
13…Nd7? 14. e6 (2.09); 13…c6? 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Nxc6 Nc2+ 16. Qxc2 Bxc2 17. Nxd8+ Kxd8 18. O-O (3.27).
4
15…c6? 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qf3! cxb5 18. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 19. Kh1 (1.60);
5
13… Bd7 14. O-O Bxb5 15. Ndxb5 Nc4 16. Bd4 a6 17. Nxc7+ Qxc7 18. d6 Nxd6 19. exd6 Qxd6 20. Bg7 (1.30).
6
14…bxc6 15. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 16. Kd1! Nd7 17. Nxb4 Bxb4 18. Bc6 Bxc3 19. bxc3 (3.03).
7
15…N6d5!? 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. cxb7 Bxb7 18. Bf2 Nf4 19. Bc6 (1.06); 15…N4d5 16. Nxd5 is identical; 15…Qc7 16. e6
bxc6 17. exf7+ Kh8 18. Bd3 Nxd3 19. Qxd3 (19…Bd6 20. Ne4 Bxh2+ 21. Kh1 +2.24) Bf6 20. Ne4 (1.30); 15…a6!? 16.
Bd3 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 bxc6 18. Qe4 c5 19. Nc6 Bb7 20. e6 Bxc6 21. Qxc6 (1.39); 15…f6? 16. Qb3+ (2.72).
8
16…Bxd4 17. cxb7 Bxb7 18. Bxd4 Qe7 (18…Qg5 19. Qe2 Rad8 20. Rad1 +1.72) 19. Qb3 Rad8 20. Rad1 (1.36); 16…Qc7
17. Nxe6 Bxe6 18. Bc5 Nxc6 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 20. Qd6 (1.90); 16…bxc6 17. Nxc6 Qxd1 18. Raxd1 Bxe3 19. Nxb4 Be6 20.
Nc6 a6 21. Be2! Rfe8 22. Rf3 Bc5 23. Ne4 Bf8 24. Nd6 Bxd6 25. exd6 Kf8 (25…Bxa2 26. Ne7+ +2.00) 26. Rf2 a5 27. g3
1
57
Alternatives To 13. e6 fxe62 14. dxe6 Bc63 15. Qh5+ g6 16. Qh6 Bh4+
One thing I like about the Four Pawns Attack is that it is a forcing line with complex tactics,
but which also has very strong positional motifs. Black has had few options for the past three moves,
and finally reaches a position where White has to be ready to meet several complicated alternatives. The
stem is Black’s best chance at refuting the entire variation, but if that is not possible, then this is the
crossroads at which he’ll have to go back to the drawing board and try again, whereas White has to be
prepared for Black not to “follow the script” set forth in the stem:




16…N6d5!? 17. Qg7 Bh4+ 18. g3 Qf6 19. Qf7+ Qxf7 20. exf7+ Kxf7 21. Bc4 Kg7 4
22. Ne6+ Kf6 23. Nxd5+ Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Nxd5 25. Bd4+ Kxe6 26. Bxh8 Bxg3 27.
hxg3 Rxh8 28. O-O-O (0.24) is promising for Black, but complicated.
16…Qd6!? Why not? This move develops the queen while preparing black to
castle queenside. Far less utility has been used to justify a chess move. White
should use the standard approach of attempting as rapid a slaughter of Black as
nature will allow, and getting a persistent advantage against even a sharp defense:
17. a3 N4d55 18. Qg7 O-O-O6 19. Ne4 Bh4+ 20. g3 Qe7 21. Qxe7 Bxe7 22. Nxc6
bxc6 23. Bd4 Rhf8 24. O-O-O (1.06) gives White what he seeks.
Another try is 16…Bf6? which contests the center and stops White from pursuing
the stem: 17. O-O-O! N6d57 18. Bc4! Qe7 (18…Nxe3 19. Nxc6 +2.00) 19. Nxc6
bxc6 20. Ne4 Bg7 21. Qg5 Nxa2 22. Bxa2 Qb4 23. Rxd5 Qxb2+ 24. Kd1 Qa1+ 25.
Bc1 cxd5 26. Bxd5 Rd8 27. Nd2 (0.63).
Of the other moves, 16…N4d5? 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. O-O-O Qd68 19. Bd4 Rf8 20.
Bd3 Qxe69 21. Qxh7 (1.60) has Black in Dire straits, while 16…Bf8? 17. Qf4 Qe7
18. O-O-O N6d510 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Nxd5 cxd51 21. a3 (3.39) isn’t any better.
(1.39); 16…N4d5 17. Ne6! Bxe6 18. Bxc5 Nxc3 19. bxc3 (2.21); 16…N6d5 17. Nxd5! (17. Bg1!? Bxd4 18. Bxd4 +0.56
leaves White a pawn up but leads to an opposite-bishop ending that is very difficult to win if you have only human
components) Qxd5 (17… Nxd5 18. Ne6 fxe6 19. Bxc5 Rxf1+ 20. Qxf1 +2.27) 18. Nf5 Qxd1 19. Raxd1 (1.21); 16…Qe7
17. cxb7 Qxb7 (17…Bxb7 18. Nf5 +1.60) 18. Ne6 Bxe6 19. Bxc5 (1.12).
1
17…bxc6 18. Nxc6 Qxd1 19. Nxd1 Bxe3 20. Ne7+ Kh8 21. Nxe3 Be6 22. a3 (1.21); 17…N4d5 18. Ne6 fxe6 19. Bxc5
Rxf1+ 20. Bxf1 (1.93); 17…N6d5 18. Nxd5! Nxd5 19. Ne6 fxe6 20. Bxc5 Rxf1+ 21. Qxf1 bxc6 22. Qf2 (2.00); 17…Qe7
18. e6 Bxe6 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. cxb7 (2.57).
2
13…Bc8? 14. Bb5+ Kf8 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qh6+ Kg8 17. exf7+ Kxf7 18. O-O+ Kg8 19. Qf4 (2.52)
3
14…Bc8? 15. Qf3 (3.33)
4
21… Ke8? 22. Bh6 Nb6 23. Nxc6 Nxc6 (23…bxc6 24. O-O-O +2.01) 24. Bg7 Nxc4 25. Bxh8 Be7 26. Nd5 (1.30)
5
17… Bf8 18. Qf4 Qxf4 19. Bxf4 Bg7 20. O-O-O N4d5 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. Nxc6 Nxf4 23. Bb5! Bh6 24. Kb1 a6 25. Ba4
bxc6 26. Bxc6+ Ke7 27. Rd7+ Kxe6 28. Re1+ Kf6 29. Bxa8 Rxa8 30. Rxh7 Bf8 31. Rxc7 Nxg2 32. Rc6+ Kf5 33. Ree6 Nf4
34. Rf6+ Kg4 35. Rxa6 (1.24), and White holds all the cards;
6
18…Bf6 19. Qf7+ Kd8 20. Ne4 (20. Nxc6+ bxc6 (20…Qxc6?? 21. Nxd5!) 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 +0.03) Bh4+ 21. g3 Qe5 22
Qf3 Be7 23. Nxc6+ bxc6 24. O-O-O (0.78); 18…Rf8?! 19. Ne4 Bh4+ 20. g3 Qe7 21. Bh6 Qxg7 22. Bxg7 (1.30);
7
17…N4d5 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Ne4 Qe7 20. Nxf6+ Nxf6 21. Bd3 O-O-O 22. Rhf1 Ng4 23. Qg5 Qxg5 24. Bxg5 (2.63);
17…Qe7? 18. a3 N4d5 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Nxd5 Nxd5 21. Rxd5 cxd5 22. Bb5+ Kd8 23. Rf1 c6 24. Rxf6! cxb5 25. Qg5 Kc8
26. Kb1! Rg8 27. Qxd5 (3.93)
18…Bf8 19. Qh3 Bg7 20. Ne4 Nxd5 Nxd5 21. Bc4 Qd6 22. Rhf1 (1.75) is equally unpromising; 18…Bh4+ 19. g3 O-O-O
20. Ne4 transposes to the branch.
9
20…O-O-O 21. Qxh7 Kb8 22. Kb1 g5 23. Rhe1 (2.12) offers no refuge.
10
18…N4d5 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Nxd5 transposes to the funeral march above.
8
58
Alternatives To 17. g3 Bxh1
The final stop in the stem is 17. g3 Bxh1, with 18. gxh4 completing the stem. Before we get
there, however, Black has options for move 17 for which White must be prepared:



17…Bf6!? This will likely become the main line if grabbing the exchange ever
falters. White should gain the upper hand, however, since he gets a good attack
without having to give up the Rh1: 18. Nxc6 bxc6!2 19. Rc13 Qd64 20. a35 N4d5 21.
Ne4 Qxe66 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. Be27 Qxb2 24. O-O O-O-O8 25. Ba6+ Kb8 26. Bc5
Rhe89 27. Bf3 Rd7 28. Rf2 (0.00), with full compensation for the pawns.
17…Be7?! 18. Qg7 Rf8 19. Qxh7! Qd6 20. Qxg6+ Kd8 21. O-O-O Bxh1 22. Nf5
Qxd1+ 23. Kxd1 N4d5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Bh6 (4.81) is just plain ugly.
17…Qf6? 18. Rg1! N6d5 19. Nxd5 Nxd5 20. gxh4 Nxe3 21. Qxe3 Qxh4+ 22. Rg3
Bh1 23 O-O-O (3.84) isn’t much better.
Stem Game After 18. gxh4
Alekhine stem game after 18. gxh4
20…Nxd5 21. Rxd5 cxd5 22. Bb5+ (5.93) won’t be rewriting the opening manuals anytime soon.
18…Nxc6!?2 19. Bg2 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Qf6 21. Rf1 Qxc3+ 22. Kf2 Ne5 23. h3 Nbc4 24. e7 Kxe7 25. Bc5+ Nd6 26. Bxd6+
cxd6 27. Kg1 (0.27), a crushing evaluation given Black’s two-pawn advantage.
3
19. Rd1!? Bxc3+ 20. bxc3 Nc2+ 21. Ke2 Qf6 22. Bh3 Nd5 23. Bd2 Nxc3+ 24. Bxc3 Qxc3 25. Rd3 Nd4+ 26. Ke3 Nc2+
27. Ke2 Nd4+ ½-½ gives White the draw in hand.
4
19…N6d5? 20. Ne4! Qe7 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. Bc5! Qxe6+ 23. Kf2 Qf6+ 24. Kg1 Qxb2 25. Re1+ Kf7 26. Bc4 (3.57) is
overwhelming; 19…N4d5?! 20. Ne4! Qe7 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. Bc5! Qxe6+ (22…Na4!? 23. Ba3 Qxe6+ 24. Kf2! Qf6+ 25.
Qg2 +0.57) Qxe6+ 23. Kf2! Qf6+ 24. Kg1 O-O-O 25. Rc2 (0.30) has White with a silicon plus despite the pawn deficit.
5
20. Ne4 Qxe6 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. a3 N4d5 transposes back to the branch.
6
21…Qd8? 22. Rxc6 Nxe3 23. Qxe3 (1.57); 21…Qe7? 22. Bc5! (22. Nxf6+? Qxf6 23. Be2 Nxe3 24. Qxe3 Nd5 25. Qc5
Ne7 26. Rf1 Qxe6 27. Qd4 Rf8 28. Rxf8+ Kxf8 29. Kf2 (29. Qh8+ Qg8 30. Qf6+ Qg7 31. Qh8+ ½-½) -0.17) Qxe6 23. Rc2
Kd8 24. Re2 (2.24)
7
23. Rc2? O-O-O! 24. Rf2 Qe5 25. Re2 Nxe3 26. Qxe3 Qxe3 27. Rxe3 (-0.45) gives Black a draw at least.
8
24…Nd7 25. Rxc6 O-O-O 26. Rf2 Qxa3 27. Bd4 (0.24), a good score with Black a pawn up.
9
26…Qb3 27. Qg7 Rdg8 28. Qd4 (0.33).
1
2
59
Moves: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Be7
10. d5 exd5 11. cxd5 Nb4 12. Nd4 Bd7 13. e6 fxe6 14. dxe6 Bc6 15. Qh5+ g6 16. Qh6 Bh4+ 17. g3
Bxh1 18. gxh4 1/2-1/2
At long last, we are finally “out of book” for reasons other than avoidance or ignorance. My
instincts tell me this may be a win for Black, but I’ve yet to meet the player who can prove it, and
apparently, neither have any chess authors or publishers that I know of. The silicon evaluation favors
Black, but that is to be expected given White’s sacrifice of the exchange. The failure of this line would
call the entire Four Pawns Attack into question, and given the richness of the attack, refuting it
wholesale is no small feat. That factor weighs heavily in favor of White. Computers provide some
assistance, but relying solely on engine evaluations leaves one too vulnerable.
Past this point, I cannot be certain what White should do. I have preferences, but nothing is
etched in stone. Subscribers to the computerized repertoire will be updated as my practice makes clear
what I consider best play for both sides. For now, I’ll leave the reader with a surface analysis of Black’s
18th move and beyond:






18…Qf6! This move passes for the main line, for now. Is it good? I couldn’t tell
you, and I wouldn’t be so sure the silicon can either, even though it continues to love
Black. From here, my working stem is 19. O-O-O! (-1.00), and Black has so many
options, none of which are clear, that one could write yet another book where the
analysis starts here. Any further analysis of this position that I committed to print
would likely look foolish over time, so I’ll refrain from the printed word in favor of
the digital one.
18…Qd6!? The silicon selects this move, but I’m not convinced. After 19. O-O-O
N6d5 20. Bc4 Nxe3 21. Qxe3 (-1.18), White has tremendous pressure for the
exchange, and the type of super-complicated position that booked-up tacticians like
me live for.
18…N6d5!? The move appears tricky, but White has little to fear: 19. Bg5 Qd6 20.
Qg7 Rf8 21. e7 Nxe7 22. Ncb5 Qd7 23. O-O-O Nxa2+ 24. Kb1 (3.42)
18…N4d5?! doesn’t work out any better: 19. Bb5+ c6 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Bxc6+
Ke7 22. Bc5+ Kxe6 23. Bxa8 Qxa8 24. O-O-O Nxc3 25. bxc3 Qf3 26. Qg7 Qf4+ 27.
Kb2 Qxh2+ 28. Ka1 (2.00) leaves Black in dire straits.
18…Qe7?! This defensive move makes sense if Black is able to consolidate, but
that’s a lofty goal in the face of White’s pressure: 19. a3 N4d5 20. Bb5+ c6 21. Nxc6
bxc6 22. Bxc6+ Kd8 23. Nxd5 Nxd5 24. Bxd5 Bxd5 25. Bg5 (3.30) is
overwhelming.
18…c5?? Black can’t really afford to take his time finishing development here, and
should wind up severely punished: 19. Qg7 Rf8 20. Bg5 Qxg5 21. hxg5 cxd4 22.
Nb5 Nc2+ 23. Kd2 Rf2+ 24. Be2 Nc4+ 25. Kc1 Rc8 26. Qd7+ Kf8 27. e7+ Kg8 28.
Bxc4 Rxc4 29. e8=Q+ Rf8 30. Qdf7+ Kh8 31. Qexf8# 1-0
The stem game in the Alekhine was taken from ECO almost twenty years ago, and little has
been resolved since. Most players with either color will avoid the intense complications, and who can
60
blame them? I believed then, as I believe now, however, that embracing the complexity is the road to
long-term success against this underrated opening. The “positional” approaches for White let Black off
the hook too easily, but the Four Pawns Attack is so complicated that most players will never see its true
strength. It is easy to get bogged down by losing moves for either side, yet it is still not guaranteed that
even a strong opponent will find the win
61
Chapter Seven:
My Caro-Kan Fantasy: 3. f3!
Caro Kann After 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3!
Most 1. e4 players weaned on the play of Bobby Fischer despise and respect the Caro-Kan, a
highly defensive system that is extremely difficult to crack. The “main lines” have been analyzed to
death, and none of them yield anything special for White anyway. 1 For years, I struggled against this
opening, but recently, inspired in part by the recent world championship match that was decided in favor
of White, who played the Advance Variation (3. e5) in the final game, I abandoned my scheme and
settled on 3. e5. That lasted for a few months, until I found the move I knew I should have been playing
all along the moment I began analyzing it.
The Fantasy Variation, as it is known, dates back to Tartakower, one of the strongest players
of the early part of the last century, and fell out of favor because it was thought to be too “primitive” and
not consistent with “modern” play. This was no deterrent to me, however, as the Fantasy Variation is a
WMD in the hands of the right player, a means of converting the boring Caro-Kan into lines one would
more commonly expect out of a King’s Gambit or some other opening from the Romantic Era of the
game. Caro-Kan players generally do not do well in open positions, and aren’t accustomed to defending
against sacrificial or tactical play, nor are they known for being terribly booked up in lines where
positional intuition is insufficient.
Recent trends have shown White prevailing with aggressive variations in the Advance and the 4…Nd7 main line, but this
could be attributable to poor play by Black rather than an inherent advantage to White. Kramnik’s win over Leko to retain
his world title with the Advance variation only occurred because Leko failed to exploit what was actually poor play by
White.
1
62
The Stem Game
Caro-Kan stem after 11. Qe2
Moves: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 fxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Bc4! Nf6 7. Ng5! Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9.
Nxe6 Qe7 10. Nxd4 Qxe4+ 11. Qe2
Once again, we have a line that barely gets a mention in “theory,” yet which is as rich as any
you’ll find in the main lines of the books, with the advantage of greater familiarity than your opponent,
and far less memorization required.
As with the other stems, I’ll work up to the above position and show how Black can detour.
Many logical moves for Black are poisonous, and White can expect many quick wins, especially against
weak competition:
Alternatives To 2. d4 d5
You won’t see these very often, buts some players are just hell-bent on avoiding the main
lines, even in the Caro-Kan. Why these players think a truly prepared player is supposed to crumble in
confusion is beyond me, but I grew tired of these types long ago, even if I have to deal with their
“creativity.” To their credit, these moves don’t lose the game for the most part, and if Black is stubborn
about his avoidance he’ll book up in these backwaters or get the favorable transposition to another
opening he seeks:


2…d6!? More restrictive than unsound, White should just continue his unimpeded
occupation of the center: After 3. c4! g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 (0.30) we get a King’s
Indian defense where Black has already committed to c6 rather than tend to his
kingside development. White can set up a Samisch formation with 5. f3, again with
little to fear, while 5. f4 sets up an aggressive four-pawn center that weak players
will find horrific to deal with, and which holds its own against even the strong.
2…g6!? A “Modern/Slav” hybrid formation is attempted, White should continue to
occupy the center for as long as Black will allow: 3. c4 d6 transposes to the lines
63


with 2…d6, but Black can also try 3…Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 (4…d6 transposes to the
2…d6 lines) 5. e5! Ng8 (5…Nh5? 6. g4!) 6. f4, and White has a big center. Less
aggressive players can try 6. Nf3 and go for the modified version, which is safer and
allows for slightly quicker development. See the chapter on the Alekhine Defense,
especially the lines with g6 or Ng8 for Black.
2…Nf6?! If Black wants this type of game, he should just play the Alekhine, and he
wouldn’t be stuck having to build around c6. White should proceed with typical
aggression: 3. e5! Nd5 4. c4! Nb6 5. f4, and we are in favorable Alekhine Four
Pawns Attack territory where the reader should refer to that chapter (and of course,
the digital version of this product) for a more thorough discussion.
2…e6?! White has the option of playing the strangling 3. e5 (+0.30 right off the
bat), 3. d5 to bust up the pawn structure (0.00), or 3. c4 (0.06), settling for a slight
spatial advantage. With sound play, White should emerge with a plus. I personally
recommend 3. e5.
Alternatives to 3. f3 dxe4
Declining the main line is perilous for Black, but some systems can be very annoying for
White. Following are the attempts I have seen in my practice (there is very little published theory on
this line):


3…e6!? Probably Black’s best alternative. White will have difficulty if he tries to
smash this setup, which is probably why it is so popular. While many passive
approaches lead to equality, with good chances for each side, I have found that after
4. Nc3 dxe41 5. fxe4 e5!2 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Qxd4 Qxd43 8. Nxd4 (0.09), White has
cruised to a slightly favorable queenless middlegame where he is more developed
and has a more active center.
3…g6. A bit slow and passive, but surprisingly difficult to crack, the type of line
often chosen by middlegame and endgame wizards to confound players like me. If
you want to take White out of book from the Black side of the Caro-Kan, this is a
good approach to consider. Against this line, White should aim to consolidate his
big center and aim for a lead in development: 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 Nf6 4 6. e5 Nfd75 7.
f4 O-O6 8. Nf3 e6 9. Bd3 b61 10. O-O Ba62 11. Ne2 Bxd33 12. Qxd3 c54 13. c4
Nc6 14. Rac1 (0.09)
4…Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e5 Nfd7 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. f4 O-O 9. Nf3 c5 is the Classical French stem; 4…Bb4 5. e5 c5 6. a3
Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Nc6 8. f4 Nge7 is the Winawer French stem; 4…Be7 5. Be3 dxe4 6. fxe4 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. e5
Nd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. O-O (0.51).4…Nd7 5. Be3 Bb4 6. Nge2 dxe4 7. fxe4 Qh4+ 8. Ng3 Ngf6 9. Qf3 Ng4 10. Bg1 e5 11.
O-O-O exd4 12. Bxd4 Qg5+ 13. Kb1 Nde5 14. Qe2 O-O 15. a3 Bxc3 16. Bxc3 (0.18);
2
5…Bb4 6. Nf3 e5 7. Bg5 f6 8. Be3 exd4 9. Nxd4 Ne7 10. Bc4 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 (0.42); 5…Nd7 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bg5 Nge7 8.
Be2 O-O 9. O-O (0.18); 5…Be7 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 O-O 9. Bd3 (0.46).
3
7…Nd7!? 8. Bc4 Qb6 9. Be3! Qxd4 10. Bxd4 (0.57).
4
5…Qb6 6. Na4 Qc7 7. e5 f6 8. f4 Nh6 9. Nh3 O-O 10. Bd3 Bg4 11. O-O fxe5 12. fxe5 Nf5 13. Qd2 (0.33); 5…e6!? 6.
Qd2 dxe4 6. fxe4 e5 7. d5 f5 8. O-O-O Nf6 9. exf5 Bxf5 10. dxc6 Qxd2+ 11. Rxd2 Nxc6 12. Nb5 (0.21); dxe4 6. fxe4 e5 7.
d5 Nf6 8. dxc6 Qxd1+ 9. Rxd1 Nxc6 10. Bc4 O-O 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. O-O Rac8 13. Bb3 (0.66).
5
6…Ng8 7. Qd2 c5 8. O-O-O cxd4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. Bxd4 e6 11. f4 Ne7 12. Nf3 (0.12).
6
7…e6 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bd3 transposes to the branch.
1
64


3…e5!? The direct attack on White’s center attempts to exploit his relatively slow
third move. White should be able to keep the initiative, but this line is tricky
nonetheless: 4. dxe5 Bc55 5. Nc3! Qb66 6. Na4 Bf2+ 7. Ke2 Qd4 8. Qxd4 Bxd4 9.
exd5 Bxe57 10. dxc6 Nxc6 11. c3 Bf58 12. Be3 O-O-O9 13. Kf2 Nge710 14. Bb5
Kb811 15. Ne2 (0.60).
3…Nf6. Inviting White to extend his center with a pawn advance, it is not likely that
Black can be overpowered, so White should instead aim for slightly better
development and more space: 4. e5 Nfd7 12 5. c4 g613 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 e614 8. f4
Bg715 9. Nf3 O-O16 10. Bd3 Nc617 11. O-O Nb618 12. Kh1! Nb4 13. Bb1 (0.09), and
given the passivity of 12. Kh1!, the silicon deflation is expected, as moves like this
don’t show up immediately on the horizon, as their strength tends to become
apparent only as an attack is unleashed. In general, a king tucked away on h1 prior
to an attack is worth about a quarter-pawn over and above the numerical score
9…c5 10. dxc5 Qa5 11. Bb5 f6 12. O-O fxe5 13. fxe5 a6 14. Bd3! Nc6 15. a3 Ndxe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Rxf8+ Bxf8 18. b4
Qc7 19. Qe2 Nxd3 20. cxd3 Bg7 21. d4 Bd7 22. Rf1 Rf8 23. Rxf8+ Kxf8 24. Qf2+ (0.12).
2
10…Bb7 11. Ne2 c5 12. c3 Nc6 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. Rae1 cxd4 15. cxd4 (0.33).
3
11…Bxd3 12. c3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nc6 14. g4 Rc8 15. Ng3 cxd4 16. cxd4 Nb4 17. Qd2 Nc2 18. Rac1 (0.12);
4
12…f6 13. c4 Na6 14. Rac1 Rc8 15. Kh1 Nc7 16. cxd5 Nxd5 17. Nc3 Nxe3 18. Qxe3 (0.21).
5
4…dxe4 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. fxe4 Be6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. Bf4 Be7 9. Nc3 Ng6 10. Bg3 Bc5 11. O-O-O Ke8 12. Be2 (0.51).
6
5…Ne7 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 cxd5 8. Ne2 O-O 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. Bd2 Qh4+ 11. g3 Qd4 12. Qe2 Nc6 13. O-O-O (1.09);
5…Nd7 6. exd5 Nxe5 7. Qe2 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qe7 9. f4 Bxg1 10. Qxe5 Bd4 11. Qxe7+ Nxe7 12. dxc6 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 Nxc6 14.
Ba3 (0.48). 5…d4 6. Nce2 Nd7 7. f4 Ne7 8. Nf3 Bb4+ 9. c3 dxc3 10. bxc3 Bc5 11. Ned4 (0.93).
7
9…cxd5 10. f4 Bd7 11. Nf3 Bxe5 12. Nb6 axb6 13. Nxe5 Ne7 14. Be3 Nec6 15. Nxd7 Nxd7 16. a3 (0.90).
8
11… Nge7!? 12. Kf2 Bf5 13. Bc4 O-O 14. Nc5 b6 15. Nd3 Rfd8 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Be2 (0.51); 11…Nf6?! 12. Be3 (12.
Kf2 Bf5 13. Nc5 O-O-O 14. Bc4 Bd6 15. Nb3 Ne5 16. Be2 +0.12) Bf5 13. g3 Nd5 14. Bh3 Nxe3 15. Kxe3 Bxh3 16. Nxh3
O-O 17. Rad1 Rfe8 18. Kf2 (0.75).
9
12…Nge7 13. Kf2 O-O 14. Ne2 Nd5 15. Bd4 Rfe8 16. Bxe5 Nxe5 17. Nd4 Bg6 18. Bb5 Re7 19. Rhe1 (0.72); 12…Nf6 13.
Kf2 O-O 14. Ne2 Nd5 15. Bd4 Rfe8 transposes to the same line; 12…b6 13. Kf2 Nge7 14. Bb5 O-O 15. Ne2 Rad8 16. Rhd1
Be6 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Nf4 (0.60).
10
13…b6 14. Bb5 Nge7 15. Ne2 transposes to the branch; 13…Nf6 14. Bb5 Kb8 15. Nc5 Nd5 16. Bg5 f6 17. Bc1 Nd4 18.
Bd3 Nc2 19. Nd7+ Bxd7 20. Bxc2 (0.51)
11
14… b6 15. Ne2 (0.66)
12
4…Ng8 5. f4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. Bd3 Ne7 8. O-O Bxd3 9. Qxd3 Nf5 10. g4 Ne7 11. f5 exf5 12. gxf5 Nd7 13. e6 fxe6 14.
fxe6 Nf6 15. Ne5 (0.39).
13
5…e6?! 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 Nb6 8. f4 Bf5 9. Nf3 Be7 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 O-O 12. O-O N8d7 13. f5 Re8 14. Bf4 Nf8
15. Rae1 Qd7 16. Ng5 Qc8 17. Qh3 h6 18. Nf3 Nc4 19. b3 Na3 20. Bxh6! gxh6 21. Qg3+ Kh7 22. f6 (1.84); 5…dxc4 6.
Bxc4 e6 (6…Nb6 7. Be2 Bf5 8. f4 Bxb1 9. Rxb1 Qd5 10. Nf3 Qxa2 11. Be3 e6 12. O-O N8d7 13. Qc2 Be7 14. Kh1 O-O 15.
Ra1 Qd5 16. Ng5 Bxg5 17. fxg5 0.00, with full compensation for the pawn) 7. f4 Nb6 8. Be2 Bb4+ 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Nf3 c5
11. O-O cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nc6 13. Be3 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Bd7 15. Qb3 Be7 16. Rad1 (0.54).
14
7…Nb6 8. f4 Bg7 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Bg4 12. Kh1 Rc8 13. Be3 Na5 14. h3 Nac4 15.Bc1 Bf5 16. Nh4 Bd7
17. f5 Qc7 18. Qc2 a6 19. e6 fxe6 20. fxg6 Rxf1+ 21. Bxf1 h6 22. Qf2 Rf8 23. Nf3 (0.24), with good kingside pressure;
7…Qa5 8. f4 Nc6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O e6 12. Be3 Nb6 13. Rc1 Qb4 14. b3 Bd7 15. Kh1 (0.24).
15
8…Nc6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Bd3 O-O and 8…a6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Nc6 12. Be3 Nb4 13. Be2 Nb6 transpose.
16
9…Nc6 10. Bd3 O-O transposes; 9…a6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Nc6 12. Be3 Nb4 13. Be2 Nb6 also transposes; 9…b6 10.
Be3 Ba6 11. Nb5 Bxb5 12. Bxb5 O-O 13. Rc1 a6 14. Bd3 b5 15. O-O Nb6 16. b3 (0.57).
17
10…a6 11. O-O Nc6 12. Be3 Nb4 13. Be2 Nb6 transposes; 10…Qc7 11. Be3 Nc6 12. O-O Nb4 13. Nb5 Qb6 14. Be2 Nc6
15. Qd2 (0.66); 10…Qa5 11. O-O Nc6 12. Kh1 Nb4 13. Be2 Qb6 14. Be3 Nc6 15. b3 (0.39); 10…Qb6 11. O-O Nc6 12.
Na4! Qd8 (12…Qc7 13. Be3 Nb4 14. Rc1 +0.48) 13. Be3 Nb4 14. Bb1 Nc6 15. Nc3 Nb6 16. Kh1 Nc4 17. Bc1 (0.15);
10…b6 11. O-O Ba6 12. Nb5 Bxb5 13. Bxb5 a6 14. Be2 Nc6 15. Be3 (0.30).
18
11…a6 12. Be3 Nb4 13. Be2 Nb6 transposes to the branch; 11…Qa5 transposes to note #6 above; 11…Qc7 12. Be3 Nb4
13. Nb5 Qb6 14. Be2 Nc6 15. Qd2 is also note #6; 11…b6 12. Nb5! Ba6 13. Qa4 Ndb8 14. Kh1 Bxb5 15. Bxb5 (0.42);
11…Nb4 12. Bb1 Nb6 13. a6 Nc6 14. Kh1 Bd7 15. Bd3 (0.18), with the silicon score deflated by the noncommittal Kh1.
1
65
Alternatives To 4. fxe4 e5
Deviating from the stem is more difficult here, as White has been allowed to recapture on e4,
and will have a very powerful center along with command of the half-open f-file for a devastating
kingside attack. Black needs to get going immediately with the countermeasures, and while 4…e5 is
likely the best approach, it is far from the only one. White has plenty of developmental options
available here, so the onus is on Black to apply some type of pressure if he is to avoid being crushed in a
miniature.
It should be stressed that this is a relatively new “main line” variation, and a lot of the analysis
– most all of it, in fact – is my own, aided by the silicon. I do not blindly follow the engine in openings
like this, because many moves are overscored or underscored because of the horizon effect. This is
often the case with a prophylactic move like Kh1 (or Kh8), and you’ll generally find that when I choose
that move, the evaluation at the end of the line will be lower than it probably should be. As a rule, the
engines tend to like moves like Kh1 the longer they look at them, or the longer you play into what the
computer considers best play for both sides.

4…e6. A passive approach that gives White, if not a crushing game, a relatively
easy one. Since Black has still not developed, White has little to defend against and
can more or less choose his formation. My current choice is 5. Nf3 e5!? 1 6. c3 exd42
7. cxd4 Nf63 8. Nc3 Bb44 9. Bg5 h65 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. a3 Ba56 12. Bc4 Bg47 13. OO O-O8 14. Ne2 (0.43), and White can bide his time with the spatial advantage, using
his better development to formulate an attack once Black commits, while the
immediate threat of discovery on the Queen adds to the pressure.
5…Nf6 6. Bd3 c5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. c3 Nc6 9. O-O cxd4 10. cxd4 Be7 11. Nc3 Nb4 12. Bb1 Nb6 13. a3 N4d5 14. Ne4 h6 15.
Qe1 O-O 16. Kh1! (0.51); 5…Nd7 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Bg5 Ne7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O transposes to the 5…Nd7 note in the 3…e6
lines from the stem; 5…g6?! 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. O-O (0.54); 5…Bb4+ 6. c3 Be7 7. Bd3 c5
8. O-O cxd4 9. cxd4 Nf6 10. Nc3 Nc6 11. Kh1! O-O 12. e5 Nd5 13. Be4 (0.60)
2
6…Be6 7. Bd3 (7. dxe5 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Nd7 9. Be3 +0.12) Nd7 8. O-O Qb6 9. Kh1! Ngf6 10. Qc2 Be7 11. Bg5 (0.21);
6…Nd7 7. Bd3 exd4 8. cxd4 Ngf6 9. O-O Be7 10. Kh1! O-O 11. Nc3 Nb6 12. e5 Nfd5 13. Qc2 h6 14. Nxd5 (0.24).
3
7…Be7?! 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bc4 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. e5 (0.63); 7…Nd7?! 8. Nc3 Be7 9. Bd3 Nb6 10. O-O Bg4 11. Be3 Nf6
12. Qc2 O-O 13. Rae1 (0.48); 7…Bb4+ 8. Bd2 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Nf6 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Bc4 Bg4 12. O-O (0.66); 7…Qb6? 8.
Nc3 Nf6 9. Bc4 Bb4 10. O-O O-O 11. e5 (1.54); 7…Qc7? 8. Nc3 Bd6 9. e5 Bb4 10. Bc4 Bg4 11. O-O (1.03); 7…Qa5+ 8.
Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 Bb4 10. Bd2 O-O 11. O-O (1.15); 7…Ne7? 8. Bc4 Ng6 9. Ng5 (1.15); 7…Bg4?! 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7
10. Ne5+ Ke8 11. Nxg4 Nxe4 12. O-O (0.66), with a lead in development on an open board for White; 7…Be6 8. Bd3 Bb4+
9. Nc3 Ne7 10. O-O O-O 11. Be3 f6 12. a3 Bd6 13. e5 (0.78).
4
8...Be6!? 9. Bd3 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. Kh1! Nbd7 12. Qe2 (0.33); 8…Nbd7? 9. e5! Nd5 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Bd3 f6
(11…Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2 13. Qxd2 f6 14. O-O O-O 15. Qc2 g6 16. e6 +2.39) 12. O-O Qb6 13. Re1 (1.15); 8…Qa5 9. Bd3
Bb4 transposes to the previous note, as do 8…Be7 9. Bc4 and 8…Qb6 9. Bc4; 8…Bg4?! 9. Bc4 Bxf3 10. gxf3 Qc7 11. Bg5
Be7 12. Qb3 O-O 13. O-O-O (1.27); 8…Qc7 9. e5 Nd5 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Bd3 Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Nc6 13. Bxb4 Nxb4 14. Qa4+
Nc6 15. O-O (0.72); 8…h6? 9. Bc4 Nbd7 (9…Bg4 10. Bxf7+! Kxf7 11. Ne5+ Ke7 12. Qb3! +2.24) 10. O-O Nb6 11. Bb3
Be7 12. Ne5 Be6 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. Rxf6 (3.21).
5
9…Nbd7?! 10. Bc4 h6 11. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qxf6 13. O-O (0.90); 9…Bxc3?! 10. bxc3 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Bd3
(0.70); 9…O-O?! 10. e5 h6 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Bc4 fxe5 13. Nxe5 Be6 14. O-O Bxc4 15. Nxc4 (1.33); 9…Qa5?! 10. Bxf6
Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qxc3+ 12. Kf2 gxf6 13. Rc1 (0.90); 9…Qc7 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. a3 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 (0.75).
6
11…Bxc3+!? 12. bxc3 Bg4 13. Bd3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Qxf3 15. gxf3 Nd7 16. Rb1 (0.36); 11…Be7?! 12. Bc4 O-O 13. O-O
Bg4 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Rxf3 (1.09).
7
12…O-O 13. O-O Bg4 14. h3 is the branch; 12…Be6!? 13. Bxe6 Qxe6 14. O-O O-O 15. Qc2 Nd7 16. Kh1 Bc7 17. Rae1
(0.09); 12…Nd7 13. O-O Qe7 14. Kh1! O-O 15. Qe2 Bc7 16. e5 (0.18); 12…b5 13. Bb3 O-O 14. O-O Bb6 15. Kh1! (0.45);
12…Qe7 13. O-O Nd7 transposes to the 12…Nd7 line in this note.
8
13…Nd7 14. Qb3 Bb6 15. Kh1! Qe7 16. Rae1 O-O 17. e5 (0.12); 13…Qe7 14. Qb3 O-O 15. Nh4 Bh5 16. Rf5 (0.87);
13…Bb6 14. Kh1! O-O 15. Ne2 (0.57).
1
66



4…g6?! Slow, passive, and nothing I’d want to use to defend against White’s
formation, but this one cannot be summarily dismissed. After 5. Nc3 Bg7 1 6. Nf3
Nf62 7. Be3 O-O3 8. Qd2 Nbd74 9. O-O-O (0.27), and White has as solid a big center
as one is likely to see in any opening, but Black is well-poised to hold his ground and
launch a counterattack. The digital version of this product will explore the many
continuations of this line possible after White’s ninth. Black has a multitude of
choices here, but we are already in an early middlegame that doesn’t lend itself to
“stem” or “branch” variations, at least without a few solid years of practice.
4…f5!? Antipositional as it is, this move attack’s White’s center and must be taken
seriously. With this move, Black is attempting to “cheat” and secure a formation
that he otherwise would not be able to get. For each side, from this position, I
recommend 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. Nf3 e55 7. dxe5 Qxd1+6 8. Kxd1 Nd77 9. Bd3 Be68 10.
Nc3 O-O-O 11. Bg5 Be79 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Ne4 (0.60), with good compensation
for the pawn and an inflated silicon evaluation for White, who must proceed with
precision to sustain an advantage here.
4…Nf6!? An attempt to provoke White into overextending his center, and White
will usually accept the invitation, because not doing so gives Black too good of a
game, and in my case, because doing so is similar to the Four Pawns Attack in the
Alekhine, which I also play: 5. e5 Nd5 10 6. c4 Nb611 7. Nc3 Bf512 8. Nf3 transposes
5…e5!? 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Bc4 Bg7 8. O-O! dxc3 9. Bxf7+ Ke7 10. Bg5+ Nf6 11. e5 Kxf7 12. exf6 Qxd1 13. Ne5+ Ke6 14.
Raxd1 Bf8 15. Rde1 (0.30), deflated by Black’s extra piece. White is probably winning.
2
6…Bg4 7. Be3 Bxf3 8. gxf3 Nf6 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O (0.72); 6…Nd7!? 7. Be2 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. e5 Nd5 10. Ne4
N7b6 11. c4 Nc7 12. Be3 (0.51); 6…Qa5?! 7. Bc4 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. Bd2 Qb4 10. Bb3 (0.75).
3
7…Nbd7!? 8. Bd3 O-O 9. e5 Nd5 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. O-O f6 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. c3 (0.48); 7…Ng4!? 8. Bf4 (8. Bg5 O-O 9.
Qd2 h6 10. Bh4 c5 11. d5 Nd7 12. Be2 +0.31) Bf4 O-O 9. h3 Nf6 10. Be2 Nh5 11. Bh2 Qb6 12. Qd2 Qxb2 13. Rb1 Qa3 14.
O-O b6 15. e5 (0.34); 7…Qa5!? 8. Qd2 Bd3 O-O 9. Qd2 Qb4 10. O-O-O Ng4 11. a3 Qb6 12. Bg5 Bxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14.
Bxe7 Re8 15. Bg5 (0.60); 7…Bg4?! 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 O-O 10. O-O-O (0.54).
4
8…b5 9. e5 Nd5 (9…b4 10. Nd1 Nd5 11. Bh6 Bb7 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Bc4 +0.72) 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Bd3 f6 12. exf6 exf6
13. O-O (0.60); 8…Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. gxf3 Nbd7 11. O-O-O Qc7 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 (0.63); 8…Ng4 9. Bg5 h6 (9…c5
10. dxc5 Nc6 11. h3 Nge5 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Nxe5 +0.51) 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 c5 11. Bg3 e5 12. O-O-O (0.39); 8…Qa5 9.
h3 Nbd7 10. e5 Nd5 11. Nxd5 Qxd2+ 12. Bxd2 cxd5 13. Bd3 (0.21).
5
6…Nf6 7. Bc4 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Bg5 b5 11. Bb3 (0.75); 6…Nd7 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb3 Nf6 9. O-O (0.90);
6…e6 7. Bc4 Nf6 transposes to 6…Nf6 in this note.
6
7…Nd7?! 8. Bc4 Nb6 9. Bd3 Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Bxd3 11. Bxb4 Bf5 12. Nc3 Qxd1+ (12…Nc4 13. Qd4 Nxb2 14. O-O +2.03)
13. Kxd1 O-O-O+ 14. Kc1 Nh6 15. Re1 Rhe8 16. b3 (0.96);
7
8…Bc5 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. cxd3 Na6 12. Ne4 Rd8 13. Ke2 (1.21).
8
9…Bxd3!? 10. cxd3 Nc5 11. Kc2 O-O-O 12. Rd1 Ne7 13. Nc3 Nd5 14. Nxd5 Rxd5 15. Be3 Be7 16. d4 Ne6 17. Rac1
Rhd8 18. Kb1 (0.66), inflated; 9…Ne7?! 10. Re1 O-O-O 11. Bxf5 Nxf5 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Nbd2 (0.87).
9
11…Re8 12. Ne4 h6 13. Bf4 Nc5 14. Be3 Nxd3 15. cxd3 (0.69); 11…Ne7 12. Ne4 h6 13. Bh4 g5 14. Nd6+ (0.78).
10
5…Bg4 6. Be2 Bxe2 7. Qxe2 Nd5 8. e6! fxe6 9. Nf3 Nd7 10. Qxe6 Nc7 11. Qb3 Nb6 12. O-O (0.75); 5…Nd7?! 6. e6! (6.
Nf3 7. Bg5 Be7 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. c3 c5 10. Bd3 Nc6 11. O-O cxd4 12. cxd4 Qb4 13. Qd2 O-O 14. Qc3 +0.36) fxe6 7. Nf3 e5
8. dxe5 g6 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. Bf4 O-O 11. Bc4+ Kh8 12. Qd2 (0.06), deflated; 5…Ng8 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. Nc3
Nd7 10. Be3 Nb6 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 a6 13. Rae1 Nd5 14. Bd2 Nxc3 15. Qxc3 Qb6 16. Be3 Qb5 17. a3 (0.39).
11
6…Nc7?! 7. Nc3 Bf5 8. Nf3 e6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 O-O 13. O-O Nba6 14. a3 Rad8
15. Ne4 h6 16. Nd6 Ne8 17. c5 (0.69); 6…Nb4 7. a3 N4a6 8. Nf3 Bf5 9. Nc3 e6 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Be7 12. O-O O-O
13. Be3 (0.45);
12
7…c5?! 8. d5 Bf5 9. Nf3 e6 10. Be2 Na6 11. a3 exd5 12. cxd5 Nc7 13. d6 Ne6 14. O-O (1.15); 7…e6? 8. 8. Nf3 Be7 9.
Bd3 O-O 10. O-O g6 11. Bh6 Re8 12. Ne4 (1.72); 7…g6!? 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. Be3 N8d7 12. Qd2
(0.51); 7…Na6 8. c5 Nd5 9. Bxa6 bxa6 10. Nf3 e6 11. O-O Be7 12. Ne4 O-O 13. Nd6 (0.55).
1
67
to the 5…c6 branch of the Alekhine Four Pawns stem game, and provides double
mileage for your opening preparation.1
Alternatives To 5. Nf3 exd4
Caro-Kan stem after 5. Nf3
After 5. Nf3, Black will usually capture with 5…exd4, but this is not his only option. Not
directly challenging White’s increasingly strong central presence will be suicidal at some point, but for
now, Black still has defensive approaches available to him. At this point, however, Black has more or
less committed to the stem, and deviating will begin to seriously narrow his options as he navigates the
minefield that White has begun leaving for him. One reason I like the Fantasy Caro-Kan is that it “flips
the script” on Black, who plays this opening with an idea of locking the pawn structure and getting a
slightly inferior position which is almost impossible to crack. By the time we get to 5. Nf3, Black is
forced into an open game more typical of a King’s Gambit or Vienna Gambit, with the added benefit of
White not having to sacrifice a pawn to launch his attack, or if he does choose to sacrifice, White can
often regain the pawn much more favorably than in those lines. This also tends to confound the silicon,
which will rate losing positions as equal due to a meaningless extra pawn. Following are the main
alternatives:

5…Nf6?! 6. Bc4 b52 7. Bb3 exd43 8. O-O c54 9. e5 Nd55 10. Ng5 Be6 11. Nxe6
fxe6 12. Qh5+6 g6 13. Qf3 Qd7 14. Bxd5 exd5 15. Na3 Be7 16. Bh6 Kd8 17. Nxb5
(0.96), and if anything, this is deflated by Black’s extra pawn, for which White has
full compensation. Transposing to the stem with 6…exd4 is almost certainly best for
Black, while 12. Qf3 (see note) may be more forcing for White, as Black’s pawn
That branch continues 8…e6 9. Be3 10. Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Qd2 (0.42) and can be found in the Alekhine Chapter.
6…exd4 7. Ng5 is the stem; 6…Nxe4!? 7. O-O Bd6 8. Qd3 f5 9. Nxe5 (9..Bxe5 10. dxe5 +0.87) Qc7 10. Bf7+ (0.39).
3
7…c5 8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Bxc5 10. Nxe5 O-O 11. Nc3 b4 (11… Bd4? 12. Nxf7 Bg4+ 13. Ke1 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Rxf7
15. e5 Nfd7 16. Rf1 Nxe5 17. Bd5 Nbc6 18. Rxf7 Nxf7 19. Bxc6 +1.30) 12. Bd5! (0.60);
4
8…Be6?! 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. e5 Ne4 11. Re1 Qd5 12. Qe2 Nc5 13. Rd1 Qe4 14. Qxe4 Nxe4 15. Re1 Nc5 16. Nxd4 (0.81);
8…Nbd7?! 9. e5 Nd5 10. Nxd4 Bc5 11. Kh1! Bxd4 12. Qxd4 (0.96); 8…a5?! 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nxd4 Ra7 11. e6 Bxe6 12. Bxe6
fxe6 13. Be3 Qd5 14. Nxe6 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 Rd7 16. Nd2 (1.15).
5
9…Ng4? 10. Bxf7+! Kxf7 11. Ng5+ Kg8 12. Qf3 Nxe5 13. Qxa8 Nec6 14. Bf4 (2.45); 9…Nd7? 10. Ng5 (3.82).
6
This intermezzo may not even be necessary: 12. Qf3! Qd7 13. Bxd5 exd5 14. Na3 Be7 (14…a6?? 15. e6! Qxe6 16. Bg5
+3.51) 15. Qf7+ Kd8 16. Qxg7 Re8 17. Rf7 b4 18. Bg5 bxa3 19. Rxe7 Rxe7 20. Qf8+ Kc7 21. Bxe7 Nc6 22. Bd6+ (1.93).
1
2
68


may be more vulnerable at g7 than at g6. Either way, the attack appears to be
crushing for White.
5…Bg4!? The direct attack on the Nf3 undermines White’s d4, but creates tactical
opportunities which can be exploited by White: 6. Bc4! Bxf31 7. Qxf3 Nf6!?2 8. dxe5
Qa5+ 9. Nc3 Qxe5 10. Bf4 Qd4 3 11. e5 Qxc4 12. exf6 Qe6+4 13. Qe3 Nd75 14. fxg7
Bxg7 15. Qxe6+ fxe6 16. Ne4 O-O6 17. Bd6 Rf57 18. O-O-O b58 19. Rhe1 (0.42),
and White has clearly better pawns, with Black’s “passed” e-pawn nowhere close to
thriving.
5…Be6?! The other main avoidance line for Black is more difficult than it appears.
The e5 pawn is verboten thanks to Qh4+ (against Nxe5) and Qxd1+ (against dxe5).
White also no longer has Bc4, and must adjust his plan accordingly: 6. c3 Nd7 9 7.
Bd3 exd410 8. cxd4 Ngf611 9. Nc3 Bb412 10. O-O O-O13 11. a3 Be714 12. e5 Nd515
13. Kh1 (0.15) gives White has a good central presence with an open path to the
6…exd4? 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Ne5+ Ke7 9. Nxg4 Qa5+ 10. Nd2 h5 11. O-O! hxg4 12. Nc4 Qc5 13. Qxg4 Nd7 14. Bg5+
Ngf6 15. e5 Qxc4 16. exf6+ Nxf6 17. Rae1+ Kd6 18. Qf4+ Kc5 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Qc7 Rh5 21. Rxf6 (1.82); 6…f6?! 7. c3
b5 8. Bb3 Bd6 9. O-O Nd7 10. Qe1 (0.66); 6...Qa5+ 7. c3 (7. Bd2 Qc7 8. dxe5 Bc5 9. Nc3 b5 10. Bb3 +0.27) Bxf3 8. Qxf3
Nf6 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Qf5 Qc7 11. Bg5 (0.57); 6…Qc7 7. dxe5 b5 8. Bb3 Bc5 9. Qe2 a5 10. a4 b4 11. c3 (0.54).
2
7…Qf6?! 8. O-O Qxf3 (8…exd4?? 9. Qh3! +5.09) 9. Rxf3 f6 10. c3 Nd7 11. Be3 Ne7 12. Nd2 O-O-O 13. Raf1 (0.96);
7…Qh4+?! 8. g3 Qe7 9. O-O Nf6 10. c3 Nbd7 11. Bg5 (0.90).
3
10…Qe7?? 11. O-O-O Nfd7 12. Rhe1 (4.03); 10…Qa5? 11. O-O-O! (1.81); 10…Qh5!? 11. Qg3 Nbd7 12. e5 Ng8 13. OO Nb6 14. Bb3 Ne7 15. Rae1 (1.66).
4
12…Nd7?? 13. O-O-O Nxf6 14. Rhe1 (3.39); 12…gxf6?? 13. O-O-O! Nd7 14. Rhe1+ (3.36).
5
13… gxf6!? 14. O-O-O Qxe3+ 15. Bxe3 Nd7 16. Rhe1 (0.45); 13… Qxe3+ 14. Bxe3 Nd7 15. fxg7 Bxg7 16. Ne4 O-O 17.
O-O-O (0.60).
6
16…Bxb2?! 17. Rb1 Bd4 18. Rxb7 Rg8 19. c3 Rg4 20. g3 Bb6 21. Ke2 (1.69); 16…O-O-O? 17. Nd6+ Kb8 18. Nf7
(1.60); 16…Rf8?! 17. g3 Nb6 (17…Bxb2?! 18. Rb1 Be5 19. Bxe5 Nxe5 20. Rxb7 +1.00) 18. O-O-O Nd5 19. Bd2 O-O-O
20. Bg5 Rd7 21. Nc5 Rdf7 22. Nxe6 (0.93); 16…b5!? 17. O-O-O O-O 18. Bd6 Rf5 19. Rhe1 transposes to the branch;
16…Nb6!? 17. O-O-O O-O 18. Bd6 Rf5 19. Rhe1 (0.30).
7
17…Rf7 18. O-O-O Nb6 19. Bc5 Na4 20. Bd4 Raf8 21. Bxg7 (0.39); 17…Rfe8 18. O-O-O Nb6 19. Rhe1 Rad8 20. Bc5
Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Be5 (21…Na4? 22. Bd4 +0.90) 22. Bxb6! axb6 23. Rd7! b5 24. Rxb7 Rf8 25. Re7 (0.42); 17...Rfd8 18. OO-O Nb6 19. Rhe1 Nd5 20. g4 Rd7 21. Bg3 e5 22. c4 Nb6 23. Rxd7 Nxd7 24. Nd6 (0.51).
8
18…Rd5!? 19. Bg3 Rf8 20. Rhe1 Nb6 21. Nd6 Na4 22. c3 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Nc5 24. Kc2 (0.46); 18…Nb6!? 19. Rhe1
transposes to the 16…Nb6 note; 18…Ne5!? 19. Rhe1 Ng4 (19…Re8?! 20. Bc5! Nc4 21. b3 Bh6+ 22. Kb1 Nd2+ 23. Nxd2
Bxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxc5 25. Rd7 +0.90) 20. h3 Nf2 21. Nxf2 Rxf2 22. g4 Re8 23. Bc5 (0.54); 18…Nf6?! 19. Nc5 (0.72).
1
6…Nf6!? 7. Bd3 exd4 (7…Nbd7 transposes to the branch) 8. cxd4 Bg4 (8…Nbd7 is the branch) 9. Be3 Bb4+ 10. Nc3 O-O
(10…Qe7 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nxe4 13. Re1! O-O 14. Bf4 +1.21) 11. O-O (0.45); 6…f6?! 7. Be3 Nd7 8. Nbd2
exd4 9. cxd4 Bd6 10. Bd3 Ne7 11. O-O O-O 12. Rc1 Qc7 13. Nc4 Bf4 14. Bxf4 Qxf4 15. Nfe5 Qg5 16. Nxd7 (1.30).
10
7…Bd6?! 8. Ng5 Nf8 9. d5 Bd7 10. Bc4 c5 11. O-O Nf6 12. Qe2 Ng6 13. Be3 h6 14. Nf3 Nxe4 15. Bd3 f5 16. Bxe4 fxe4
17. Nfd2 (0.75); 7…Ngf6?! 8. Ng5 exd4 9. Nxe6 fxe6 10. cxd4 Nxe4 11. O-O Nef6 12. Qb3 Qb6 13. Qxe6+ Be7 14.Be3
Qxb2 15. Nd2 (0.57), deflated!; 7…f6!? 8. O-O Bd6 9. Be3 Qb6 10. Qd2 Ne7 11. Qe2 Qc7 12. Nbd2 O-O 13. Bc4 (0.27).
11
8…Qa5+ 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. Bd2 Qb6 11. O-O Ngf6 12. a3 Be7 13. Kh1 O-O 14. e5 Nd5 15. Ne4 Qxb2 16. Rb1 Qxa3 17.
Bc1 Qa5 18. Rxb7 Rfb8 19. Rxb8+ Rxb8 20. Nfg5 (0.45); 8…Bb4+ 9. Nc3 Ngf6 is the branch; 8…Qb6 9. Nc3 Ngf6 10.
Qc2 Be7 11. Bf4 O-O 12. O-O (0.24);
12
9…Qa5?! 10. O-O Be7 11. Kh1! O-O 12. Ng5 (1.01) ; 9…Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. e5 Nd5 12. Kh1 Nb4 13. Bb1 Bc4 14.
Rf2 (0.33); 9…Qb6 10. Na4 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 Qc7 13. O-O O-O 14.Kh1 (0.21);
13
10…Qb6 11. Bf4 a6 12. Kh1 O-O 13. a3 Be7 14. Qc2 (0.24); 10…Qc7?! 11. e5! Nd5 12. Ng5 (1.48).
14
11…Bxc3?? 12. bxc3 Qc7 13. e5 (2.78).
15
12…Ne8 13. Kh1! Nc7 14. Qc2 h6 15. Bf4 (0.36); 12…Ng4?! 13. h3 Ndxe5 14. hxg4 Nxf3+ 15. gxf3 Qxd4+ 16. Kg2
Rad8 17. Bb1 (1.06), inflated; 12…Nh5?! 13. Ng5 Bxg5 14. Qxh5 h6 15. Bxg5 Qxg5 16. Qxg5 hxg5 17. Ne4 (0.93).
9
69


kingside, and slightly more space. As usual, the better player will usually win a
position like this.
5…Be7? 6. Nxe5 (1.03) is unsound on its face.
5…b5!? The thematic counterattack: 6. c3 exd41 7. cxd4 Nf62 8. e5 Bb4+3 9. Bd2
Bxd2+4 10. Qxd2 Nd55 11. Bd3 O-O6 12. O-O f67 13. Nc3 fxe58 14. Nxe5 (0.90).
Alternatives To 6. Bc4 Nf6
Caro-Kan stem after 6. Bc4!
We are now at the defining position for this variation: Black has accepted White’s challenge
and now must deal with the kingside attack and with White’s threat to recapture his pawn with a
superior formation. Black has many paths to near-equality, but White has many ways of throwing
wrinkles into Black’s plan.
The alternatives to the stem (6…Nf6) are many. Most of the analysis is my own, since there
are very few games played in this line, so the theory is hardly settled:
6…Bg4!? 7. Be2 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 Nf6 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Kh1! Bd6 11. Bg5 O-O 12. Nd2 (0.39); 6…Nf6? 7. Nxe5 Bd6 8. Bf4
O-O 9. Bd3 Bxe5 10. Bxe5 (1.78); 6…Nd7 7. Bd3 Ngf6 8. O-O Bd6 9. Bg5 O-O 10. a4 b4 11. Nbd2 (0.66)
2
7…Bg4 8. Be2 Nf6 9. e5 Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Nd5 11. O-O O-O 12. Nc3 Be7 13. Qc2 (0.69); 7…Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 Bg4
10. a3 Ba5 11. Be3 O-O 12. O-O (0.60).
3
8…Nfd7?! 9. Bd3 Be7 10. O-O Nb6 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. Be4 h6 13. Bf4 O-O 14. Qd3 (0.70); 8…Ne4?! 9. Bd3 Bb4+ 10. Ke2!
f5 11. Qc2 Be6 12. Nc3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Bd5 14. Ba3 (0.63); 8…Nh5?! 9. Ng5 g6 10. Be2 Be7 11. Nf3 (0.63).
4
9…Nd5 10. Bd3 Bg4 11. O-O Bxd2 12. Qxd2 Qb6 13. Be4 Nd7 14. Kh1! (0.66).
5
10…Ne4? 11. Qe3! Qa5+ 12. Kd1 Bf5 13. Nh4 g6 14. Nxf5 (1.96); 10…Ng8?! 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. O-O O-O 13. a4 (1.27).
6
11…Bg4 12. O-O Qb6 13. Be4 is the 9…Nd5 note; 11…f6!? 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. O-O O-O 14. a4 Bg4 15. Qf4 (0.87).
7
12…Be6?! 13. Nc3 Nb4 14. Be4 Bc4 15. Rf2 f5 16. Bb1 (1.03); 12…Bg4?! 13. Nc3 f6 14. Kh1! Bxf3 15. Rxf3 (0.96);
12…h6 13. Nc3 f6 14. exf6 Nxf6 15. Rae1 Nbd7 16. Kh1 Bb7 17. Qe3 (1.00).
8
13…Nxc3?! 14. bxc3 Be6 15. Qc2 f5 (15…g6?? 16. Bxg6 hxg6 17. Qxg6+ Kh8 18. Qh5+ Kg7 19. Nh4 +3.37) 16. a4
(1.40); 13…Be6?! 14. a4 b4 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. Rae1 Nd7 17. Be4 (1.42);
1
70



6…b5!? Black can transpose to another branch on the seventh move as per the
footnote, but an independent try is 7. Bb3! a5 1 8. Ng5 Nh6 9. O-O f6 10. Ne6 Bxe62
11. Bxe6 Nf7 12. a4 b43 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. e5 Be74 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Bg5 Qd5 17.
Qh5+ Ke65 18. Qh3+ (0.66). Some of the footnotes have better silicon scores, but
are deflated due to Black’s extra pawn(s). As one very well-known GM once said,
“If you sacrifice a pawn, and the computer says you’re only a half-pawn behind,
you’re usually either drawing or winning.” This is a good rule of thumb, but one
must find the forcing continuation that resolves the sacrifice, because even without a
computer one can easily see that if there is a material imbalance, the side down
material will lose the game (or barely draw) if they don’t convert the positional
compensation into a winning attack.
6…Bc5!? Very logical, but hardly refutational, and the counterattacking nature of
this move only adds to the fireworks. White should accelerate his attack and remain
very opening to sacrificial play, as f7 has become an increasingly appetizing target
for White, who is already ahead in development. My current branch extends with 7.
O-O Nf66 8. Kh1! O-O7 9. Bg5 h68 10. Bh4 b59 11. Bb3 g5 12. Nxg510 hxg5 13.
Bxg5 Be7 14. Bh6 (0.54), deflated due to the piece sacrifice, and with White likely
winning by force, though it might take a supercomputer to execute it. It seems that
all the good lines for White involve or even require a sacrifice. This variation is not
for the tame. Fortunately, most Caro players avoid positions like this naturally.
6…Qa5+!?. Some of the stronger silicon likes this move, so it should be taken
seriously. The direct approach yields counterplay that threatens to neutralize White,
who should respond by developing and opening up the board as much as possible, in
part because it is the correct strategy, and in part because it is what Caro-Kan players
tend to hate to have to face. Sacrifices abound, and are often the only choice: 7. c3
b511 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Ng5+!1 Ke72 10. O-O Nh63 11. Nxh7 Be64 12. Qh5 Nd75
7…Nf6 8. O-O! transposes to the 5…Nf6 branch; 7…Bc5 8.Ng5 Nh6 9. Qh5 Qe7 10. O-O d3+ 11. Kh1 dxc2 12. Bxf7+
Kd8 13. Nc3 Bg4 14. Ne6+ Qxe6 15. Qg5+ Be7 16. Bxe6 Bxg5 17. Bxg5+ Kc7 18. Bb3 (0.93),
2
10…Qe7?! 11. e5! Bxe6 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Re1 (1.73); 10…Qb6?! 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Qf3 Bxe6 13. Qxf6 (3.72).
3
12…bxa4!? 13. 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. e5 Nd7 15. Qe2 Qb6 16. Kh1 Re8 17. Qc4+ Re6 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Nd2! (0.27);
12…Ra7!? 13. axb5 cxb5 14. Bxf7+ Rxf7 15. e5 Bc5 16. e6 Rc7 17. Kh1! Rc6 18. Qh5+ g6 19. Qh3 (0.30); 12…Qe7 13.
Bxf7+ Qxf7 14. e5 Bc5 15. Kh1 b4 16. exf6 O-O 17. Nd2 Nd7 18. Ne4 Bb6 19. Ng5 Qg6 20. f7+ Kh8 21. Qd3 (0.27);
12…Qb6?! 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. e5 Nd7 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. Kh1! b4 17. Nd2 Be7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Qe5 (0.54);
4
14…Qd5!? 15. exf6 gxf6 16. Nd2! Bd6 17. Qe2 Rg8 18. Ne4 Be7 19. Bf4 Nd7 20. Rae1 (0.15), deflated; 14…Nd7?! 15.
Bf4! Bc5 16. Qd3 Qe7 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Nd2 (0.87) is likely crushing, but this edge hangs on 15. Bf4 alone.
5
17…Ke7 18. Bxf6+ gxf6 19. Re1+ Kd7 20. Qh4 Ra7 21. Qxf6 (0.69).
6
7…d3+ 8. Kh1! f6 (8…dxc2 9. Bxf7+! Ke7 10. Qc2 +1.36; 8…Nf6 9. Ng5 Qe7 10. Bxf7+ Kf8 11. Bc4 +1.39; 8…Be6 9.
Bxe6 fxe6 10. Ng5 +1.82) 9. cxd3 Ne7 10. d4 Bd6 11. e5 fxe5 12. Nxe5 Qc7 13. Nf7 (1.24); 7…f6?! 8. Kh1! Bg4 9. c3 Ne7
10. Qb3 Qb6 11. Bf7+ Kf8 12. Nxd4 (0.66); 7…Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Ng5 Nf6 10. Nxe6 d3+ 11. Kh1! (1.51).
7
8…b5 9. Bb3! is the 5…Nf6 6…Nf6 branches above; 8…h6!? 9. Ne5 Be6 10. Nxf7 Bxf7 11. Bxf7+ Kxf7 12. Qh5+ Kg8
13. Qxc5 (0.54); 8…Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. e5 Nfd7 11. Ng5 Nxe5 12. Nxe6 Qd6 13. Nxg7+ Kd8 14. Rf6! (0.54).
8
9…Re8?? 10. e5! Be6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. exf6 (3.03); 9…Nbd7 10. e5 h6 11. exf6 (11…hxg5?? 12. Nxg5 +5.00) Nxf6 12.
Bh4 (1.75); 9…b5 10. Bb3 h6 11. Bh4 g5 transposes to the stem; 9…Bg4? 10. e5 h6 11. Qd3 (1.33)
9
10…Be6? 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. e5 g5 13. Nxg5 hxg5 14. Bxg5 Nbd7 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. Qe2 (1.81); 10…Nbd7? 11. e5 g5 12.
Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 (1.75); 10…Bg4?! 11. e5 g5 12. exf6 gxh4 13. Qe1 (1.87).
10
12. Bf2 Bg4 13. e5 Ne4 14. Bg1 (0.00) is a good alternative line if the sacrifice ever fails, deflated by the pawn minus.
11
7…dxc3!? 8.Nxc3 Bb4 9. Qb3 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qc7 11. Ng5 Nh6 12. O-O f6 13. Ne6 Bxe6 14. Bxe6 Nf7 15. Be3 (0.33);
7…Nf6?! 8. Ng5 dxc3 9. bxc3 Bc5 10. Nxf7 Rf8 11. Nd6+ Bxd6 12. Qxd6 Nxe4 13. Qd4 Bf5 14.O-O Qc5 15. Qxc5 Nxc5
16. Re1+ Kd7 17. Ba3 (0.63), deflated; 7…Nd7?! 8. Qb3 Qh5 9. cxd4 Nb6 10. Bd3 Be6 11. Qc2 Bb4+ 12. Nc3 Rd8 13. O1
71


13. Qg5+ Ke8 14. Nxf8 Rxf8 15. Qg6+ Ke7 16. Bg5+ Kd6 17. Bf4+ Ke7 18. Na3
d36 19. Qxg7+ Nf7 20. Rad1 Bc4 21. Kh1! (1.21), and White has two pawns for the
sacrificed piece, plus very strong pressure. If you don’t mind Black keeping a draw
in hand, the 9. O-O note shows a line that is extremely complicated for both sides,
but where Black, by giving back material, can gain a positional superiority in
addition to the safety net. 9. Ng5+ has much more potential, and White doesn’t have
to walk a tightrope to hold his position the way he does in the other continuations of
this very interesting sacrifice. Blind adherence to the many inaccurate silicon
evaluations in this line will usually be fatal against an opponent who has probed
beneath the surface.
6…Nd7!? A passive approach, with the goal of setting up a solid defensive shell.
White, however, can recover the pawn with ease, which is usually good: 7. Qxd4! 7
Qf68 8. Nc3 Qxd49 9. Nxd4 Ngf610 10. Bg5 Bb411 11. O-O O-O12 12. Rae1 (0.12)
may not thrill the silicon, but White is fully mobilized with generous space.
6…Bb4+. Undoubtedly worthy of exploration, especially for players who want
fresh territory. White’s best approach is sacrificial combat of the type Caro-Kan
players generally despise: 7. c3 dxc313 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. bxc3 Bc5 14
O Ne7 14. a3 Bd6 15. e5 Bc7 16. Bg5 (0.75); 7…Be7?! 8. Qb3 Qh5 9. cxd4 Nf6 10. Nc3 b5 11. Be2 O-O 12. O-O Be6 13.
Qc2 b4 14. Na4 (0.72); 7…c5?? 8. Ne5 Nf6 (8…Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Qh5+ +3.36) 9. Nxf7 (2.57).
1
9. O-O!? Nf6! 10. Ne5+ Ke7 11. cxd4 Be6 12. Bg5 Qc7 13. Qh5 Nbd7 14.Ng6+ hxg6 15. Qxh8 Qb6 16. Rd1 Kf7 17. Qh4
Re8 18. Kh1 Kg8 19. e5 Nd5 20. Nc3 c5 21. Rd3 cxd4 22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Rh3 Rxe5 24. Rf1 Rf5 25. Rxf5 gxf5 26. Qh7+
Kf7 27. Qxf5+ Nf6 28. Bxf6 Be6 29. Qh5+ Kxf6 30. Rf3+ Ke7 31. Qg5+ Ke8 32.Qg6+ Ke7 33. Qg5+ (0.00).
2
9…Ke8 10. O-O Nh6 (10…Nf6? 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nf7 Rg8 13. Qh5 Be7 14. Bg5 Be6 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Ng5+ g6 17. Qxh7
Bc4 18. Nd2 Bxf1 19. Rxf1 +2.93; 10…Ne7? 11. Nf7 Rg8 12. Nd6+ Kd7 13. Qg4+ Kc7 14. Qg3 Kd8 15. cxd4 Qb6 16. Be3
Ba6 17. Nc3 Nd7 18. d5 Qb8 19. dxc6 Nxc6 20. Qg5+ Ne7 21. Rad1 +2.81) 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Rxf8+ Rxf8 13. Qxh6 dxc3 14.
Nxh7 Rf7 15. Nxc3 (2.21); 9…Kg6? 10. O-O Nh6 11. Nf3 (2.84).
3
10…Nf6!? 11. Qb3 dxc3 12. Nxc3 b4 (12…Qb6+ 13. Kh1 b4 14. Rxf6 bxc3 15. Qf7+ Kd8 16. Re6 Bxe6 17. Nxe6+ Kc8
18. Bf4 Bb4 19. bxc3 Bxc3 20. Rd1 Ba5 21. Qxg7 Re8 22. Nc7 Qxc7 23. Bxc7 Bxc7 24. Qxh7 Kb7 25. Qf7 Re5 26. a4
+2.42) 13. Rxf6! gxf6 (13…bxc3?? 14. Re6+! Bxe6 15. Qxe6+ +3.72) 14. Qf7+ Kd8 15. Qf6+ Kc7 16. Kh1! Bc5?!
(16…bxc3? 17. Qxh8 cxb2 18. Bf4+ Kb7 19. Qxb2+ +1.93) 17. Nd5+! cxd5 18. Qxh8 b3 (18…dxe4?? 19. Bf4+ Kb7 20.
Rc1 Nd7 21. Qxh7 +2.15) 19. Bf4+ Kb7 20.a3 h6 21. Qh7+ Nd7 22. Ne6 Bb6 23. Rc1 h5 24. Qxh5 dxe4 25. Qg6 a6 26. Nc7
Rb8 27. Ne8 e3 28. Bxb8 Kxb8 29. Nd6 (0.93); 10…h5?! 11. Qf3 Nf6 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nf7 Bg4 14. Qd3 (2.66).
4
11…dxc3?? 12. Bg5+ Ke8 13. Qh5+ Kd7 14. Rf7+ Nxf7 15. Qxf7+ (6.45); 11…Bg4!? 12. Bg5+ Ke8 13. Qb3 Bc5
(13…dxc3?? 14. Nxf8 Rxf8 15. Nxc3 Qb6+ 16. Kh1 Nf7 17. h3 Nxg5 18. Rxf8+ Kxf8 19. Rf1+ Bf3 20. h4 Nf7 21. Rxf3
Qc7 22. e5 Qd7 23. e6 +5.12) 14. Bxh6 dxc3+ 15. Kh1 cxb2 16. Bxg7 bxa1=Q 17. Bxa1 Rxh7 18. Qg8+ Kd7 19. Qxh7+
Kc8 20. Qg8+ Kb7 21. Qxg4 (1.48).
5
12…Nf7?? 13. Bg5+ Nxg5 14. Qxg5+ Ke8 15. Qh5+ (2.90); 12…Bg4?? 13. Qg5+ (5.63); 12…Qb6? 13. Bg5+ (4.79).
6
18…Nf7? 19. Bg5+ Kd6 20. cxd4 Nxg5 21. Qxg5 Rg8 22. Qf4+ Ke7 23. d5 cxd5 24. exd5 (2.81); 18…Qb6!? 19. Qxg7+
Nf7 20. Nc2 dxc3+ 21. Be3 cxb2 22. Rae1 c5 23. Nb4 Kd8 24. Qxb2 Bc4 25. Nd5 Qd6 26. Rf5 Rc8 27. Qg7 Qe6 28. Bg5+
Ke8 29. Nf4 Qd6 30. Rd5 Bxd5 31. exd5+ (4.15).
7
7. O-O!? Ngf6 8. Ng5 Ne5 9. Nxf7 Nxf7 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. e5 Qd5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Nd2 Bd6! (-0.48i) falls just short.
8
7…h6!? 8. Be3 b5 9. Bb3 Ngf6 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11. Qxe5+ Qe7 12. Qxe7+ Bxe7 13. Nd2 c5 14. c4 a6 15. O-O (0.12).
9
8…Bc5!? 9. Qxf6 Ngxf6 10. Bf4 O-O 11. O-O-O (0.27); 8…b5?! 9. Bb3 Bc5 10. Qd3 (0.63)
10
9…Bb4 10. O-O Ne5 11. Be2 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Ne7 13. Ba3 b6 14. Bd6 N7g6 15. Nf5 Rg8 16. h4 (0.33); 9…Bc5?! 10. Nb3
Bb4 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O O-O 13. a3 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Nxe4 15. Bd4 b6 16. Rae1 Nd6 17. Bd3 (-0.09d).
11
10...Bc5 11. O-O-O O-O 12. Rhe1 Ne5 (12…h6?! 13. Bxf6 Nxf6 14. e5 Ne8 15. e6 Nd6 16. exf7+ Nxf7 17. Ne4 +0.84)
13. Bb3 Nfg4 14. h3 h6 15. Bf4 Ng6 16. Bg3 Nf6 17. Na4 (0.27).
12
11…Bxc3!? 12. bxc3 O-O 13. Rae1 h6 14. Bh4 Ne5 15. Bb3 Nfg4 16. h3 Ng6 17. hxg4! Nxh4 18. Rxf7 (0.69); 11…Ne5?!
12. Bb3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Nxe4 14. Rae1 Nxg5 15. Rxe5+ Ne6 16. Nxe6 Bxe6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Rxe6+ (0.69).
13
7…Ba5?? 8. O-O dxc3 9. Qc2! cxb2 10. Bxb2 f6 11. e5 Nd7 12. Bxg8 Rxg8 13. Qxh7 (2.12).
14
10…Ba5!? 11. Bg5+ Kc7 12. O-O Nf6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Nd4 (0.33); 10…Bd6!? 11. Bg5+ Kc7 12. Nbd2 (0.15)
72

11. Bg5+ Kc7!? 1 12. Nbd2 Nf62 13. Bf4+ Kd8 14. e5 Nd5 15. Bg5+ Kc73 16. Ne4
(0.15) leaves White with better overall development to counter Black’s two very
active pieces in the center.
6…h6?! Black cannot afford such passivity: 7. Qxd4 Qxd44 8. Nxd4 Bb4+5 9. c3
Bc56 10. Bf4 Nf67 11. Nd2 O-O8 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Rae1 (0.57d) has White fully
mobilized and completely ready to strike, while Black has a traffic jam on the back
rank of the queenside.
Alternatives To 7. Ng5 Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Nxe6 Qe7
Caro-Kan stem after 9. Nxe6
Moves:1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Ng5 Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Nxe6
Nothing wrong with a few forcing moves to get us further along into the opening, as it’s more
impressive to be “booked up” for a greater number of moves. Black now sees the point of White’s third
move, and must deal with several subtle and persistent threats caused by White’s superior development
and greater command of the board space. 9…Qe7 is the most common move here, but not the only one:
11…Ne7!? 12. Nd4 Rf8 13. O-O (0.45) looks fine for White.
12…Nd7!? 13. Bf4+ Kd8 14. Nd4 Ngf6 15. O-O (0.42); 12…Ne7? 13. Bf4+ Bd6 14. e5 Bc5 15. Ne4 (1.66).
3
15…Be7!? 16. Bxd5 cxd5 17. Bxe7+ Kxe7 18. O-O (0.54) gives White the edge.
4
7…Bb4+ 8. c3 Qxd4 9. Nxd4 transposes to the branch.
5
8…Nf6 9. Bf4! Nxe4 10. Nd2 Nxd2 11. Kxd2 (0.09d); 8…Bc5 9. ; 8…Nd7 9. ;
6
9…Bd6 10. O-O Nf6 11. Bf4 Bxf4 12. Rxf4 O-O 13. Nd2 (0.57) is no better; 9…Be7 10. O-O Nf6 11. Bf4 O-O 12. Nd2
Nbd7 13. Rae1 (0.60); 9…Ba5?! 10. O-O Nf6 11. Bf4 Bb6 12. Nd2 Bg4 13. Rae1 (0.78).
7
10…Nd7 11. Nd2 Nb6 12. Bb3 Nf6 13. O-O Bg4 14. Rae1 (0.58).; 10…Bg4 11. h3 Bc8 12. O-O Nf6 13. Nd2 (0.57)
8
11…Nd7 12. b4! Bf8 (12…Be7 13. Nf5 Bf8 14. O-O Nb6 15. Bb3 transposes to this) 13. O-O Nb6 14. Bb3 Be7 15. Rae1
O-O 16. Kh1! (0.36d).
1
2
73



9…Qa5+?! Several computers I’ve encountered have played this move, and I can see
why: Black attempts to seize the initiative and/or simple equality. After 10. Nd2 1
Qe52 11. Nxf8 Rxf83 12. O-O c54 13. Nf3 Qe75 14. e5 Nfd76 15. e6 Nf67 16. Nh4
(0.84), however, White has achieved his opening objective.
9…Qd6!? I’ve seen this one a few times as well, and the silicon has nothing against
it, at least at first. 10. Nxd4 Qe5 11. Nc3! Bb4 8 12. O-O! Bxc39 13. bxc3 O-O10 14.
Ba3 c511 15. Nf3 Qxe412 16. Bxc5 Rc813 17. Bd4 Nbd714 18. Re115 (0.60), and White
has kept good pressure on an open board without trading the tension down to where
Black can equalize too easily.
9…Bb4+?!. A very complicated and double-edged move, where blindly following the
silicon is downright dangerous. White should proceed with maximum aggression and
only a secondary regard for material. Whichever side mobilizes first is very likely to
win this: 10. c3 Qe7 11. O-O! Bd616 12. Nxd4 O-O17 13. Nd2 Kh818 14. Nf5 Bc5+19
15. Kh1 Qe520 16. Ng3 Nbd7 17. Nf3 Qd621 18. Bg5 Rae822 19. b4 Qxd1 20. Rxd1
Bb623 21. c4 (0.78), and White is up a clear pawn with equal or greater command of
the board.
10. Bd2? Qe5! 11. Nxf8 Qxe4+ 12. Qe2 Rxf8 (-1.21).
10…Nbd7?! 11. Qf3! Qe5 12. Qf5 Qxf5 13. exf5 Kf7 14. O-O (0.69); 10…c5 11. Nxf8 Rxf8 12. e5 Nd5 13. Qh5+ (0.72).
3
11…Kxf8?! 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Nf3 Qxe4 14. Nxd4 Re8 15. Nb5 Qe2 16. Nd6 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 (0.78).
4
12…d3?! 13. Nb3 dxc2 14. Qxc2 Nbd7 15. Bf4 Qe7 16. Na5! Nc5 17. Rad1 Ncxe4 18. Rde1 (1.75).
5
13…Qh5!? 14. e5 Nfd7 15. e6 Nb6 16. Ng5 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 h6 18. Ne4 Na6 19. Rd3 Ke7 20. Rg3 (0.66); 13…Qc7? 14. e5
Nd5 15. Ng5 Rxf1+ 16. Qxf1 (1.12).
6
14…Ng8 15. Qd3 h6 16. Qg6+ Qf7 17. Qxf7+ Rxf7 18. b4 b6 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Ba3 (0.63).14…Nfd7 e6 is the branch.
7
15…Nb6?? 16. Bg5! Rf6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Nd2 (3.54).
8
11…Nxe4? 12. O-O! Nxc3 (12…Bc5 13. Nxe4 Qxd4+ 14. Qxd4 Bxd4+ 15. Kh1 +1.21) 13. bxc3 Be7 14. Re1 (2.15);
11…Nbd7?! 12. Nf3 Qa5 13. Qe2 O-O-O 14. Bd2 Bb4 15. a3 Rhe8 16. O-O-O Bxc3 17. Bxc3 (1.06);
9
12…O-O? 13. Bf4! Qe8 (13…Qc5 14. Na4 +1.54) 14. Qd3 Bxc3 15. Qxc3 (1.81); 12…Nbd7? 13. Bf4 (1.18).
10
13…Nbd7? 14. Bf4 Qc5 15. Kh1! Qxc3 16. Ne6 (2.15).
11
14…Rd8?! 15. Qf3 Nbd7 16. Rae1 c5 17. Nf5 (1.00); 14…Re8!? 15. Nf5 Nbd7 (15…Qxe4!? 16. Qd2 Nbd7 17. Rab1
+0.78; 15…Nxe4? 16. Qg4! +3.18) 16. Rb1 b6 17. Nd6 Red8 18. Qd4 Qe6 19. Qa4 Qxa2 20. Ra1 Qe6 21. Qxc6 (0.63).
12
15…Qxc3?! 16. e5! Qxa3 17. exf6 Nc6 (17…Rxf6?? 18. Qd5+ +14.27; 17…gxf6 Qd5+ +1.63) 18. Qd5+ (1.42)
13
16…Re8 17. Re1 Qc6 18. Rxe8+ Nxe8 19. Bd4 (0.93)
14
17…Nc6?? 18. Ng5 Qg6 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Qd5+ Kh8 21. Nf7+ Kg7 22. Nd6 Rc7 23. Rf3 (4.45).
15
18. Kh1! (0.63) is always available if White needs to play it safe first.
16
11…dxc3? 12. Qb3 Bc5+ 13. Nxc5 Qxc5 14. Kh1 cxb2 15. Bxb2 (1.13d), and even the silicon doesn’t like it a pawn up.
17
12…Nxe4? 13. Nd2 Rf8 (13…Nxd2? 14. Bxd2 Nd7 15. Qh5+ +2.19) 14. Nxe4 Rxf1+ 15. Qxf1 Qxe4 16. Bh6! (1.78).
18
13…Na6?! 14. Nf5! Bc5+ 15. Kh1 Qc7 16. Qe2 Rae8 17. b4 Bb6 18. Bb2 Qa5 19. Rae1 (0.78); 13…b6?! 14. Nf5 (1.03).
19
14…Qc7!? 15. Qf3 (15. Nxd6 Qxd6 16. Qe2 Nbd7 17. Nc4 Qe6 18. Bf4 Qxe4 19. Qxe4 Nxe4 20. Nd6 Nxd6 21. Bxd6
+0.36) Bc5+ 16. Kh1 Qe6 17. b4 Bb6 18. Qg3 Qd7 19. e5 Ne8 20. Nd6 (1.00).
20
15…Qe6!? 16. Qf3! Nbd7 17. b4 Bb6 18. Bb2 Ne5 19. Qg3 Rf7 20. c4 Bc7 21. Qc3 (0.78); 15…Qc7? 16. Nb3 (1.21).
21
17…Qe8!? 18. Bg5 Bb6 19. Nd2 Qg6 20. Rf5 Rae8 21. Qe2 (0.72); 17…Qc7?! 18. Ng5 Rae8 19. Bf4 (1.03).
22
18…Qxd1? 19. Raxd1 Rae8 20. h3 h6 21. Bxf6 Nxf6 22. e5 Nd5 23. Ne4 Be7 24. Rfe1 (1.33).
23
20…Be7? 21. Nf5 h6 22. e5 hxg5 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. Nxg5 (1.30).
1
2
74
Alternatives To 10. Nxd4 Qxe4+
Caro-Kan stem after 10. Nxd4
Moves:1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Ng5 Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Nxe6
Qe7 10. Nxd4
Capturing with the queen is not required, and may not be best. The “primary” branches are
what I believe to be best, but as we’ve seen, there is almost always more than one move that can be
played in a given position without the roof caving in. This, however, may not be one of those cases,
given Black’s lagging development:


10…Nxe4?! The alternative for taking care of material recovery. White should
proceed with development: 11. O-O Qe5 1 12. Bf4 Qd52 13. c4 Qxd4+ 14. Qxd4 Bc5
15. Be3 Bxd4 16. Bxd4 Nf63 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Rxf6 (1.06), and Black has not found a
better way.
10…Nbd7?! Black chooses to catch up in development and deal with recovering the
pawn down the road. White should be fine here, but Black will be in a much more
competitive position to start the middlegame. After 11. O-O O-O-O 12. Nd2 Nc5 13.
c3 Ncxe4 14. Re1 Re8 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Qg4+ Kd8 17. Be3 4 Qd75 18. Nf5 Nd66 19.
Rad17 Kc7 20. Rf1 g6 21. Qd4 gxf5 22. Qxh8 Bg7 8 23. Qxh7 Rxe3 24. Rxd6! Qxd6
11…Nd7 12. Re1! (2.15).
12…Qxd4 13. Qxd4 Bc5 14. Be3 Bxd4 15. Bxd4 Nf6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Rxf6 (1.12) is the branch without c4 for White.
3
16…Nd6 17. Nc3! Nxc4 18. Rae1+ Kd8 19. Rf7 Rg8 20. Bxg7 Nd6 21. Bf6+ Kc8 22. Rxh7 (2.75).
4
17. Nf5 Qe6 18. Bg5+ (1.00) keeps the initiative in case Black has any tricks up his sleeve in the branch.
5
17…h5?! 18. Qf3 Qf6 19. Nf5 Nd6 20. Nxd6 Bxd6 21. Qxf6 gxf6 22. Bxa7 (1.12) is roughly equivalent to the branch.
6
18…h5?! 19. Qf4 Qc7 20. Rad1+ Kc8 21. Qxc7 Kxc7 22. Bd4 (1.15);
7
19. Bg5+!? Kc7 20. Rxe8 Qxe8 21. Bf4 Qg6 22. Qxg6 hxg6 23. Nd4 (0.48) releases the pressure, while 19. Qh4+ Kc7 20.
Nxd6 Bxd6 21. Rad1 Rhf8 22. h3 (0.18) has Black threatening to take the initiative.
8
22…Bh6?! 23. Qxe8 Qxe8 24. Bxh6 Nc4 25. b3 Nb6 26. c4 (1.66) is double-edged but fine for White.
1
2
75

25. Qxg7+ (1.30), White has simplified into a won ending, and few improvements for
Black appear possible along the way.
10…g6!? Far more stubborn than it appears. White has to keep to task to keep the
initiative here, and his advantage is constantly threatened by Black’s solid
development scheme as compensation for White’s extra pawn: 11. O-O Bg7 1 12. Nc3
Nbd72 13. Bg5 h63 14. Bh4 O-O4 15. Qe2 Rae85 16. Rae1 Ne56 17. a3 Qc77 18. Kh1!
Kh7 19. h3 Qb6 20. Nb3 (0.63i), and White hasn’t even come close to putting away
Black, though he definitely retains most or all of the winning chances in the position.
Alternatives After 11. Qe2
Caro-Kan Stem After 11. Qe2
Black is not obligated to exchange queens after White responds to the check with the mutual
pin. It is generally wiser to develop and let the opponent waste the tempo when exchanging.

11…Bb4+! An aggressive attempt by Black to force White’s king into the center,
where it will become an inviting target for the rooks, but the usual result is a quiet,
dead-even endgame. This is probably Black’s best unless he needs a win. After 12.
Bd2! Qxe2+ 13. Nxe2 Bxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Na6 15. O-O-O 8 O-O 16. h3 Nd5 17. Ne4
Rae8 18. N2c3 Nxc3 19. Nxc3 Rf2 20. Rd2 Rxd2 21. Kxd2 Rd8+ 22. Kc1 Nc5 23.
11…Nbd7 12. Nc3 Bg7 13. Bg5 is the branch;
12…O-O 13. Bg5 Nbd7 14. Qe2 is the branch.
3
13…Rf8? 14. Kh1! O-O-O 15. Qd3 h6 16. Bh4 Rde8 17. Rad1 (1.27); 13…h6?! 14. Qe2 Ne5 15. Rae1 Kh1! Rae8 16.
Rae1 h6 17. Bc1! Qb4 18. Nf3 Nxf3 19. gxf3 Ne5 20. f4 Nd7 21. e5 (1.03).
4
14…O-O-O?! 15. Qf3 Rhf8 16. Qh3 Rde8 17. Rae1 (1.00), and 14…Rf8?! 15. Qd3 O-O-O 16. Qh3 transposes; 14…Ne5?!
15. Qe2 O-O-O 16. Nb3 Kb8 17. Kh1! (0.93).
5
15…Qb4?! 16. Ne6 Rfe8 17. Nxg7 Kxg7 18. Qf3 (1.18); 15…Kh7?! 16. Rae1 Ne5 17. Kh1! Rae8 18. Nb3 a6 19. a3 Qc7
20. Bf2 Ngf4 21. Bg1 (0.84i); 15…Ne5 16. Rae1 Rae8 is the branch.
6
16…Qb4!? 17. Nb3 Nb6 18. a3 Qc4 19.Qe3 Ng4 20. Qg3 Ne5 21. Rxf8+ Rxf8 22. Be7 Rf7 23. Bc5 (0.63i); 16…Kh7?!
17. Nb3 Ne5 18. Kh1 is note 13 (with 15…Kh7) above;
7
17…Qc5?! 18. Bf2 Qc4 19. Nf3 Qxe2 20. Rxe2 Nxf3 21. gxf3 (1.03); 17…Kh7?! 18. Kh1 Qc7 19. h3 is the branch.
8
15. O-O O-O-O 16. Nb3 Nb4 17. Ned4 Rhe8 18. a3 Nbd5 19. Nf5 g6 20. Nh6 (0.06) is very drawish.
1
2
76


Rd1 Rxd1+ 24. Kxd1 (0.00), and White has a dead even, but hardly dead drawn,
position. As long as you aren’t rated over 2600, you can either win from here against
equal or weaker competition, or draw against stronger. In the event you need to press
for a win, there are many lines which are fertile for exploration, some of which have
been partially analyzed in the electronic version of this product.
11…Qxe2+. Similar to the above branch, this move seeks simplification into an
even and hopefully drawn ending: 12. Nxe2 Bc5 13. Nbc3 Nbd7 14. Bg5 O-O 15. OO-O (0.00), with a more active queenless middlegame than above, and more than
enough opportunity for even the world’s strongest players to blunder (if you are good
enough to complicate matters for them).
11…Nbd7!? This solid developmental move also leads to equality. White should
expect an even endgame that will test his ability to win in that phase of the game (or
to get a quick draw if he wants): 12. Qxe4+ Nxe4 13. Ne6 Bb4+ 14. Nd2 Kf7 15. OO+ Nef6 16. Ng5+ Kg6 17. Ndf3 Rae8 18. Nf4+ Kh5 19. Nf5 Kg6 20. h3 (0.09).
The Fantasy variation of the Caro-Kan is deep, rich, sound, and largely unexplored. The
perfect opening for someone looking to score a miniature.
77
Chapter Eight:
Dismantling The Pirc: Kasparov’s System
In February 1990, I began delving through The Complete Pirc, an excellent book by John
Nunn devoted to this opening. After looking at all of the possible development schemes for White, I
shifted my focus to systems involving f3 for White, which were usually accompanied by Be3, Qd2, h4h5, O-O-O, and an aggressive thrust on the kingside similar to the Yugoslav attack against the Sicilian
Dragon. Since I love building a transpositional repertoire, and since many of the formations in this
opening are duplicative of the Dragon, which I also used to play against, I became very fond of this
approach against the Pirc. After two weeks of intense study of this variation, I wound up being able to
apply my knowledge in a first-round tournament game against former Moscow champion Anatoly
Volovich (2508 to my 1956), and almost scored a miniature. That, however, is not the stem game.
Instead, the stem is one of the greatest games of chess ever played.
Kasparov-Topalov, Wijk Aan Zee, 1999
Ka
sparov-Topalov After 23…Qd6
Moves: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9.
Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14. Nb3 exd4 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1
Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 21. Rhe1 d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6:
In the game, Kasparov played 24. Rxd4!!, a move which likely leads to a draw with best
play, but which tripped up Topalov enough for Kasparov to secure the win. Kasparov’s sacrifice looks
almost like a problem composition, and has been referred to as the greatest tactical maneuver in the
history of chess (it’s definitely up there).
Not being one to question the wisdom of a pair of world champions, Kasparov-Topalov is
my stem. Any move good enough for him should be good enough for you or me.
78
Alternatives To 4. Be3 Bg7
Pirc stem after 4. Be3
This move defines the entire approach, which involves Qd2, f3, O-O-O, and h4-h5, with a
Yugoslav-like attack on Black’s fianchettoed kingside. Black appears to have few advantages over the
Dragon, except perhaps slightly quicker and more fluid development due to the more accelerated
approach to kingside development.


4…Nbd7!? Not a fatal blunder, but rather pointless. At best Black will transpose
back to one of the main lines, while at worst, he can get slaughtered as punishment
for playing too slow: 5. Qd2 Bg71 6. f3 c62 7. Nge2 is the stem.
4…c6!? Yet another likely transposition to the stem: 5. Qd2 Bg7 3 6. f3 b54 7. Nge2
Nbd75 8. Bh6 is the stem.
5…Ng4!? 6. Bg5! h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 e5 9. f3 Ngf6 10. O-O-O (0.72), with thematically devastating pressure for White;
5…c6 6. f3 Bg7 7. Nge2 b5 8. Bh6 is the stem;
2
6…O-O!? 7. O-O-O c6 8. h4 Qa5 (8…h5?! 9. e5 Ne8 10. g4 dxe5 11. dxe5 Bxe5 12. gxh5 gxh5 13. Bh6 Bg7 14. Qg5
Qc7 15. Qxh5 +0.90) 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Bh6 Ndf6 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Nge2 Kg8 13. g4 Ng7 14. Qh6 (0.33d); 6…c5?! 7.
dxc5 Nxc5 8. e5! Nfd7 9. exd6 O-O 10. dxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O-O (0.87i) is pesky; 6…e5?! 7. O-O-O O-O 8. h4 exd4 9. Bxd4
(0.63); 6…a6?! 7. Nge2 O-O 8. h4 Nh5 9. h5 e5 10. O-O-O (1.00);
3
5…b5 6. f3 Bg7 is the branch; 5…Nbd7 6. f3 Bg7 7. Nge2 is the stem.
4
6…Nbd7 7. Nge2 b5 is the branch; 6…O-O 7. O-O-O Nbd7 8. h4 is note 2; 6…Qc7 7. O-O-O b5 8. Bh6 is the stem;
6…a5?! 7. Nge2 O-O 8. h4! b5 9. h5! b4 10. Nd1 Nxh5 11. Bh6 Nf6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qh6+ (1.72); 6…Qa5?! 7. O-O-O
O-O 8. h4 Nbd7 is note 2; 6…h5!? 7. O-O-O Qa5 (7…b5? 8. h4! O-O 9. g4 hxg4 10. h5 Nxh5 11. Bh6 b4 12. Bxg7 Kxg7
13. Rxh5 gxh5 14. Qg5+ +4.47) 8. Kb1! Nbd7 (8…O-O 9. Nd5! +0.72) 9. h4 O-O 10. g4 hxg4 11. Bh6 Qh5 12. Bxg7
Kxg7 13. f4 Nb6 14. Nge2 a5 15. Ng3 Qh6 16. h5 Nxh5 17. Be2 (0.42d);
5
7…Qa5!? . h4 O-O 9. h5 b4 10. hxg6 bxc3 11. gxh7+ Kh8 12. Nxc3 Qb4 13. O-O-O Nbd7 14. a3 Qb6 15. Na4 Qb7
16. Bh6 Ne8 17. Bxg7+ Nxg7 18. Qg5 (0.66d); 7…O-O? 8. h4 b4 9. Nd1 a5 10. h5 Nxh5 11. Bh6 is note 4 above with
6…a5; 7…Be6?! 8. h4 O-O 9. h5! Nxh5 10. g4! Nf6 11. Bh6! b4 12. Nd1 Bxh6 (12…Qa5 13. Bxg7+ Kxg7 14. Qh6 Kg8
15. Ng3 +1.21d) 13. Qxh6 (1.66d)
1
79
Alternatives To 5. Qd2 c6
Pirc Stem After 5. Qd2
Black is far from obligated to play 5…c6, though many of the alternatives will offer
transposition back to the stem or one of the previous divergences. The Pirc is a highly positional
opening with very well-defined attacking and defensive schemes.
Following are the several alternatives to the stem, which are similar, yet nuanced. Attention
to detail pays off:



5...O-O. The obvious alternative. 6. O-O-O c6 1 7. f3 b52 8. h4 h53 9. g4 hxg44 10.
h5 transposes to the 4…c6 branch, note #4, with 6…h5, and has not been refuted,
but does appear to favor White.
5…Nbd7. Another alternative with strong transpositional possibilities: 6. f3 c6 5 7.
Nge2 b56 8. Bh6 is the stem.
5…Nc6. Unnecessarily restrictive to the queenside pawns, moves like this can still
prove difficult to crack. For all we know, this will be the main line 100 years from
6…Nbd7 7. f3 c6 8. h4 is note 2 of the 4…Nbd7 branch (with 6…a5); 6…Ng4!? 7. Bg5! h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Nc6 10. f3
Nf6 11. h4 g4 12. Bf4 Bh7 13. Bc4 Nh5 14. Be3 (0.51); 6…Re8?! 7. f3 c6 8. h4! b5 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Nge2 b4 11. Nb1 a5
12. g4 Nf6 13. Bh6 Bh8 14. Ng3 Nfd7 15. Qh2 Qb6 16. Nf5 (0.36d)
2
7…Nbd7?! 8. h4 h5 (8…b5?! 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Nge2 b4 11. Nb1 a5 12. g4 Nhf6 13. Bh6 +1.03d) 9. e5! Ne8 10. e6! fxe6
11. Bd3 Kf7 12. Nh3 (0.96d); 7…Qa5? 8. h4 b5 9. h5! Nxh5 10. Nge2 Nd7 11. g4! Nhf6 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 b4 14.
Nb1 Qxa2 15. Ng3! (2.18d)
3
8…Qa5? 9. h5 is note 2 above; 8…a5?! 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Nge2 b4 11. Nb1 Be6 12. Bh6 (1.03d).
4
9…b4? 10. Nb1! hxg4 11. h5! Nxh5 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 (1.49d);
5
6…O-O 7. O-O-O c6 8. h4! b5 9. h5! is note 3 above; 6…c5? 7. dxc5 Nxc5 8. e5! is note 2 to the 4…Nbd7 branch;
6…e5? 7. O-O-O O-O 8. h4 h5 9. Nge2 c6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. g4 hxg4 12. h5 gxf3 13. Ng3 gxh5 14. Bh6 (1.33d); 6…a6?
7. O-O O-O 8. h4 b5 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Bh6! (10. Nge2? Nb6! -0.51) Bxh6 (10…Ng3? 11. Bxg7 Nxh1 12. Bxf8 +1.78) 11.
Qxh6 b4 12. Nd5 e6 13. Nf4 Qf6 14. Nxh5 gxh5 15. Qxh5 (1.57)
6
7…O-O?! 8. O-O-O b5 9. g4 a5 (9…b4? 10. Nb1 a5 11. h4 12. Ng3 hxg4 13. h5 gxf3 14. Bh6 Nb6 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16.
hxg6 fxg6 17. Qh6+ Kf7 18. e5 dxe5 19. dxe5 Nfd5 20. Rd3 +2.03) 10. Ng3 Bb7 11. h4 b4 12. Na4 Nb6 13. Nxb6 Qxb6
14. h5 Rfc8 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. Qh2 (1.63).
1
80


now, so we might as well give it a look now: 6. O-O 7. O-O-O e5 1 8. d5 Ne72 9. h4
a53 10. h5 Nxh5 11. g4 Ng3 12. Rh3 Nxf1 13. Rxf1 f5 14. gxf5 gxf5 15. Rh1 f4 16.
Qh2 fxe3 17. Qxh7+ Kf7 18. f4 exf4 19. Nh3 Nf5! 20. N xf4.e2 21. Qg6+ Kg8
22. Ncxe2 (0.96) is excellent for White, and it’s not clear where Black has a better
detour.
5…h5?! Very premature, and serving no real purpose. White has a choice of
several plans. After 6. O-O-O O-O 7. Bh6 c64 8. Bxg7 Kxg7 9. f4 a55 10. Nf3 b56
11. e5 Ne87 12. Bd3 b48 13. Ne4 (0.81), White has better development, more space,
and domination of the center.
5…Ng4!? Premature, yet very difficult to deal with practically, especially against
international competition. The “threat” to the Be3 is illusory, since the knight has
to give back the tempo after White evades with his bishop and threatens the knight
with a pawn: 6. Bg5! h69 7. Bh4 g510 8. Bg3 e511 9. Nge2 Nc612 10. d5 Ne7 11. f3
Nf6 12. O-O-O Bd713 13. h4 g414 14. h5 O-O 15.Bf2 b5 16. Be3 Kh7 17. Ng3 b4
18. Nb1 a5 19. Be2 (0.84) looks about as good as it’s going to get for Black.
7…a5? 8. h4 b6 (8…a4?! 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Nge2 a3 11. b3 e5 12. d5 Ne7 13. g4 Nf6 14. Ng3 +0.93d) 9. h5 Nxh5 10. Nge2
e5 11. g4 exd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bxd4 14. Qxd4 Ng3 15. Rh3 Nxf1 16. Rxf1 Qg5+ 17. Kb1 Qe5 18. Qxe5 dxe5 19.
Rfh1 h5 20. Nd5 Rd8 21. Nxc7 Ra7 22. Nd5 Be6 23. c4 h4 24. Rxh4 (3.27); 7…Re8?! 8. h4 e5 9. Nge2 Nxd4 10. Nxd4
exd4 11. Bxd4 Be6 12. h5 (0.69); 7…a6?! 8. h4 b5 9. h5 Nxh5 10. g4 Ng3 11. Rh3 Nxf1 12. Rxf1 Re8 13. Nge2 Na5
(13…h5? 14. Ng3 hxg4 15. fxg4 Bxg4 16. Rhh1 f6 17. Bh6 Bh8 18. Bf8! +1.45d) 14. b3 Nb7 15. Rfh1 h5 16. Bh6 (1.00d).
2
8…Nb8?! 9. h4 Nh5 10. g4 Ng3 11. Rh2 Nxf1 12. Rxf1 a5 13. h5 Nd7 14. Nge2 a4 (14…Nb6? 15.b3 a4 16. hxg6 fxg6
17. Rfh1 axb3 18. cxb3 Rxf3 19. Rxh7 Bxg4 20. Bxb6 cxb6 21. Rxg7+ +1.90) 15. hxg6 fxg6 16. Ng3 (0.81); 8…Nb4?! 9.
h4 h5 10. Nge2 a5 11. g4 hxg4 12. Ng3 Nh5 13. Nxh5 gxh5 14. a3 Na6 15. fxg4 Bxg4 16. Be2 (1.27d).
3
9…h5?! 10. g4! hxg4 11. Be2 gxf3 12. Nxf3 a6 13. h5 Nxh5 14. Bh6 f5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Qg5 fxe4 17. Rxh5 exf3 18.
Rdh1 Kf7 19. Rh7+ Ke8 20. Ne4 fxe2 21. Nf6+ Rxf6 22. Qxf6 Bf5 23. Rh8+ Kd7 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. c4 Bg4 26. Kd2
Bh5 27. Qe6+ Ke8 28. Rh2 (3.33); 9…Ne8? 10. h5 f5 11. Bh6 f4 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. hxg6 hxg6 14. g3 (1.42).
4
7…Bxh6? 8. Qxh6 Ng4 9. Qd2 a5 10. h3 Nf6 11. f4 b6 12. Nf3 Bb7 13. e5 Nfd7 14. f5 (3.66).
5
9…b5?! 10. e5 Ne8 11. Nf3 a5 12. Bd3 b4 13. Ne4 is the branch; 9…Nbd7?! 10. e5 Ne8 11. f5! dxe5 12. dxe5 (1.09);
9…Qb6!? 10. e5 Nd5 11. Nf3 Bf5 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qxd3 Nc6 15. f5 Nb4 16. Qb3 Rac8 17. c3 (0.69).
6
10…Nbd7?! 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. exd6 exd6 14. f5 (0.75); 10…Qb6?! 11. e5 Nd5 12. exd6 exd6 13. Nxd5 cxd5
14. Bd3 Nc6 15. c3 (0.78).
7
11…dxe5?! 12. fxe5 Nd5 13. Ne4 (0.78).
8
12…Nc7?! 13 f5! b4 14. Ne2 (1.54); 12…Qb6? 13. f5! dxe5 14. fxg6 (2.15);
9
6…c6?! 7. O-O-O O-O 8. f3 Nf6 9. h4 b5 10. h5! Nxh5 11. Bh6 Bxh6? (11. b4 12. Nce2 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 Qa5 transposes)
12. Qxh6 b4 13. Nce2 Qa5 14. g4 b3 15. cxb3 Nf6 16. Nf4 (3.03); 6…c5?! 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. f3 h6 10. Bf4
Ne5 11. O-O-O+ (0.87); 6…f6!? 7. Bh4 e5 8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. O-O Be6 10. f4 Nec6 11. Nf3 O-O 12. f5 Bf7 13. g4 Nd7 14.
g5 (0.51); 6…O-O!? 7. O-O-O is note 1 from the 5…O-O branch (with 6…Ng4!?).
10
7…c6?! 8. f3 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Bf2 b5 11. h4 h5 12. g4 hxg4 (12…b4? 13. Nce2 hxg4 14. Ng3 gxf3 15.Nxf3 a5 16.
h5 Nxh5 17. Rxh5 gxh5 18. Nxh5 f6 19. Bc4+ d5 20. Rg1 Rf7 21. Qh6 Qf8 22. exd5 +7.72) 13. Be2 b4 14. Nb1 a5 15. Be3
Qb6 16. Bh6 a4 17. h5! (0.75d); 7…Nd7?! 8. f3 Ngf6 9. O-O-O g5 10. Bf2 Nb6 11. h4 g4 12. f4 Bd7 13. e5 Nfd5 14. Ne4
f5 15. Ng3 e6 16. c4 Ne7 17. Nh5 O-O 18. Nxg7 Kxg7 19. Re1 (0.72); 7…Nc6?! 8. f3 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Bf2 e5 11.
Nge2 a5 12. h4 h5 13. Be3 b6 14. d5 Ne7 15. g4 hxg4 16. f4 exf4 17. Nxf4 Nh5 18. Nxh5 gxh5 19. Bh6 Ng6 20. Bxg7
Kxg7 21. Nb5 f6 22. Nd4 a4 23. a3 Re8 24. Bd3 Bd7 25. Rdf1 Re5 26. Kb1 (0.51d).
11
8…f5?! 9. exf5 Bxf5 10. O-O-O Nc6 11. h3 Nf6 12. Nf3 Ne4 13. Nxe4 Bxe4 14. d5 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Ne5 16. f4 (0.69);
8…Nf6?! 9. f3 Nh5 10. Bf2 Nc6 11. O-O-O a6 12. Nge2 Nf6 13. h4 g4 14. h5 O-O 15. Bh4 b5 16. Qe3 (0.57); 8..h5 9. h4
gxh4 10. Bxh4 Nd7 11. O-O-O Bh6 12. f4 Nf6 13. Kb1! (0.93).
12
9…Nd7?! 10. f3 Ngf6 11. O-O-O Nh5 12. Bf2 a6 13. h4 exd4 14. Nxd4 (0.93); 9…c6?! 10. f3 exd4 11. Nxd4 (0.72).
13
12…O-O!? 13. h4 g4 14. h5 Ne8 15. f4 f5 16. fxe5 dxe5 17. exf5 Nxf5 18. Bf2 a5 19. Ng3 b6 20. Nxf5 (0.39);
12…Nh7?! 13. h4 f5 14. hxg5 Nxg5 15. Bf2 fxe4 16. fxe4 Bg4 17. Be3 Ng6 18. Re1 (0.72). 12…Nh5 13. Bf2 a6 (13…f5?
14. exf5 Bd7 15. g4 Nf4 16. h4 +1.54) 14. h4 g4 15.Be3 gxf3 16. gxf3 Ng6 17. Bh3 f5 18. exf5 Ne7 19. f4 (0.60).
14
13…Nh7?! 14. hxg5 hxg5 15. Kb1! f5 16. Rxh7! Rxh7 17. Qxg5 fxe4 18. Nxe4 a6 19. Bh4! Bh8 20. N2g3 (0.48d);
13…Nh5?! 14. hxg5 hxg5 15. Kb1 Nxg3 16. Rxh8+ Bxh8 17. Nxg3 Ng6 18. Bb5 Bxb5 19. Nxb5 (0.76).
1
81
Alternatives To 6. f3 b5
Pirc Stem After 6. f3
Closed games lend themselves to many alternatives and transpositions, and this line is no
different. Fortunately, we have two world champions providing the stem, which makes for stronger
branches on the tree. If Black does not play an early b5, he will often transpose into one of the
previous branches, where most of the analytical work has already been done.





6…O-O. White transposes to the 5…O-O branch after 7. O-O-O, which itself can
transpose to the 4…c6 branch, note #4, with 6…h5.
6…Nbd7. White transposes to the 5…Nbd7 branch after 7. Nge2, and back to the
stem after 7…b5 8. Bh6.
6…Qc7?! An independent try (impossible before 5…c6). White should proceed
as he would in the other lines: 7. O-O-O b5 1 8. h4 O-O2 9. h5! Nxh5 10. Nge2 a5
11. g4 Nf6 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 (1.24) is a thematic path to an advantage.
6…h5?! As premature as 5…h5, and equally unpromising: 7. O-O-O b5 3 8. h4 OO4 9. g4 transposes to the 5…O-O branch, which is favorable for White.
6…a5?! This transposes to the 6…a5 line in note 4 to the 4…c6 branch, which
continues as follows: 7. Nge2 O-O 8. h4! b5 9. h5! b4 10. Nd1 Nxh5 11. Bh6 Nf6
12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qh6+ (1.72).
7…Nbd7?! 8. h4! O-O 9. Nge2 b5 10. h5 Nxh5 11. g4 Nhf6 12. Bh6 (1.18); 7…O-O?! h4 8. b5 is the branch.
8…b4?! 9. Nb1 a5 10. Nge2 O-O 11. h5! Nxh5 12. g4 Nf6 13. Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 (1.54); 8. Nbd7 9. Nge2 O-O is the
branch; 8…a5 9. Nge2 O-O 10. h5 b4 11. Nb1 transposes to 8…b4 from this note.
3
7…Qa5?! 8. Kb1 is note 4 of the 4…c6 branch; 7…a5?! 8. Nge2 b5 9. h4 O-O 10. Bh6 b4 11. Nb1 Bxh6 12. Qxh6 a4
13. g4 b3 14. axb3 axb3 15. c3 hxg4 16. h5 g5 17. e5 Nh7 18. Ng3 (1.09d)
4
8…b4?! 9. Nb1 a5 10. Ne2 O-O 11. Bh6 is note 3; 8…Qc7?! 9. e5 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nh7 (10…Nfd7? 11. e6! +1.17) 11. f4
O-O 12. Bd3 Rd8 13. Qf2 b4 14. Ne4 Bf5 15. Nc5 Bg4 16. Nf3 a5 17. Bc4 (0.96); 8…Nbd7? 9. e5! (1.39).
1
2
82

6…Qa5?! is also note 4 from the 4…c6 branch.
Alternatives To 7. Nge2 Nbd7
Pirc Stem After 7. Nge2
Moves: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2
The branches were analyzed briefly in note 5 to the 4…c6 branch, but will be expanded
upon here:

7…Qa5?! The main alternative: 8. h4 O-O1 9. h5 b42 10. hxg63 bxc34 11. gxh7+
Kh85 12. Nxc3 Qb46 13. O-O-O Nbd77 14. a3 Qb68 15. Na4 Qb7 16. Bh6 Ne89 17.
Bxg7+ Nxg7 18. Qg5 (0.66d) is visually appealing for White, with imbalanced
material. 10. Nd1 (note 3) is an equally efficient and more thematic path.
8…b4?! 9. Nd1 O-O 10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4 Nf6 is note 5 from the 4…c6 branch; 8…Nbd7?! 9. h5 Nxh5 10. g4 Nhf6 11.
Bh6 Bxh6 12. Qxh6 b4 13. Nd1 b3+ 14. c3 bxa2 15. b4 Qc7 16. Rxa2 Nb6 17. Nf4 (0.48d).
2
9…Nbd7? 10. Bh6! b4 11. Nb1 Nxh5 12. g4 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 Nfh6 14. g5 b3+ 15. Nbc3 bxc2 16. gxf6 (1.33); 9…Be6?
10. Bh6 Bxh6 11. Qxh6 b4 12. Nd1 Nxh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. Ng3 b3+ 15. Nc3 bxa2 16. Rxa2 (2.00); 9…Re8?! 10. hxg6 hxg6
11. a3 Nbd7 12. Ng3 (0.87); 9…c5? 10. hxg6! fxg6 (10…hxg6?? 11. Bh6! +1.97) 11. dxc5 dxc5 12. Bxc5 b4 13. Bxe7
bxc3 14. Nxc3 Re8 15. Bc4+ Kh8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Bd5 (1.72).
3
10. Nd1!? Nxh5 11. g4 Nf6 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 b3+ 14. Ndc3 bxc2 15. Ng3 (1.15d) is the safety valve.
4
10…hxg6?! 11. Nd1 Rd8 12. Bh6 Bh8 13. Ne3! Na6 14. Nc1 Nh5 15. Nb3 Qb6 16. Bg5 (1.27); 16 Rxh5!? (0.87d);
10…fxg6?! 11. Nd1 Ba6 12. Nf4! Bxf1 13. Rxf1 Qb5 14. Nf2 Kf7 15. O-O-O a5 N2d3 (0.87);
5
11…Nxh7?! 12. Nxc3 Qb4 13. O-O-O Nd7 14. a3 Qb7 15. Bh6 Rb8 16. b3 Bf6 17. Bxf8 (1.09d)
6
12…Ba6? 13. Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Nbd7 15. Bxa6 Qxh6 16. O-O-O Rfb8 17. Rh3 (2.81); 12…Na6?! 13. Bh6 Bxh6 14.
Qxh6 Be6 15. Bxa6 Qxa6 16. g4 Qb6 17. O-O-O Rfb8 18. b3 Qa5 19. Kb2 (1.21); 12…Nbd7!? 13. O-O-O Rb8 14. Bc4
c5 15. dxc5 Qb4 16. Bb3 Nxc5 17. Bh6 Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Nxb3+ 19. axb3 (0.63);
7
13…Ba6? 14. a3 Qb6 15 Bh6! Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Nbd7 17. Bxa6 Qxa6 18. Rh3 (3.57); 13…Na6?! 14. a3 Qb6
15. Bh6 Ne8 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Na4 Qb7 18. Qg5 (0.75); 13…a5?! 14. a3! Qb6 15. Bh6 Ne8 16. Bxg7 (1.00).
8
14…Qb7?! 15. Bh6 Ne8 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Qh6 Rb8 18. b3 c5 19. Rh4 (0.87).
9
16…Bxh6?! 17. Qxh6 Rb8 18. b3 Qc7 (18…Ne8?? 19. Rh4! +2.78) 19. Rh4! (1.30); 16...c5?? 17. Bxg7+ is mate in five).
1
83


7…O-O? 8. h4 b41 9. Nd1 a52 10. h5 Nxh5 11. Bh6 transposes to the 6…a5 branch
and to note 5 from 4…c6.
7…Be6? 8. Nf4! Bc83 9. h4 O-O 10. h5 Nxh5 11. Nfe2! b4 12. Nd1 a5 13. Bh6
transposes to the 6…a5 line in note 4 to the 4…c6 branch.
Alternatives To 8. Bh6 Bxh6
Pirc Stem After 8…Bxh6
Moves: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Bh6
While Black is not obligated to play 8….Bxh6, the alternatives show why Topalov played it:

8…O-O. The obvious alternative, but White gets a very thematic and strong attack
that is constantly threatening to be decisive: 9. Bxg7 Kxg7 10. h4 b4 4 11. Nd1 c55
12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6+ Kg8 15. Ng3 (0.78) is imposing.
8…Re8!? 9. h5 Nxh5 10. g4 Nf6 11. O-O-O b4 12. Nb1 a5 13. Bh6 is note 1 to the 5…O-O branch; 8…Ba6? 9. h5! Nxh5
10. g4 Nf6 11. Ng3 b4 12. Nce2 Qa5 13. Bh6 (1.52d); 8…Nbd7? 9. h5! Nxh5 10. g4! Nhf6 11. Ng3 b4 12. Nce2 c5 13.
Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Qa5 15. g5 b3+ 16. Nc3 (3.03); 8…e5? 9. h5! Nxh5 10. g4 exd4 11. Bxd4 Nf6 12. Ng3 b4 13. Nd1 a5
14. Be3 Be6 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Ne3 d5 18. Nef5+ gxf5 19. Qh6+ Kg8 20. e5 (2.21d); 8…Bb7? 9. h5! Nxh5
10. g4! Nf6 11. Bh6 (1.06d); 8…Be6?! 9. h5! Nxh5 10. g4! Nf6 11. Bh6! b4 12. Nd1 Bxh6 (12…Qa5 13. Bxg7+ Kxg7 14.
Qh6 Kg8 15. Ng3 +1.21d) 13. Qxh6 (1.66d); 8…h5?! 9. O-O-O a5 10. Bh6 is note 3 to 6…a5; 8…c5?! 9. dxc5! (0.84);
8…Qa5!? 9. h5! is 7…O-O; 8…Na6? 9. h5 b4 10. Nd1 Nxh5 11. g4 Nf6 12. Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 Qa5 14. Ng3 (2.18d);
2
9…Be6? 10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4 Nf6 12. Bh6 is note 1; 9…Ba6? 10. h5! Nxh5 11. Bh6! Bxh6 12. Qxh6 (1.24d); 9...Bb7?
10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4! Nf6 12. Bh6 (1.87); 9…c5? 10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4! Nf6 12. Bh6 cxd4 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Qh6+ Kg8
15. g5 (1.64d); 9…Qa5?! 10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4! Nf6 12. Bh6 is note 3; 9…Na6? 10. h5! Nxh5 11. g4! is note 1.
3
8…O-O?! 9. Nxe6 fxe6 10. a4 b4 11. Ne2 a5 12. h4 Nh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. h5 e5 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. dxe5 (1.39);
4
10…a5?? 11. h5! Nxh5 12. g4! Nhf6 13. Ng3 b4 14. Qh6+ Kh8 15. Nd1! e5 16. g5 exd4 17. gxf6 Nxf6 18. Nf2 Qe7 19.
O-O-O (2.54); 10…h5? 11. O-O-O b4 12. Nb1 a5 13. g4 hxg4 14. h5 gxf3 15. Ng3 Rh8 16. Bh3 Nb6 17. Bxc8 Qxc8 18.
Qg5 Qg8 19. hxg6 fxg6 20. Nf5+ Kf8 21. Rxh8 Qxh8 22. Qxg6 f2 23. Rf1 (1.45d); 10…Ba6? 11. h5! Nxh5 12. g4! Nhf6
13. Qh6+ Kg8 14. Ng3 (1.54d); 10…Bb7? 11. h5 Nxh5 12. g4 Nhf6 13. Qh6+ Kh8 14. Ng3 b4 15. Nce2 (0.93d);
5
11…a5? 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4! Nhf6 14. Qh6+ Kh8 15. Ng3 is note 3; 11…Ba6? 12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6+ Kh8
15. g5! (15. Ng3!? Bxf1 16. Kxf1 +0.30d) Qa5 16. gxf6 Nxf6 17. Ne3 b3+ 18. c3 bxa2 19. Nf4 (2.33d); 11…Bb7? 12. h5
Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6+ Kh8 (1.54d); 11…e5? 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4! Nhf6 14. Qh6+ Kh8 15. Ng3 (1.00d);
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8…Nh5?! Its main value is as an odd move that could throw White off of his
preparation. 9. Bxg7 Nxg7 10. h4 O-O1 11. h5 Nxh52 12. g4 Nhf6 (12…Ng7? 13.
Qh6! +3.13) 13. Ng3 b43 14. Nce2 Qa54 15. Qh6 b3+ 16. Nc3 (1.37d) is similar to
other branches, except one of the White knights is on e2 instead of d1.
Alternatives To 9. Qxh6 Bb7
Pirc Stem after 9. Qxh6
Moves: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9.
Qxh6
Former FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov has chosen 9…Bb7 here, a strong indication
that this is the correct move. He has chosen this move against former FIDE world champion Kasparov,
in one of the biggest tournaments of all time, an even stronger indication that the theory of this line
begins and ends here. Kasparov’s undoubtedly explored, if not prepared, rook sacrifice in the late
opening, all but clinches the argument. Is there a better move than 9…Bb7? Probably not. Still, that
won’t help you much if your opponent deviates, so the alternatives must be explored:
10…a5?! 11. O-O-O O-O 12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4! Nhf6 14. Qh6 b4 15. Nb1 e5 16. Ng3 (2.51); 10…Ba6? 11. O-O-O O-O
12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6 b4 15. Nb1 Bxe2 16. Bxe2 (1.75d); 10…Nh5? 11. O-O-O O-O 12. g4 Ng7 13. h5 b4 14.
Nb1 gxh5 15. Ng3 (1.36d); 10…h5?! 11. O-O-O b4 (11…O-O? 12. g4 b4 13. Nb1 a5 14. Ng3 hxg4 15. h5 gxf3 16. hxg6
fxg6 17. Qh6 +1.72d) 12. Nb1 a5 13. Ng3 O-O 14. Ne2 Nb6 15. g4 hxg4 16. Ng3 gxf3 17. h5 a4 18. hxg6 fxg6 19. Qh6
(1.47d); 10…Bb7? 11. O-O-O O-O 12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6 b4 15. Nb1 (1.82d); 10…e5 11. O-O-O O-O 12. h5
Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qh6 exd4 15. Nxd4 Ne5 16. Nf5 (2.45)
2
11…b4? 12. Nd1 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Ng3 Qb6 15. g5 Nh5 16. Nxh5 gxh5 17. Ne3 (1.54d); 11…e5 12. O-O-O,
11…a5 12. O-O-O, 11…Ba6 12. O-O-O, and 11…Bb7 12. O-O-O are all note 1.
3
13…e5!? 14. Nce2 c5 15. d5 Qc7 16. Qh6 Qa5+ 17. c3 Rd8 18. g5 Ne8 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20. Bh3 (3.12); 13…Ba6? 14.
Qh6 b4 15.Nce2 Qa5 16. g5 b3+ 17. Nc3 bxc2 18. gxf6 (7.90); 13…Bb7? 14. Qh6 e5 15. g5 exd4 16. gxf6 (2.63);
13…c5?? 14. Qh6! cxd4 15. Nd5 Re8 16. g5 (4.42).
4
14…Qb6?? 15. Qh6! e5 16. g5 (3.45); 14…Ba6?! 15. Qh6 Bxe2 (15…Qa5 is the branch) 16. Bxe2 Qb6 17. O-O-O
(3.45); 14…Bb7 15. Qh6 Qa5 16. g5 b3+ 17. Nc3 bxc2 18. gxf6 (2.12); 14….e5 15. Qh6 Re8 16. g5 Nf8 17. gxf6 (2.09);
14…c5?? 15. Qh6! Qa5 16. g5 b3+ 17. Nc3! cxd4 18. Nf5! gxf5 19. gxf6 Nxf6 20. Rg1+ Ng4 21. fxg4 (3.18).
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9…b4!? Confronting the Nc3 is thematic and logical: 10. Nd1 Bb7 1 11. h4! c52 12.
h5! Nxh53 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Ng3 Rf84 15. dxc5 dxc55 16. Qh2 Rh8 17. Ne3 Ne5 18.
Bb5+ Kf8 19. Qh6+ Kg8 20. Be2 Ne8 21. Kf2 Qd4 22. c3!! 6 (-1.03d) represents the
logical strategy of blasting open the board while White has more space and far
superior coordination as compensation for the material. See the footnote for the
electronically generated conclusion which favors White.
And here is where I stopped compiling the book. My mother died in July, 2007, and my
eyesight failed me shortly thereafter. I wish the reader well in his chess endeavors, for mine are now
finished, much to my chagrin, since I really think I could have climbed the mountain. Alas, we’ll
never know, at least not until the gene therapy shot that is supposed to cure my condition is available,
sometime around 2020, when I will be fifty-three years old.
10…Qb6!? 11. a3 b3 12. c4 Ba6 13. Ne3 O-O-O 14. O-O-O c5 15. d5 (0.18) is simplest; 10…Rb8 11. a3 b3 12. c3 c5 13.
Qd2 O-O (13…Ba6!? 14. Ng3 O-O 15.Bxa6 Qxa6 16. h4 cxd4 17. cxd4 Rfc8 18. Nc3 Qa5 19. h5 Nxh5 20. Nxh5 gxh5 21.
O-O +0.06d); 14. h4! Ba6 15. h5 Nxh5 16. g4 Nhf6 17. Qh6 (-0.30d);
2
11…e5!? 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Ng3 Ng8 (14…exd4?! 15. g5! +0.69d) 15. Qg7 Qf6 16. Qxf6 Ngxf6 17. dxe5
dxe5 18. g5 Ng8 19. Ne3 Ne7 20. O-O-O (0.27d); 11…Qa5?! 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Qd2 O-O 15. Ng3 c5 16. g5
Nh5 17. Nxh5 gxh5 18. Qh2 (0.69d); 11…Nb6?! 12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. e5 dxe5 15. dxe5 Nfd5 16. Qg7 (0.52d).
11…Qb6?! 12. Ne3 c5 13. O-O-O Rc8 14. Kb1 c4 15. Ng3 c3 16. b3 Qa5 17. Nc4 Qc7 18. h5 (0.66d); 11…Rb8!? 12. Ne3
Ba6 13. O-O-O Qa5 14. Kb1 (0.48); 11…Rc8?! 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Ng3 (0.54d); 11…a5?! 12. h5! Nxh5 13. g4
Nhf6 14. Ng3 (0.39d); 11…Qc7? 12. h5 Nxh5 13. g4 Nhf6 14. Ng3 O-O-O 15. Ne3 c5 16. g5 Nh5 17. Nxh5 (0.57d).
3
12…Qc7? 13. hxg6 fxg6 14. Ne3 (1.27); 12…Nf8? 13. hxg6 Nxg6 14. dxc5 dxc5 15. Nf4 (1.18); 12…Qa5 13. hxg6 fxg6
14. Qd2 (1.03); 12…Qb6 13. hxg6 fxg6 14. Qd2 (1.00).
4
14…e5!? 15. d5! Ng8 16. Qd2 a5 17. Bb5 Ba6 18. Bxa6 Rxa6 19. Ne3 Ne7 20. Rh6 a4 21. O-O-O b3 22. cxb3 axb3 23.
a3 (0.15d); 14…cxd4!? 15. g5 Nh5 (15…e5 transposes to the earlier line) 16. Nxh5 gxh5 17. Qg7 Rf8 18. Qxd4 (0.27d).
5
15…Nxc5!? 16. Qd2 Rh8 17. Ne3 a5 18. Bb5+ Kf8 19. O-O-O Rc8 (19…Qb6?? 20. Nd5 Nxd5 (20…Bxd5?? 21. Qh6+
Kg8 22. Nf5 +7.18; 19…Qc7? 20. Nd5 +1.33) 21.Qh6+ Kg8 22. Nf5! +1.42) 20. Nef5 Ne6 21. Qh6+ Kg8 22. Nh5 Nxg4
23. fxg4 Bxe4 24. Rhe1!! Rxc2+ 25. Kb1 Re2+ 26. Ka1 Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Bxf5 28. gxf5 Qf8 29. Qe3 Nc7 30. Qxe7 (2.84).
6
22…bxc3 23. bxc3 Qxc3 24. Rac1 Qa3 (24…Qa5 25. Qg5 f6 26. Qh6 Qxa2 27. Rc2 Qa5 28. Nc4 Qc7 (28…Rg8?? 29.
Rxg8 +7.42) 29. Nxe5 Qxe5 30. Bc4+ e6 31. Rd1 +1.75) 25. Ngf5 gxf5 26. gxf5 f6 27. Rhg1+ Kf7 28. Bb5 e6 29. Bxe8+
Kxe8 30. Qxf6 Nd3+ 31. Kg3 Nxc1 32. Qxe6+ Kd8 33. Rd1+ Nd3 34. Nc4 Qc3 35. Ne5 Kc7 36. Qd7+ Kb6 37. Qd6+ Ka5
38. Qc7+ Ka4 39. Nxd3 Rag8+ 40. Kf4 Rg7 41. Nxc5+ Ka3 42. Qd6 Rd8 43. Qxd8 Qxc5 44. Qd3+ Ka4 45. Qb3+ Ka5 46.
Qb2 Qc7+ 47. e5 Qc4+ 48. Qd4 Qxd4+ 49. Rxd4 (2.42). Sacrificial play seems to be White’s only option.
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