Ivanchuk – Topalov, Linares 2006

A new move, forcing White to declare his intentions before developing the dark-squared bishop. The old move was 8… Be7, with the following continuations:

• 9. Bd3
  • 9… b5 10. O-O Bb7 11. Rfc1 O-O 12. a4 b4 13. Nb1 Nd7 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Nbd2 e5 16. Bf5 e4 17. Ne1 Na5 18. Qd1 Nb6 19. Rc5 Nac4 20. a5 Nxb2 21. Qb3 N6c4 22. Nxc4 Nxc4 23. Qxb4 Rfe8 24. Bh3 g6 25. Nc2 Kg7 26. g3 h5 27. Bf1 Nd6 28. Qb6 h4 29. Rc7 +/- Qe6 30. Ne1 hxg3 31. fxg3 Rab8 32. Rb1 (Shredder 7: 32. Ng2! g5 33. Bxa6 Bxa6 34. Qxa6 Rb2 35. Ne1 Rh8 36. Nc2 Qh3 37. Qe2 Ra8 38. Qf1 [1.63.12]) 32… Bc6 33. Rxc6 Rxb6 34. Rbxb6 Rd8 35. Ng2 Qe7 36. Bxa6 Nf5 37. Rc5 Rh8 38. Rb7 (38. Nf4! +-) 38… Qf6 39. Rb6 Qg5 40. Rxd5 Qh5! 41. h4 Qf3 42. Rxf5 gxf5! 43. Rb5 Qxg3 44. Rxf5 Rxh4 45. Bc8 Rg4 46. Rf2 Rg5 Bareev – Shirov, Tilburg 1993, 0-1 (46)
  • 9… O-O 10. O-O
    • 10… Bd7
      • 11. Rac1 Na5 12. Qd1 b5 13. Ne5 Nc4 14. Bb1 Rc8 15. b3 1/2-1/2 Alvarez,J-Perez,R/Villa Clara 1995/EXT 97 (15)
      • 11. Rfc1 b5 12. Ne5 Na5 13. Qc2 Rc8 14. Qb1 (also good is14. Bxf6! Bxf6 15. Nxd7 Qxd7 16. Bxh7+ +-) 14… h6 15. Bh4 Nc4 16. b3? Nxe5 17. dxe5 Ng4 18. Bg3 Bh4 19. a4 Bxg3 20. hxg3 Qb6 21. Qb2 Nxe3 22. Qe2 d4 23. Ne4 Nf5?! 24. g4 Ne7 25. g5 hxg5? (25… Nf5 +=) 26. Qh5 +- Nf5 (26… Ng6 27. Nf6+! gxf6 28. Bxg6 fxg6 29. Qxg6+ Kh8 30. exf6 +-) 27. g4 +- Rc3 Returning the material to slow down White’s attack 28. Nxc3 dxc3 29. gxf5 exf5 30. Rxc3 Qd4 31. Rc7?? (31. Rac1 +-) 31… Qxa1+ 32. Kg2 Be6 33. Qe2 bxa4 34. bxa4 Qxa4 35. Bxa6 Bd5+ 36. f3 g4 37. Kf2 Bxf3 38. Qd3 Qa2+ 39. Rc2 Qe6 40. Qd6 Re8 41. Rc5 Qa2+ 42. Ke3 Qh2 43. Bd3 f4+ 44. Kd4 Qb2+ 45. Kc4 Rb8 46. Rc7 Be2 47. e6 Qc2+ 48. Kd4 Qxd3+ 49. Ke5 f6+ Colombo – Barlocco, Robecchetto 1997. 0-1 (49)
    • 10… h6 11. Bh4 b5
      • 11… b5 12. Rac1 (12. Rfc1 Bb7 13. Qd1 Rc8 14. h3 Re8 15. Ne2 Ne4 Olzem – Eilers, Germany 2004, 1/2 (15)) 12… Bd7 13. Bb1 Ne8 14. Bg3?! (14. Qc2 +/-) 14… Bd6?! (14… Rc8) 15. Ne5 +/- Na5 16. Qc2 f5! (16… g6 fails to the brutal 17. Nxg6 +-) 17. Nxd7 (Shredder 7: 17. Ng6 Rf6 18. Bh4 Qb8 19. Bxf6 Bxh2+ 20. Kh1 Nxf6 21. Ne2 Bd6 22. Nef4 Nc4 23. Kg1 Be8 24. Qb3 Bxg6 25. Nxg6 [0.81/13]) 17… Qxd7 18. Ne2 Rf7 19. Nf4 Bxf4?! Swopping off his strong bishop 20. Bxf4 Nd6 21. Qc3 Nab7 22. Bxd6? Nxd6 23. Qc6 Ra7 24. Qxd7 Rfxd7 25. Rc6 Kf7 26. Rfc1 Ne8 27. Kf1 Rdc7 28. Ke2 Ke7 29. f3 Kd7 30. R6c5 Rxc5 31. dxc5 Nf6 32. Kd3 e5 33. f4 Ke6 34. a3 a5 35. Ba2 Ne4 36. Bb1 b4 37. Ke2 exf4 38. exf4 Rc7 39. axb4 axb4 40. Bxe4 dxe4 41. Rc4 Kd5 42. Rxb4 Rxc5 43. Kd2 g5 44. Ke3 g4 45. Rd4+ Wild – Taeger, Germany 1996, 1/2 (45)
      • 11… g5 12. Bg3 Nh5 13. Be5 f6 14. Bg3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 f5 16. Rac1 g4 17. Ne5 Nxe5 18. dxe5 b5 19. Ne2 Bd7 20. Nd4 Qb8 21. Bxf5! (21. Nxf5!! +- exf5 22. Qxd5+ Check and an attack on the d7-bishop) 21… Qxe5 22. Bxg4 Rac8 23. Qd3 Qf6 24. Qd2 Bd6 25. Rxc8 Bxc8 26. Rc1 Bd7 27. Nf3 Kg7 28. Bh3 Rc8 29. Rxc8 Bxc8 30. Nd4 Bd7 31. f4 b4 32. Qd3 Bc8 33. Bg4 Bc5 34. Nf3 Bd7 35. Ne5 Bb5 36. Qd2 a5 37. Kf2 Bd6 38. Qd4 Bxe5 39. Qxe5 Qxe5 40. fxe5 Kf7 41. a3 bxa3 42. bxa3 Bd3 43. Bh5+ Ke7 44. Be2 Bc2 45. g4 Bg6 46. Kg3 Kf7 47. Kh4 Be4 48. Bf3 Bd3 49. g5 hxg5+ 50. Kxg5 Bb5 51. Kh6 Bd3 52. Bh5+ Kf8 53. Bg6 Bb5 54. Bh5 Bd3 55. g4 Kg8 56. Bg6 Be2 57. g5 Bg4 58. Bh7+ Avetisyan – Buxade Roca, Mallorca 2004, 1-0 (58)
    • 10… b5 11. Rad1 Bb7 12. Bb1 Na5 13. Qc2 Ne4 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Ne5 Rac8 16. f3 Nf6 17. Qf2 Nd7 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Ne2 b4 20. Nf4 Bc6 21. Nh5 f5 22. Nf4 Bb5 23. Rfe1 Nb7 24. Kh1 a5 25. Rg1 Nd6 26. g4 Qf7 27. gxf5 Nxf5 28. Rg4 Rc7 29. Rdg1 Qe8 30. Qg2 Rff7 31. Qh3 Qc8 +/- 32. Nxd5? (32. Bxf5 exf5 33. Rg5 +/-) 32… exd5 (Shredder 7: 32… exd5 33. Bxf5 Rxf5 34. Qh6 Rff7 35. Rh4 Qf5 36. Rf4 Qc2 37. Qe6 Bc6 38. Rxf7 Qxh2+ 39. Kxh2 [-2.79/13]) 33. Rg5 Rc1 -/+ (33… Bd7! -+) 34. Bxf5 Rxg1+ 35. Kxg1 Qc1+ 36. Kf2 Qd2+ 37. Kg3 Qe1+?! (37… h6!! 38. Qxh6 Qxe3 39. Qh4 Qg1+ 40. Kf4 Qxd4+ -+) 38. Kf4 Bd7?? 39. Qxh7+ Kf8 40. Qh8+ Ke7 41. Rxg7 Bxf5 42. Rxf7+ Kxf7 43. Kxf5 Qxe3 44. Qf6+ Kg8 45. Kg6 Qg1+ 46. Qg5 Deak – Papp, Hungary 2003, 1-0 (46)
• 9. Rc1 Na5 10. Qc2 b5 11. Bxf6? White seems intent on swapping into a two knights versus two bishops in a semi-open position. 11… Bxf6 12. b4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 dxc4 14. Ne4?! Bb7 15. Nc5?! Bxf3 16. gxf3 O-O 17. Qe4 Qc7 18. f4 a5 19. a3 axb4 20. axb4 Ra2 21. O-O Rfa8 22. Rc2 h6 23. Rb1 Ra1 24. Rcc1 -/+ Rxb1?? 25. Qxa8+ Gerbes – Smeyts, Germany 1998, 1-0 (25)
• 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O b5 11. Rac1 Bb7 12. Rfd1 (12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Na4? Na5! 14. Qb4 bxa4 15. Rc5 Be7 16. Qxa5 Bxc5 17. Qxc5 -/+ f6 Rausch – Pedersen, Germany 2003, 0-1 (54)) 12… Rc8 13. a4?! Na5 14. Qa2 b4 15. Nb1 b3 16. Qa1 Ne4?! Black’s minute advantage rests in the badly placed White queen, and so keeping his dark-squared bishop on the board at e7 is his way towards cementing that advantage. (16… Qd6 =) 17. Rxc8 Bxc8 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Ne5 Bb7 20. Qa3 Qxa3 21. Nxa3 Rc8 22. f3! Nd6 (22… Nf6 is better) 23. Kf2 f6 24. Nd7 Rc6 25. Nc5 +/- Black’s stranded b3-pawn is now a weakness, and his a5-knight is out on a limb trying to protect it. 25… Bc8 26. Rc1 Rb6 27. Rc3 Rb4 Black is in a semi-zugzwang, he can only hold the queenside against White’s threats. 28. Nxa6 A premature easing of pressure on the queenside. White had an ideal moment to expand on the kingside, and increase pressure on the centre. The flurry of exchanges that follows sees White’s advantage dissapate, forcing him to start from scratch again. (28. g4 +/-) 28… Bxa6 29. Bxa6 Rxa4 30. Ke2!? (30. Rc7!) 30… Ndc4 = Now Black is comfortably holding out on the queenside. 31. Bxc4 dxc4 32. Kd2 Kf7 33. Rc1 Ke7 (33… f5 +=) 34. Kc3 Kd6 35. e4 Kc6 36. Rd1 Kd6 37. f4 Suddenly the advantage swings decisively to White. His centre pawns are irresistable. 37… h6 38. d5! A decisive breakthrough that opens a file for white’s ‘extra’ rook. Black has too many weaknesses to cover. 38… e5 39. fxe5+ fxe5 40. Rf1 Nb7 41. Rf7 Rxa3 42. bxa3 Nc5 43. Kxc4 b2 44. Rf1 Nxe4 45. Kd3 Kxd5 46. Rb1 Nc5+ 47. Kc3 Ke4 48. Kc4 Na4 49. Kb4 Kd3 50. Kxa4 Kc2 51. Rxb2+ Kxb2 52. Kb4 e4 53. Kc4 Kxa3 54. Kd4 Kb4 55. Kxe4 g6 56. Ke5 Kc4 57. Kf6 g5 58. g4 Kd4 59. Kg6 Ke5 60. Kxh6 Kf6 61. h3 Kuhnen – Nitsche, Bad Wiessee 2000, 1-0 (61)

Clearing the way for the White queen to play a dominating role down the c-file and the b1-h7 diagonal.

13. Nxd5?? exd5 14. Rxc6 Bxh2+ 15. Kxh2 Qxc6 -+

White seems a little listless while his opponent is energetically building up some queenside initiative.

22… Bxc7?! 23. Qxb4 Nc4 24. b3 axb3 25. axb3 +=

Closing the c-file. Its clear Black isn’t playing just for a draw.

Controls f4

This allows Black to open lines on the kingside, and with his better placed pieces he can play on both sides of the board.

As a result of the pawn exchanges, White has lost the f4-outpost for his knights.

Over ambitious. White doesn’t have the time nor space to take advantage of the h-file.

The pawn envelope constrains the White knights as well as opening the second rank for Black’s more mobile rook. White’s ambitions on the h-file are thwarted.

30… Bxg3 isn’t as strong as it looks. 31. Qf3 =+

Even though White has the good light-squared bishop, this move allows Black’s light-squared bishop to dominate the White position.

32. b3!? Na3 33. Rxc7 Qxc7 34. Nde1 -/+

A clever intermezzo. The White knights stumble around.

35… a3 36. b3 Nb2 37. Rxb2 axb2 38. Nxb2 Bxb1 39. Qxb1 -+

Better is 36. Qxa4 Rh7 37. Kg1 -+ (Shredder 7: Be7 38. b3 Na3 39. Nc5 Nxb1 40. Qxb4 Bxh4 41. gxh4 Rxh4 42. Nxe4 fxe4 [-3.20/12])

A temporary piece sacrifice to force entry down the c-file to c1.

Decoy to e3

37. fxe3 Rc1 {Theme: Double Attack}

White is tied up.

38… Bxb1?! 39. Rxe6 Qxe6 40. Qxc1 -/+

39. Re2 the only chance to get some counterplay Kf7 40. Qg5 -+

And Black can avoid the barrage of checks by escaping to the queenside, after which the White king can no longer resist Black’s attack.

40… Kf7 41. Qg6+ Ke7 -+