Andrew Martin:

Basic Defence
The topic of defence will have to be
approached by the coach at some stage. It is
so important when training young players to
show them how to attack, how to create
combinations and to fire the imagination.
But the other side of the coin is not so far
away and learning how to defend is a most
important skill.
The purpose of this short article is to help
the coach teach basic defence.Let me list
what I think are the skills needed to become
a good defender and then we will deal with
them in order.
1) Self confidence.
2) Counterplay is the essence of defence.
3) Exchanging can break an attack.
4) Return material to get a good position.
5) Attack with the maximum, defend with
the minimum.
SELF BELIEF
Lets begin with self-belief. This is such an
important quality which helps us to develop
our full potential. Most players have
enormous talent for chess which lies
unfulfilled simply because they do not
believe in themselves. How does this apply
to defence? Consider the following game.
Nakamura H. : Short N.
London 2010
There are two important, interlinked
components which help a competitor to keep
in form. You have to play a lot and you have
to play with inspiration. Don't underestimate
the second item on the shortlist. Without
inspiration it's easy to become jaded and
results can nosedive at this point.

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

At the London Chess Classic 2010 Nigel

Short seemed to be lacking inspiration and at
world-class level, any weakness is going to
be exploited.
1.e4 e5 2.Sf3 Sc6 3.Lb5 a6 4.La4 Sf6 5.00
Le7 6.Te1 b5 7.Lb3 00 8.c3 d5 9.ed5 e4?!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9+-zp-vlpzpp0
9p+n+-sn-+0
9+p+P+-+-0
9-+-+p+-+0
9+LzP-+N+-0
9PzP-zP-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
The Herman Steiner variation, considered
very dubious, but of course, very unclear.
Black can often whip up a dangerous attack.
It takes a great player like Nakamura to
expose it.
10.dc6 ef3 11.g3!?

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9+-zp-vlpzpp0
9p+P+-sn-+0
9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+LzP-+pzP-0
9PzP-zP-zP-zP0
9tRNvLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A remarkably self-confident move. It's very
easy to see why 11 g3 has been more or less
ignored for so long as it seems to expose
weak light squares around the White King.
But Short never even gets to close to getting
in.
Basically Nakamura belives that he can
defend against any forthcoming Black attack
and eventually round up the pawn on f3.
1

Instead, after 11.d4 Black also has it all to

prove: 11...fg2 12.Df3 Te8 13.Lg5 a5
(13...Lg4 14.Dg2 Lh5 15.Sd2 Dd6 16.Te5
Lg6 17.Tae1 Kf8 18.Lh4 Sg8 19.Lg3 Df6
20.Se4 Le4 21.De4 Dg6 22.De2 Tad8 23.d5
f6 24.Lc2 Df7 25.Te6 Td5 26.Lb3 Tg5
27.Te3, 1:0, So W. : Shukuraliev A.,
Guangzhou 2010) 14.Sd2 a4 15.Lc2 Le6
16.Te6 fe6 17.Dh3 g6 18.Te1 Dd6 19.Te6
Dd5 20.Sf3 Ld8 21.Tf6 Lf6 22.Lf6 Tf8
23.Lg6 hg6 24.Dh8 Kf7 25.Dg7 Ke6 26.De7
Kf5 27.Sh4 Kg4 28.De2 Kh3 29.De3, 1:0,
Shirov A. : Lahno K., Benidorm 2008.
11...Te8 12.d4
12.Df3 Lc5.
12...Lg4 13.Lg5 h6
13...Dd6 14.Dd3 h6 15.Lf6 Lf6 16.Sd2 Dc6
17.Dg6 Le6 18.Dh5.
14.Lf6 Lf6 15.Sd2 Dd6 16.h3!
Very good timing. Far from helping Black,
the pawn on f3 is simply getting in his way!
16...Lh5
Or 16...Te1 (16Lh3 17.Df3 +-) 17.De1
Lh3 18.De4!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+k+0
9+-zp-+pzp-0
9p+Pwq-vl-zp0
9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-zPQ+-+0
9+LzP-+pzPl0
9PzP-sN-zP-+0
9tR-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
which is an effective centralization.
17.Dc2 Lg5 18.Se4 Dc6
18...Dg6 19.Dd3, intending Bc2, is very
good for White.
19.Sg5 hg5 20.Df5 Te1
20...Dg6 21.Dg6 Lg6 22.Ld5.
21.Te1 Te8 22.Te5!
Control of the position is what all strong
chessplayers desire and this is what 22 Te5!
gives to Nakamura. 22.Te8 De8 23.De5 De5

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

24.de5 might give Black some drawing

chances.
22...Te5 23.de5 Lg6
23...Dg6 24.Dg6 Lg6 25.Ld5.
24.Dg5 De4 25.Dd8 Kh7 26.Dh4 Dh4
27.gh4 f6
27...Lh5 28.Kh2 Kh6 29.Kg3 mops up, with
the help of Ld1-f3.
28.ef6 gf6 29.Ld5

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zp-+-+k0
9p+-+-zpl+0
9+p+L+-+-0
9-+-+-+-zP0
9+-zP-+p+P0
9PzP-+-zP-+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
You could say that this was the culmination
of White's plan, which began with 11 g3.
29...a5 30.b4 ab4 31.cb4 Ld3 32.Kh2 Lc4
33.Le4
33.Lf3 La2.
33...Kh6 34.a3 1:0.
Easy does it and total self-belief from
Nakamura. He saw no ghosts, displayed no
fear of Short's attack and won comfortably in
the end. But how does one acquire this
elusive quality of self confidence? Here are
some good starting tips:
1) Work hard.
2) Play a lot.
3) Listen to good advice from people you
respect and trust.
COUNTERPLAY
Counterplay is the main currency of the
successful defender. You need to create a
distraction in order to stop the opponent
from running you down. Developing
counterplay from a defensive position is an
art, so let's see how the job is done.
2

Ivanchuk V. : Short N.
Linares 1992
We learn very early that damaging our pawn
structure is a bad idea. Doubled pawns,
isolated pawns, tripled pawns are to be
avoided lest a bad endgame lurks in the
wings. That may be true, but there are
certain circumstances when we can make a
poor pawn structure work for us. There are
a few observations worth noting:
1) If your pawn structure is worse, don't
routinely swap the pieces off. Stay in the
middlegame and aim for the initiative.
2) Isolated or doubled pawns generally mean
open lines next to those pawns. Get your
pieces on those open lines.
3) If you must swap pieces, keep your active
pieces on the board at all cost . If you can tie
the opponent down, you might be able to
stop him from realising his strategical
advantage. Thus the matter is not clearcut.
1.d4 Sf6 2.c4 e6 3.Sc3 d5 4.cd5 ed5 5.Lg5
Lf5 6.e3 c6 7.Df3 Lg6 8.Lf6 Df6 9.Df6 gf6

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-+p+p0
9-+p+-zpl+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
On his road to the World Championship
final against Kasparov, back in the early
1990's, Nigel Short seemed willing to play
all sorts of openings where doubled pawns
were involved. This is one such case in the
Queen's Gambit. Black's position looks
ghastly, but he has two Bishops and he may
be able to tie White down on the dark
squares. I wouldn't like to be playing
Petrosian with Black or a player of immense

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

patience,but it is very tough for White to

increase his advantage.
10.Kd2
Just supporting Ld3. Of course Black will
not exchange on this square. 10.Sge2 is
another steady move, but in the following
recent game Black easily held the balence:
10...Sd7 11.Sf4 Sb6 12.f3 Ld6. It is very
important White cannot contest the dark
squares. This forms the larger part of Black's
'compensation' for the pawn weakness.
13.Kf2 00 14.h4 h6 15.g4 Tae8 16.Te1 Te7
17.Tg1 Kh8 18.Sg6

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-tr-mk0
9zpp+-trp+-0
9-snpvl-zpNzp0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+PzP0
9+-sN-zPP+-0
9PzP-+-mK-+0
9+-+-tRLtR-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Paradoxical, but he did not like 18.h5 Lh7
19.Sg2 Tfe8 20.Sh4 (20.Td1 f5! dissolving
the doubled pawns!) 20...Lh2 21.Th1 Lf4!,
with a serious hit on the dark squares)
18...fg6 19.Ld3 Kg7 20.h5 g5 21.Te2 a6
22.Td1, , Grischuk A. : Bruzon B., Wijk
aan Zee 2005. At this level, the opposite
coloured Bishops mitigate in favour of a
draw.
10...Sd7 11.Ld3 a5 12.Sf3 Sb6 13.b3 Kd7
14.Se1 Lb4 15.Sc2 Lc3
Unstereotyped. Short supposedly gives up
his main trump card. In reality Black is
looking deeply into the position. White
cannot open up the game without preparing
and carrying out the e3-e4 advance, so Black
takes away a defender of that square and
piles up on the e file.
16.Kc3 Sc8! 17.Tae1 Sd6 18.f3 The8
19.Te2 Te7 20.The1 Tae8

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+r+-+0
9+p+ktrp+p0
9-+psn-zpl+0
9zp-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+PmKLzPP+-0
9P+N+R+PzP0
9+-+-tR-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
The strategy is complete. Black's active
pieces dissuade White from his pawn break.
The doubled pawns on f7 and f6 cannot be
considered a weakness if White cannot get to
them.
21.Sa3 b6 22.Kd2 Ld3 23.Kd3 f5 24.Sb1
c5!
Reminding Ivanchuk that Black has a
queenside pawn majority.
25.Sc3 Kc6 26.a4 Te6 27.Tc1 h5 28.Tcc2
h4 29.Tc1 Tg6 30.Tcc2 Teg8
Note the switch to another half-open file
next to the doubled pawns.
31.Sb1 Se8 32.Sc3 Sc7 33.e4
Finally, to get active, but now the doubled
pawns disappear.
33...fe4 34.fe4 Tg5 35.ed5 .
This was a very instructive game, which
could easily be bypassed, as in my
experience many players completely ignore
games which are drawn; they simply don't
play them through! Short showed how to
juggle with doubled pawns and come out the
other side intact.
Pert R. : Rendle T.
British Championship 2010
Failing to appreciate danger is a common
mistake at the chessboard and can lead to a
purely defensive position. Let see the
following game, where Black makes
precisely this error.

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Sd2 Le7 4.Ld3 c5 5.dc5

Sf6 6.De2 Sc6 7.Sgf3 Sb4 8.00 Sd3 9.cd3
Lc5 10.Sb3 Le7 11.Lg5
The critical position. What do you think
Black should do now?
11...Db6?!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+k+-tr0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9-wq-+psn-+0
9+-+p+-vL-0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+N+P+N+-0
9PzP-+QzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
It is hard to believe that this is a mistake, but
from now on Pert develops an enduring
initiative. It appears that Black must force a
decision with 11..h6, preempting e4-e5.
11...h6! 12.Lh4 (12.Lf6 Lf6 13.e5 Le7
14.Tac1 00 15.Tc2 a5 16.Tfc1 Ld7 17.Sc5
Lc5 18.Tc5 Db6 19.T1c3 Tac8 20.Dc2 Tc5
21.Tc5 Lb5 22.d4 a4 23.Sd2 Da6 24.h3 Ta8
25.Dc3 Ld7 26.Sf1 De2 27.Dd2 De4 28.a3
Lc6 29.Sg3 Dh4 30.Tc3 Ta6 31.Se2 Dg5
32.Sf4 Df5 33.Sd3 Ta8 34.Sb4 Tc8 35.Dc2
Df4 36.Dd1 De4 37.g3 h5 38.h4 g6 39.Kh2
Kg7 40.Te3 Df5 41.Tf3 Dg4 42.Sc2 Lb5
43.Se3 De4 44.Tf4 Dd3 45.Df3 Tc7 46.g4
De2 47.Dg2 hg4 48.Sg4 Df1 49.Df1 Lf1
50.h5 gh5 51.Sf6 Kf8 52.Tf3 Ke7 53.Tg3
Tc2 54.b3 ab3 55.Tb3 La6 56.Tf3 h4 57.Kh3
Td2 58.Tf4 Td3 59.Kh4 Ta3 60.Sg8 Ke8
61.Sh6 b5 62.Tf7 b4 63.Kg5 b3 64.Tf3 Le2
65.Tg3 b2 66.Ta3, 0:1, Gu Xiaobing : Le
Thanh Tu, Subic Bay 2009) 12...Db6 13.e5
(13.Tac1 de4 14.de4 Ld7 15.Tfd1 Lb5
16.Dc2 Lc6 17.e5 Sd5 18.Sfd4 00 19.Dc5
Tfe8, , Svidler P. : Morozevich A., Almaty
2008) 13...Sg8 14.Lg3 a5 15.Lf4 a4 16.Le3
Da6 17.Sbd4 Ld8 18.Ld2 Ld7 19.Tac1 Lb6
20.Lb4 Da7 21.Sc2 Lc5 22.Dd2 Se7 23.Lc5
Dc5 24.Sb4 Db6 25.a3 00 26.Tc2 Tfc8
4

27.Tfc1 Dd8 28.Sa2 Tc2 29.Tc2 Tc8 30.Tc8

Dc8 31.Dc3 Dc3 32.bc3 Sg6, , Bojkovic
N. : Vojinovic J., Pozarevac 2009.
12.e5! Sg8 13.Le3 Db4 14.Sfd4
The biggest danger to Black now is the pawn
lever f4-f5. Rendle tries to stop it.
14...Sh6 15.Tac1 Sf5
15...00 leaves Black with the same
predicament, after 16.Tc7! Ld8 (16...Te8
17.Lh6 gh6 18.Dg4 Kh8 19.Tfc1+-) 17.Tc3
Lb6 (17...f6 18.Tfc1+-) 18.Dd2 Sg4 19.Tc8!
16.Sf5 ef5 17.Tc7!
Good, but not quite as strong is 17.Lc5 Lc5
18.Tc5, when Black also has to suffer.
17...Ld8 18.Tc3 b6 19.Sd4 00 20.a3 Da4
21.Df3 Dd7 22.Tfc1

EXCHANGING

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lvl-trk+0
9zp-+q+pzpp0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+pzPp+-0
9-+-sN-+-+0
9zP-tRPvLQ+-0
9-zP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zppwq-vlpzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0
9+-sN-zp-+-0
9Q+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-vL-zP-0
9P+-+PzPLzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Flawless play by White over the past ten

moves. Black has been driven passive and
cannot free himself.
22...Te8 23.Dg3 Lb7
23...g6 24.h4 Lb7 25.h5+-.
24.e6! Te6
24...fe6 25.Tc7; 24...De7 25.Sf5.
25.Se6 De6 26.Ld4+Even the coming short, technical phase is
handled perfectly.
26...g6 27.De5 De5 28.Le5 f6 29.Lc7 La6
29...Le7 30.Lb6 ab6 31.Tc7.
30.Ld8 Td8 31.d4 Te8 32.Te3! Te4 33.Te4
fe4 34.Tc7 f5 35.Ta7 Lc4 36.Tb7 b5 37.b3
Lb3 38.Tb5 Lc4 39.Tb7 1:0.
A superb game by White.

The problem for Black is, that it is quite

difficult to develop the queenside. So
Karpov feels that he has to exchange on c5.
14...Lc5
14...Tb8 15.Tab1 Td8 16.Le4!
15.Lc5 Td8 16.Tfd1 Le6 17.h3 Td1
Alternative moves can lead to an unpleasant
position for Black: 17...Sa5 18.Db4 Sc4
19.Lb7 Td1 20.Td1 Tb8 21.La7; 17...h6
18.Tab1 Sa5 19.Td8 Dd8 20.Lb4 Sc6
21.Db5 Sb4 22.Tb4.
18.Td1 Td8!
White's Bishop pair is becoming stronger
and Karpov now makes his best decision of
the game. In his usual clear-sighted way he
sacrifices a pawn to reach a drawn endgame.
18...h6 19.Kh2 a6 20.Td6 Td8 21.Td8 Sd8
22.De8 Kh7 23.Df8.

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

Kasparov G. : Karpov A.
Moscow 1984
The following game provides us with an
excellent example of play at the highest
level. White gets the initiative early in the
game, but Karpov is able to break
Kasparov's grip by exchanging pieces at the
right moment. He is even willing to enter the
endgame a pawn down!
1.Sf3 Sf6 2.c4 c5 3.Sc3 Sc6 4.d4 cd4 5.Sd4
e6 6.g3 Db6 7.Sb3 d5 8.cd5 Sd5 9.Lg2 Sc3
10.bc3 Le7 11.00 e5 12.Le3 Dc7 13.Sc5 0
0 14.Da4

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+k+0
9zppwq-+pzpp0
9-+n+l+-+0
9+-vL-zp-+-0
9Q+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-+-zPP0
9P+-+PzPL+0
9+-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
19.Td8 Dd8 20.La7 Da8 21.Lc6 bc6
22.Kh2 h5 23.Da5 f6 24.a4 Dc8 25.h4 Lc4
.
The opposite coloured Bishops make it
impossible for White to make progress.
Exchanging pieces is a rational way to
defend when you are under pressure. Try to
determine which are the well-placed enemy
pieces and aim to remove them from the
board. If you can keep your own well-placed
pieces then so much the better!
RETURNING MATERIAL GAINS
The opening textbooks are filled with
dangerous gambits, where a player might
sacrifice material in order to get the attack.
In the middlegame, the same type of
sacrifice may occur, where material is
offered for time, space and momentum.
Let us establish that there is no need for the
defender to meekly surrender to his
opponent! Offers of material may be
accepted, but one should always look out for
the opportunity to return material in order to
get a good position!
Sveshnikov E. : Wu Shaobin
Beijing 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Sf3 Sc6 3.Lc4 Lc5 4.b4
The Evans Gambit, still very dangerous in
the hands of Grandmasters of the calibre of

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

Evgeny Sveshnikov, Nigel Short and Jonny

Hector.
4...Lb4 5.c3 La5 6.d4 ed4 7.00 Sge7!

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9zppzppsnpzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0
9vl-+-+-+-0
9-+LzpP+-+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
One of Black's best defences. Rather than
accept all the pawns on offer, Black
concentrates on development and achieves a
good position.
8.Sg5 d5! 9.ed5 Se5! 10.Lb5 c6 11.dc6 bc6
12.cd4 cb5 13.de5 Dd1 14.Td1 Lf5 15.Lb2
h6 16.Sf3 00
Black has emerged safely from the opening
complications and perhaps stands a fraction
better with the Bishop pair.
17.Sc3 a6 18.Sd4 Lg6 19.Sb3 Lb6 20.Td6
20.La3 Tfc8 is a good way for Black to
maintain his slight edge.
20...La7 21.Tad1 Tfc8 22.Td7 Sc6 23.e6
Se5 24.ef7 Lf7 25.Te7 Sg6 26.Tb7 Tcb8
Exchanging off a potential attacker.
27.Tdd7
27.Tb8 Tb8 28.Td7 Te8! 29.g3 Te7 30.Te7
Se7 31.Se4 b4

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9vl-+-snlzp-0
9p+-+-+-zp0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-zp-+N+-+0
9+N+-+-zP-0
9PvL-+-zP-zP0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
6

leads to an endgame, where Black's

queenside pawn majority is very important.
27...Tb7 28.Tb7 Se5
28...Te8! goes back into the last line and was
more precise.
29.Se4?
Possibly, the speed of the game prompted
this mistake. 29.Sb5! would have given
White an excellent chance to hold: 29...Lf2
30.Kf2 ab5 31.Le5 Ta2 32.Ke3 Lb3 33.Tg7
Kf8=.
29...Ld5 30.Te7 Sd3 31.Tg7 Kf8 32.Ta7
Ta7 33.Ld4 Tc7
Unfortunately for Svehsnikov, the win is
now quite routine for Black.
34.Sf6 Lb3 35.g4 Kf7 36.ab3 a5 37.g5 hg5
38.Se4 Td7 39.Le3 g4 40.Sc3 b4 41.Sa4
Ke6 42.Kg2 Kf5 43.h3 gh3 44.Kh3 Tg7
45.Sb6 Ke4 46.Sc4 Kf3 47.Sa5 Th7 0:1.
Very strong players usually make chess look
like an easy game, whereas we all know it is
not so simple! But the defensive principle
established by Wu in this game is easy
enough to comprehend: don't be greedy! Do
not hesitate to give back material gained, if
you can see a clear way through to a good
position.
DEFEND WITH THE MINIMUM
Slavin A. : Adams M.
British Championship 2010
White's usual theatre of attack is the kingside
in the coming old-fashioned queens pawn
game. However, Michael Adams makes any
projected White attack look very tame
indeed, using the following techniques.
1) He creates diversionary counterplay at
every opportunity.
2) He attacks with every piece available and
reserves the bare minimum of material for
defence.
3) He only defends when he has to.
Otherwise, his whole mindset is

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

concentrated on how he can get the

initiative.
1.d4 Sf6 2.Sf3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Ld3 Lb7 5.00
d5 6.Se5!?

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9zplzp-+pzpp0
9-zp-+psn-+0
9+-+psN-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+LzP-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A move of which Sultan Khan would have
been proud. Moreover, Slavin has recent
experience with 6.Se5 from both sides of the
board! However, the normal 6.Sbd2 or 6.b3
are both superior.
6...Ld6 7.f4
7.b3 00 8.Lb2 Sbd7 9.Sd2 Se4 10.f4 is
about the best White can hope for, but one
cannot help but form the impression that Se5
has been played too early. 10...Sd2 11.Dd2
f6= 12.Sf3 De7 13.c4 c5 14.cd5 ed5 15.Sh4
Tfe8 16.Tf3 Df7 17.Tg3 Lf8 18.Dc2 Te4
19.Le4 de4 20.Sf5 De6 21.Sh6 Kh8 22.d5
Ld5 23.f5 Dc6 24.Td1 b5 25.Dd2 Sb6
26.Dd5 Sd5 27.Sf7 Kg8 28.Sh6, , Rahman
Z. : Venkatesh M., Chennai 2010.
7...00 8.Sd2 c5
8...Se4 9.Se4 de4 10.Le2 Sd7 11.b3 De7
12.a4 Tad8 13.Sc4 Lb4 14.Lb2 Dh4 15.c3
Le7 16.De1 De1 17.Tfe1 a5 18.La3 La3
19.Ta3 Sf6 20.b4 Ta8 21.b5 Sd5 22.Kf2 f6
23.Sd2 e5 24.g3 g5 25.f5 Tfe8 26.Lc4 Kg7
27.Ld5 Ld5 28.c4 Lb7 29.d5 Lc8 30.g4 h5
31.h3 Th8 32.Se4 hg4 33.hg4 Th2 34.Kf3
Tc2 35.Tc3 Ta2 36.c5 Ta4 37.cb6 Lf5
38.Tc7 Kg6 39.gf5 Kf5 40.Sd6 Kg6 41.Tc8
e4 42.Kg3 Tc8 43.Sc8 Tb4 44.Sd6, 1:0,
Tymrakiewicz R. : Slavin A., Uxbridge
2010. This was possibly the game that

inspired Slavin to make his opening choice.

9.b3 b5!?

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+pzppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+P+LzP-+-0
9P+PsN-+PzP0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Unstereotyped and an effort by Adams to
unbalence a very stable situation. 9...Sc6
10.Lb2 Tc8 11.a3 Se7 12.De2 Se4 13.c4 f6?!
14.Sef3 Dc7 15.Tac1 Db8 16.dc5 Sc5
17.Lb1 dc4 18.Sc4 Ld5 19.Sd6 Dd6 20.e4
Lb3 21.e5 Dd7 22.ef6 gf6 23.Se5 fe5 24.De5
Sg6 25.De3 Ld5 26.Tcd1 Tf7 27.h4 Tcf8
28.g3 Tg7 29.Kh2 Sh4 30.Lg7 Dg7 31.Td5
ed5 32.gh4 d4 33.Df3 Kh8 34.Tf2 Dh6
35.Kh3 Te8 36.Dg4 Tg8 37.Df5 Dg7 38.Dg5
Dd7 39.Df5 Dg7 40.De5 d3 41.Dg7 Kg7
42.Td2 Kf6 43.Td1 Se4 44.Tf1 Sd2 45.Td1
Sb1 46.Tb1 Kf5 47.Tb4 Td8, 0:1, Slavin A. :
Gasanov E., Rijeka 2010.
10.c3
10.Lb5 may be possible: 10...cd4 11.Sdf3!
de3 12.Le3, but, of course, Black is fine after
12...Se4.
10...b4 11.cb4 cd4 12.ed4 Lb4 13.Lb2 Sc6
The position is a little better for Black,
thanks to the pawn structure, but White
should be able to hold it all together. It's
important that Slavin finds some counterplay
quickly and this he tries to do via Sdf3 and
Sg5.
14.De2 Db6 15.Sdf3 Ld6 16.a3 a5
16...Db3 17.Tab1 Db6 18.La1 Dc7 19.Tfc1
gives White too much.
17.Tac1 Le5!
Unexpected, when Black could put either of
his Rooks on c8. Slavin seems quite taken

FIDE Surveys Andrew Martin

aback by this unusual move and the quality

of his play heads downhill from here.
18.fe5 Se4 19.Le4 de4 20.Sg5??
It is baffling why he did not choose the
obvious 20.De4. Black has clear counterplay
after 20...Se7!, but this variation will lead to
a playable position for White: 21.Db1!
(21.De1 Db3 22.Dc3 Dc3 23.Lc3 Sf5)
21...Tac8 22.b4 (22.Tc8 Tc8 23.Sd2 Sf5
24.Tf4 Se3) 22...ab4 23.ab4 Db4 24.Lc3
Db1 25.Tb1 Le4 26.Tbc1.
20...Sd4 21.Ld4 Dd4 22.Kh1 h6
Or 22...De5 23.De3 Ld5 24.Tc5 f5+.
23.Sf7 Tf7 24.Tf7 Kf7 25.Tc7 Kg8 26.Tb7
Da1 0:1.
Attack with the maximum, defend with the
minimum. This principle underpins highlevel chess.
SUMMARY
Summarizing, only defend when you have
to, but this doesnt mean ignoring defensive
skills! Good opponents will try to put you
on the defensive from move one, so even a
rudimentary knowledge of defensive
techniques will help anyone to become a
stronger player.