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CARO-KANN ADVANCE
WITH 4.Be3
By WGM Yelena Dembo
Yelena Dembo is a Women Grandmaster.
Yelena has been a medallist in the World or European Youth Championships 7 times,
including winning first place in the Girls European under 20 rapid Championship in 2002.
Yelena became a WGM in 2001 and Men's IM in 2003.
Yelena was the winner of Bykova's Memorial tournament (women's WGM event) in
December 2004.
Yelena has had more than 70 games published in the famous Yugoslav publication "Chess
Informant" with her analysis and novelties. She has been a chess journalist from the age
of 15. She writes for Austrian, German, Hungarian, Russian and Czech Republic
magazines.
Yelena has been a professional chess trainer from the age of 13. She has students from
more than 36 countries, ranging from unrated to 2450 Elo.
Yelena has written a chess book (in Russian so far but will also be in English!) about
modern methods in the middlegame.
4.Be3
This system has become popular in the last few years, and the key idea is flexibility. It has many
similarities with the Short system (4.Nf3), but also a few key differences, that will be explained
later.
4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 This aggressive system was all the rage a few years ago, but has now
been discarded from top-level practice, as it entails considerable risk. The main drawback is that
White is unable to either discourage ...c5 or protect his centre adequately; this is the dark side of
having the knight on c3. Black has found a couple of strong antidotes, the most popular of which
is 6...c5 7.h4 (7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 is yet another possibility, but Black has been doing well here
recently.) 7...h5! 8.Nf4 Bh7 9.Nxh5 Nc6!
4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 This is called the "Short" system, named after the English GM who popularised it
in the 90s. White usually aims for calm development, hoping to make use of his space advantage
later. In comparison with the French, Black has got his light-squared bishop outside of the pawn
chain here, but at the cost of losing a tempo when he eventually plays the natural break ...c5. In
fact White often prepares to meet an early ...c5 with Be3 and c2-c4, breaking open the centre and
hoping to make use of his better development; in these lines the Bf5 often turns out to be a target.
Thus Black has often resorted to more solid systems, first completing his development. For
example: 5...Nd7 6.00 Bg6 intending ...Nh6-f5, ...Be7, ...00. While White's space advantage
remains unchallenged in this way, his piece setup does not help him to make substantial gains,
while Black's position is very solid; he can contemplate going for ...c5 or ...f6 later.
4.h4 h5 (4...h6) 5.c4 is another popular system, but hardly dangerous. Black will often capture on
c4 at some point and develop comfortably with ...Nd7-b6, ...Ne7-f5 (after ...Bg6 for example),
...Be7 and ...Qd7; his control of d5 promises good play. Moreover, White even meets specific
difficulties in actually forcing Black to take on c4 in the line 5...e6 6.Nc3 Be7! Black has always
scored well in this line (but also in others).
So, what are the specifics of our system? Perhaps the most significant factor is that with his last
move White strongly discourages the natural ...c5 break, which will now require additional
support. He can also meet ...f6 with f2-f4, retaining his space advantage in the centre. White's
next move will usually be Nd2, keeping all options open. He intends to support his centre with c2c3 if necessary, but he can also consider meeting ...c5 with simple development and after ...cxd4
to recapture with a knight. The move Nf3 is delayed, because if Black chooses a slow setup
White would definitely like to play f2-f4 first, gaining more space on the kingside. The lightsquared bishop will be developed to e2, as the Bf5 should not be exchanged; it may become a
target for the pawn advance later on. Of course White will castle short.
It is immediately clear that if White can develop along the above guidelines without being
disturbed, he will enjoy a very good position; Black will be squeezed and have no play.
However, Black's position is not as bad as the previous paragraph makes it sound! He has
himself some good options to rely on - the key point is to remain flexible as well! For example, if
White plays f2-f4 then Black can consider playing ...h5, controlling some squares and freezing
White's advances. This would be very risky without f2-f4 played, as then White could access the
weakened g5-square. Another idea, depending on White's next few moves, is to play ...c5
anyway; sometimes there can be tactical or positional justification for this move. But the most
important of all ideas is the one that takes advantage of White's flexible 4th move: an attack on
b2! The move ...Qb6 features in practically every plan of Black's. It can cause some discomfort
to White with the defence on b2 (although White even sacrifices it sometimes!), it supports ...c5,
and sometimes even creates the preconditions for kingside action, thanks to the indirect attack on
the Be3 (more on this later!).
White can meet ...Qb6 in four different ways, always depending on the moment it is played:
a) he can play Nb3 (if the knight is already on d2), also increasing his control over c5; this is the
most common method.
b) he can play b2-b4 (if he has already played c3); this prevents ...c5 for good, but may give
Black a target for counterplay with ...a5.
c) he can play Qb3 (again if c3 has been played); a queen exchange would dramatically reduce
Black's active potential.
d) he can play Qc1 or Rb1 (usually White's last resort, when none of the above is applicable).
Of course, in certain cases White can even sacrifice this pawn, hoping to exploit his development
lead; this is usually combined with c2-c4 to open up the position.
So let's get on to the specifics!
4...e6
4...Qb6 This is Black's most direct move, practically forcing Qc1. There is a dark side to this
move, however, as White now obtains an aggressive option that promises him an initiative. 5.Qc1
e6 6.c4! Compared to lines such as 4.h4 h5 5.c4 or even 4.c4, this is much stronger now. White
threatens to put a clamp on Black's position with c4-c5 (with tempo!) and will be ready to support
his advanced pawns with b4 and f4, thus keeping Black's pieces very restricted. The queen is
misplaced on b6 for the structure arising after ...dxc4 and will have to move again. 6...dxc4
7.Bxc4
5.Nd2
This has emerged as White's most flexible and promising move, through a process of elimination.
5.c3 was mostly played at first, actually via the move order 4.c3 e6 5.Be3, but Black has
discovered a concrete way to combat White's setup in this move order. 5...Nd7 6.Nd2 Qb6 (6...f6
can also be tried, in order to avoid 6...Qb6 7.b4, although that is not strictly necessary. 7.f4
(7.Ngf3!? may be an interesting alternative.) 7...Qb6 8.Qb3 Otherwise ...fxe5; the loose Be3
harms White in this case. 8...g5!) 7.Qb3 (7.b4 was tried in the impressive game ZvjaginsevDautov, but later Black improved with 7...a5! securing adequate counterplay.) 7...f6 8.f4 g5! With
this dynamic move Black breaks down White's pawn chain and ensures good counterplay. In
fact, Black has been very successful from this position in practice.
5...Nd7
Black's most logical move, preparing ...c5 but also ...f6 (all thanks to the pressure on e5).
5...Qb6 6.Nb3 Nd7 will transpose to the main lines. White has again almost all his normal options
available and indeed several games have started in this way rather than 5...Nd7. There seems to
be no real significance to the move order, apart of course from the fact that it doesn't give White a
second chance to go for the c3 lines.
White now must choose how to proceed, with each of his natural choices having specific pros and
cons.
6.f4
The most popular move, immediately setting in motion White's plan of expansion. Black meets it
in two fundamentally different ways, both of which appear to be satisfactory.
6.c3 This leads back to 5.c3 and therefore doesn't challenge Black at all. 6...Qb6 (6...f6)
6.Ngf3!? This interesting move was played in Kruppa-Dreev, Aeroflot Open 2004, and to great
effect; admittedly, Dreev's handling was a bit too ambitious, but still the move is worth attention.
The drawback of course is that White renounces the possibility of f2-f4.
6.Be2!? This move is the latest trend, not committing White to f2-f4 until he sees what Black
does. The similarities with the Short system are even more obvious here, but note that Black has
committed himself to the move ...Nd7 already (which he rarely does in the Short system if he
intends to play ...c5, as the knight has no influence over the centre there) and White is ready to
meet ...c5 with c2-c4! White may even be intending a massive pawn advance on the kingside.
6...c5
The dynamic option, immediately getting in the desired break; the danger lurks however, that
White's superior development will benefit from the opening up of the centre.
6...h5 A solid plan, exploiting the main drawback of White's 6.f4: lack of flexibility! Now that the
kingside structure is clarified, Black immediately obtains a nice plan to continue his development.
He will play ...Nh6, ...Be7 and then clear f5 for his knight, most usually by some active move like
...Be4 or ...Bg4. In this way Black manages to erect a blockade on the kingside, where he can
later hide his king in all safety, and will then slowly but steadily proceed with preparations for ...c5.
So far White has not managed to prove any real advantage in the resulting positions.
6...Qb6 is an interesting try as well. Black wishes to stick to the 6...h5 plan, but tries to extract a
slight positional concession from White. The idea becomes clear after 7.Nb3 (7.Qc1 evades
Black's idea, but Black argues that his ...Qb6 is more useful than White's Qc1. 7...h5 With play
similar to 6...h5.) 7...a5 8.a4 Bb4+! 9.c3 Be7 The Nb3 has lost its natural protection and thus
White is somewhat restricted by the need to keep the queen on d1. In this line the strength of the
Bf5 becomes evident. Black has done well from this position as well.
7.Ngf3 Qb6
White must now meet the threat to his Pb2 - or not?
8.Be2!?
Morozevich's idea, sacrificing the Pb2.
8.Rb1
and 8.Qc1 are rather meek and do not create any problems for Black.
8...Nh6 9.h3 Qxb2 10.c4!
With a strong initiative for the pawn, in a very unclear position!
5.Qc1 e6
5...Nd7 does not change anything. White should go ahead with 6.c4!
5...Nh6 This move aims to exchange the Be3 with ...Ng4, but does not in fact work out well. 6.Nf3
(worse is 6.h3 Very submissive. 6...e6 7.Nf3 Bg6 8.c3 Nf5 9.Bf4 c5 10.g4 Ne7 11.dxc5 Qxc5
12.Nbd2 h5 unclear Smirin-Bareev, RUS-ROW rpd 2002; Black has successfully negotiated the
opening reefs.) 6...e6 (6...Ng4 7.Bf4 and h2-h3 will kick the knight back.) 7.c4! (7.Nbd2 was
played by Svidler but seems clearly inferior to Anand's move.) 7...dxc4 8.Nbd2! Black now has no
time to avoid the mangling of his structure after a capture on h6. 8...Bd3 (8...Qa5 9.Bxc4 Bg6
10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.00+/=) 9.Bxd3 cxd3 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.00 Nd7 (better is 11...Na6! This was
probably better, setting the knight on a course towards d5; White would still retain a plus though,
thanks to his superior pawn structure. 12.Nc4 Qb5 Nc7-d5, Nb4-d5) 12.Rd1 Qa6 13.Ne4
White is already much better. 13...Rg8 (13...000? 14.Qf4) 14.Ne1 000 15.Nxd3 Nb6 AnandKhenkin, Bundesliga 2002 16.Ndc5! Qc4 17.Qe3+/- Khenkin,I
6.c4! Bxb1
In a sense this is the most critical move. Black prepares an annoying check on the a5-e1
diagonal.
6...Nd7 7.c5 Qc7 8.Nc3 f6 9.f4 Nh6 10.h3 Bg6 11.Nf3 b6 12.b4 Nf5 13.Bf2 fxe5 14.fxe5 Be7
15.g4 Nh6 16.Be2 00 17.00+/- Leitao-Barbosa, Santiago 2005. This is a good example of
what can happen to Black if he plays passively: all of his pieces lack scope and he has no way to
obtain play.
6...Ne7 7.c5 Qa5+ 8.Bd2 Qc7 9.Nc3 Nd7 10.Be2 (10.b4 fits in well with White's plans as well.)
10...h6?! The beginning of a bad plan. (10...f6 11.f4+/=; 10...Bg6 11.Nf3 Bh5 was suggested by
Kasparov, but it surely does not equalize for Black either. 12.00+/=) 11.b4 g5? 12.g4! Bg6 13.h4
Bg7 14.hxg5 hxg5 15.Rxh8+ Bxh8 16.Bxg5+/- Kasparov-Shirov, RUS-ROW rpd 2002
6...dxc4 This again is too complacent and allows White to develop his pieces comfortably. 7.Bxc4
Ne7 8.Ne2 Qd8 9.00 Nd7 10.Ng3 Bg6 11.Nc3 Nf5 12.Bg5 Qb6 (12...Be7 was a safer choice.)
13.Nxf5 Bxf5 14.Rd1 h6 15.Bh4 Qb4 16.Be2 g5 17.Bg3+/= Shirov-Anand, Monaco blind 2005.
White is steadily better, although he later made a horrible blunder in a winning position and lost
the game.
7.Rxb1 Bb4+
8.Kd1!
This move of Kasparov creates great problems for Black; suddenly his bishop and queen prove
terribly misplaced.
8.Bd2+/= is good enough for a slight edge.
8...dxc4 9.Nf3!
Played with great accuracy.
As I pointed out in the Introduction, this line is no longer popular. Black has discovered an
energetic way of solving all his problems.
6...Qb6
6...f6! This move order aims to avoid 7.b4 in the main line. 7.Ngf3 The only serious alternative,
but rather harmless. (7.f4 Qb6 8.Qb3 transposes to 6...Qb6 7.Qb3 f6 8.f4 (8.b4? fxe5 9.fxe5
Nxe5-/+) ) 7...fxe5 8.dxe5 Qc7 unclear This is similar to 6...Qb6 7.b4 f6 8.Ngf3, but here Black
probably benefits from the fact that White hasn't got b2-b4 in; he may play ...c5 later. And now
9.Be2!? Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Qa4
may or may not give adequate compensation; my computer definitely likes it, but it doesn't really
look serious.
7.Qb3
White, by intending to exchange the queens, enables f2-f4 to be played. In general, this way of
meeting ...Qb6 is the most comfortable for White: he doesn't give Black targets by advancing
pawns (7.b4) and doesn't misplace his knight with Nb3. Should Black opt for quiet play, White
has proven in practice that he has good chances to maintain his space advantage at no cost.
The only real problem with this line is that Black can employ a sharp but effective counterattack
on the kingside, which leads to the destruction of White's centre and thus the elimination of all his
hopes for an advantage.
7.b4!? A very ambitious move, aiming to put a clamp on Black on both sides of the board. 7...a5!?
This seems to be an effective counter to White's ambitions. (7...f6 8.Nb3! A very good move,
preventing ...a5 and retaining the option of supporting the centre with f2-f4. (8.f4? fxe5 9.fxe5
Nxe5-/+; 8.exf6 Ngxf6 causes Black no problems whatsoever. 9.Ngf3 Qc7 10.h3 Bd6 11.Be2 00
12.00 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5= Rytshagov-Huzman, Istanbul OL 2000; Black is at least
equal here.; 8.Ngf3 fxe5 9.dxe5 Qc7 unclear also gives Black good play against the Pe5.) 8...fxe5
(8...Nh6 9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.f4 fxe5 11.fxe5+/-) 9.dxe5 Qc7 10.f4 Nh6 (10...g5 11.Qh5+ Bg6
12.Qxg5+/-) 11.Nf3 Be7 12.Be2 00 13.00 b6 (13...Ng4!? 14.Bd4 (14.Bd2+/-) 14...b6 15.c4 c5
(15...Bxb4 16.Ng5+/-) 16.cxd5 cxd4 17.d6 Bxd6 18.exd6 Qxd6 19.Nfxd4+/-) 14.Nbd4 c5 15.Nxf5
Nxf5 16.Bd2+/-
And White was clearly better in Zvjaginsev-Dautov, Essen 2002, as Black's pieces lack scope
(especially the Nd7).) 8.Qa4 (8.a3!? is interesting and may preserve a slight edge. White is ready
to meet 8...Qa7?! intending ...b5, with 9.Nb3!+/-) 8...Qa7 9.b5 Nb6 10.Qd1 a4 11.bxc6 bxc6
12.Ngf3 h6 Preserving the bishop from exchange. 13.a3 Qa5 14.Qc1 Ne7 15.Be2 Nec8 16.00
Be7= Najer-Bologan, Aeroflot Open 2003. Black has equal play.
7.Nb3 is certainly possible, but also fails to meet the requirements of the position. 7...f6!
7...f6 8.f4 g5!
This is the idea; White's centre collapses and Black obtains easy development for his pieces.
9.Ngf3
9.exf6?! g4! secures some important squares (especially f5 and e4). (9...Ngxf6 10.fxg5 Ng4 is
unnecessary.) 10.f7+ To gain some time. 10...Kxf7 11.h3 White tries to eliminate Black's spatial
plus on the kingside. (11.Ne2 Ngf6 12.Ng3 Qxb3 13.axb3 Bd6 14.Nxf5 exf5=/+ Haba-Dautov,
Bundesliga 2003. It is obvious that Black stands excellently; he has the e4-square for his knights,
play on the e-file and a space advantage on the kingside.) 11...Ngf6 12.Bf2 Bd6 13.hxg4 Nxg4
14.g3 c5 15.Be2 c4 16.Qxb6 axb6 17.Ngf3 b5= Karpov-Dreev, Reykjavik rpd 2004. Black clearly
stands well.
9...gxf4 10.Bxf4 Bh6!
Black continues to systematically break down White's central structure.
10...Bg7 This more passive move has been tried in the past as well, but seems less efficient than
the text.
11.Bxh6
11.Qxb6 axb6 12.Bg3!?
An interesting attempt to retain control of e5. I tried this move in 2002 but it now seems to me
that Black can meet it efficiently. (12.Bxh6 Nxh6 13.exf6 Nxf6=) 12...fxe5! This is the best solution
in my opinion. (12...Ne7 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Be5 Rf8 15.h3 Ne4 16.g4 Bg6 Dembo-Khurtsidze, Bled
OL 2002 17.Be2!+/=) 13.Nxe5 (13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Nf6=/+ With an edge thanks to the
bishop-pair.; 13.dxe5 This leaves White's pieces biting on granite. 13...Ne7=/+) 13...Ngf6 14.Ndf3
and now Black should even be slightly better after either 14...Rg8 (or 14...Nxe5 15.Nxe5 (15.Bxe5
Rf8) 15...Rg8) 15.Nxd7 Kxd7 16.Ne5+ Ke7=/+
11...Nxh6 12.exf6 Nxf6
Black has done very well from this position.
13.Be2
13.000 Rg8 (13...Nhg4! is most accurate.) 14.Re1 000 15.Ne5 Nhg4 16.Ndf3 L'AmiJohannessen, Gausdal 2004. And now Black could have even assumed the initiative with
16...Qxb3 17.axb3 Be4 initiative
13.Ne5 Occupation of the e5-square does not mean much in itself; Black can well play around
this knight. 13...Rg8 14.Ndf3 Nhg4 15.Nxg4 Nxg4 16.h3 Nf6 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.Ne5 h5 19.a3 Ke7
20.000 Rg3=/+
Smirin-Dreev, RUS-ROW rpd 2002. Black is obviously better with his kingside pressure.
13.h3!? is an interesting idea, hoping to prevent Black's usual kingside play. It is not entirely
clear to me how Black should meet it. 13...Nh5?! This is probably not the way though. (13...Nf7!?
Since the prospects for this piece on the kingside have been eliminated, it makes sense to quickly
transfer it to d6, from where it eyes the e4-square; moreover, the possibility of ...h5 is introduced,
which forces White's hand. 14.g4 Bg6 15.000 Qxb3 16.Nxb3 Ne4 with a tough game ahead,
though I do have the feeling that White may be enjoying a slight advantage here.) 14.g4 Ng3
15.Rg1 Nxf1 16.Qxb6 axb6 17.Kxf1+/= Sax-Zimina, Bratto 2004. White has a small but stable
edge.
13...Ne4
The most natural move, and a good one too!
13...Rg8 14.Qxb6! Realistically aiming for an equal position. (14.00 Qc7 initiative) 14...axb6
15.00 Ne4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Ne1!? Nf5 18.Bf3 (18.Bd3? Ne3 19.Rf2 Nxg2!) 18...Ne3!
13...Qc7!? An ambitious suggestion of Leko, avoiding the exchange of queens and thus
discouraging White from castling short. 14.000 (14.00 Rg8 15.Ne5 000 initiative With ideas
of both ...Nhg4 and ...c5; White seems to be thrown on the defensive.) 14...Nhg4 15.Rde1 000
16.h3 Nf2 17.Rhf1 N2e4 (17...Qg3!?) 18.g4 Bg6 19.Ne5 c5 Leko; Black has excellent
counterplay; note the strength of the Bg6 (who will have to be exchanged).
14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.00 Rg8 16.g3 Nf7 17.Nd2 Bf5 18.Qxb6 axb6=
Alekseev-Dreev, Aeroflot Open 2004. Black later won this game with excellent play!
6...c5
This is Black's most dynamic option, but it is not clear whether it is the best. Black has a couple
of very solid and sound alternatives at his disposal. In any case, this move promises a lot of fun!
Its essence is that it practically commits White to a pawn sacrifice, one with a lot of poison
though.
6...h5 As White has clarified his kingside setup, Black immediately adapts to the new situation
erecting a blockade on the light squares. 7.Be2 Trying to extract some concession from Black,
such as an early ...Bg6. (7.Ngf3 This leaves Black even more freedom. 7...Nh6 8.g3 White hopes
to slowly set his kingside pawns in motion, but such slow moves surely cannot trouble Black. On
the other hand, please note that playing Be2 and 00 is not so simple, because Black can always
meet this with ...Ng4, exchanging the dark-squared bishop. Note that in this case Black refrains
from ...Qb6 altogether, not giving White a square for his bishop on d2 (after Nb3). In general,
...Qb6 here only makes sense in connection with the idea of ...a4 and ...Bb4-e7, as in 6...Qb6
below. Returning to our subject, White will have to prepare castling with h2-h3, and maybe this is
why Svidler chose to play 8.g3 (he doesn't want to see h2-h3 answered by ...h4). In any case,
this is clear evidence that Black's setup is very healthy. (8.Be2 Be7 9.Nb3 White cannot find a
useful move so he plays this without any provocation. 9...Rc8 Black's moves make perfect sense.
The rook was better placed on a8 in case White opted for a setup with c3 and - perhaps - b4, as it
could then support ...a5. Now that the possibility of b2-b4 is renounced, the rook comes to
support ...c5. Black probably intended to play ...b6 before ...c5 as well, ensuring that he will not
surrender control of the d4-square and emphasizing the misplacement of the Nb3. 10.Qd2 Be4
Black is developing comfortably, winning a lot of time in the process, and clearly has no problems
here. Another negative aspect of Nb3 is highlighted with this move. 11.000?! A rather dubious
idea, which was however prepared by White's previous moves. 11...b6 12.Kb1 c5 13.dxc5
bxc5=/+ Black's position is already for preference. 14.Ng5?! Bxg5 15.fxg5 Ng4 16.Bb5 00!-/+
Golubev-Grischuk, Internet 2003. White is on the verge of defeat and his opening has clearly
been a failure.) 8...a6 (8...Qb6 9.Nb3 a5 10.a4 Bb4+ 11.c3 Be7= The slow 8.g3 clearly does not
affect the evaluation of this position.) 9.c3 Rc8 Black is angling for a quick ...c5, but perhaps the
way he seeks to accomplish this is not ideal. 10.b4 Be7 11.h3 Bg6 12.Be2 a5 13.a3 b5 14.00
Nb6 15.Bf2 Ra8 Svidler-Erenburg, Internet 2004. One gets the feeling that Black should be OK
here, although of course White can finally start advancing here with 16.Nh2 (which he did).)
7...Qb6 (7...Bg6 is of course fully possible, along the lines of Black's setup. This move would
have to be played anyway at some point, so it doesn't seem to make much difference. 8.Ngf3
Nh6 9.a3?! The point behind this move is not clear to me. 9...Be7 10.h3?! And the same applies
to this one as well. White probably didn't want to castle because of ...Ng4, but his "solution" to
this problem is even worse. 10...Bh4+! 11.Bf2 Bxf2+ 12.Kxf2 h4 13.Nf1 Nf5 14.Bd3 c5=/+
Degrave-P.Czarnota, Cappelle la Grande 2005. Black is better here, having blockaded the
kingside and enjoying a much more harmonious position.) 8.Qc1!? This idea of Rublevsky avoids
future problems with a loose knight on b3, but on the other hand seems somewhat artificial.
8...Nh6 9.Ngf3 Be7 10.c3 (10.h3 h4 11.Bf2 Qd8 12.00 Bg6 13.b4 Nisipeanu-Khenkin,
Andorra 2003. One should not attach much significance to such short games, but once again it is
clear that Black stands well!) 10...Bg6 Black sticks with the well-tried strategy. (10...c5 This is
possible, but in general the idea of ...c5 seems too accommodating. Almost all of White's pieces
are on a course revolving around d4, so why free this square from the pawn that occupies it? In
this particular position it seems fine, however. 11.00 (better is 11.dxc5 This seems more
accurate, clearing the d4-square for the pieces.) 11...Rc8?! (better is 11...Ng4! The normal
reaction to castling, and it seems to me that Black would be fine after this move.) 12.dxc5 Bxc5
13.Nd4 Ng4 14.N2b3 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 g6?! (better is 15...Bxd4 16.Nxd4! With an edge for White,
as 16...Qxb2 17.Nxf5 exf5 18.e6! emphasizes Black's lag in development.) 16.Nxc5 Rxc5
Rublevsky-Lastin, Serbia & Montenegro 2004 and now 17.b4!+/-
would have been a strong and incisive way to exploit the lead in development.) 11.b4 a5! A
prompt reaction to White's expansive plans. 12.a3 Qd8 Black now threatens to take the initiative
on the queenside with ...b5, thus forcing White's next. 13.Nb3 b6= Rublevsky-Dreev,
Poikovsky 2005. All these games emphasize that White is completely unable to get even the
slightest bit of play after 6...h5.
6...Qb6 7.Nb3 (7.Qc1!? will transpose to 6.f4 h5 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Qc1 most likely, and was the
actual move order in Rublevsky-Lastin. There seems to be no way for Black to reasonably
deviate.) 7...a5 An interesting plan, disturbing White's coordination. 8.a4 Bb4+! 9.c3 Be7 White is
now tied to the defence of the Nb3, which greatly restricts his plans. 10.Nf3 h5 (10...Nh6 11.Be2
f6 This direct plan also seems to work well. 12.h3 fxe5 13.fxe5 Nf7 14.Bf2 Ng5 15.Nxg5 Bxg5
Arzumanian-Deviatkin, Pardubice 2004. White has still not solved the problem of the Nb3.)
11.Be2 Nh6 12.h3 Be4 13.00 Nf5 14.Bf2 White hopes for Nfd2, but... 14...Bxf3! 15.Bxf3 Bh4
16.Bxh4 Nxh4 17.Be2 Nf5 18.Rf3 h4= Yagupov-Galkin, Tomsk 2004. Black has a comfortable
position and White's future plans are not immediately apparent.
7.Ngf3 Qb6
Clearly the point behind Black's play, as otherwise White will safely complete his development
and stand better. White must now meet the threat to his Pb2, or so Black thinks...
8.Be2!?
Morozevich, true to style, prefers to sacrifice the pawn! It has to be said that his decision is fully
justified, as Black is very underdeveloped and also it is easy to break open the centre.
8.Rb1?! This is a very unfortunate way of defending the pawn and only leads White to trouble.
8...Nh6 What now? How does White intend to continue his development? 9.Be2?! (9.Nb3 is not a
solution either. 9...c4 10.Nbd2 Bg6 (better is 10...Qa5!=/+ would have been even better.) 11.h3
Nf5 12.Bf2 h5 13.g3 Qa5=/+ Shirov-Gustafsson, Bundesliga 2004. Black is obviously better in
this position; he can castle queenside and break on the kingside, which he actually did later on.)
9...Rc8 Black calmly eyes c2. White has great coordination problems in this position. 10.h3?!
This allows Black to commence an amazing tactical operation, but it is not clear what White can
play instead; he greatly suffers from the fact that the Pc2 is pinned. (10.00 Ng4!=/+) 10...cxd4
11.Nxd4 (11.Bxd4 may have been the least of evils. 11...Bc5 12.Nb3 Bxd4 13.Nbxd4 00=/+ And
Black clearly has the initiative.) 11...Bc5 12.N2b3 (12.N2f3? Bxc2!; 12.Nf1?! Be4-/+) 12...Bxc2!
13.Qxc2 Bb4+ 14.Kd1 (14.Kf1 Rxc2 15.Nxc2 Bc5 16.Nxc5 Nf5-/+; 14.Kf2 Rxc2 15.Nxc2 Bc5-/+)
14...Rxc2 15.Nxc2 Bc5! Other moves were good for White; this is probably what Short
overlooked. 16.Nxc5 Nf5!!-/+
Or in fact this little detail! (16...Nxc5? 17.b4 Qc6 18.bxc5!+/-) 17.Nxd7 Nxe3+ 18.Kd2 Kxd7
19.Nxe3 Qb4+ 20.Kd3 Qe4+ 21.Kd2 Qb4+ 22.Kd3 Qe4+ 23.Kd2 Qxf4! 24.Rhf1 Qb4+ 25.Kd3
Qe4+ 26.Kd2 Qb4+ 27.Kd3 Ke7+ Short-Vallejo Pons, French League 2004. Black won the
game later on without many problems.
8.Qc1 This is more acceptable, but hardly earth-shattering. Black can count on equalizing,
although it is not so simple. 8...Ne7 Black, having played a quick ...c5, is now committed to quick
development as otherwise White may well play c2-c4.
a) 8...Nh6 is not so good, as can be seen from the following line: 9.c3 (9.h3?! Be4 10.g4 cxd4
11.Bxd4 Bc5=/+) 9...Bg6 10.Be2 Nf5 11.Bf2 cxd4 12.Nb3 Be7 13.g4 Nh6 14.Nfxd4+/=
b) 8...h5!? 9.c4 Nh6 may be just playable but looks very risky.
9.dxc5!?
This move does offer White some hopes for advantage. In general the resulting positions are
strategically very complicated. The following variations stem from Anand. (9.Be2 Nc6 10.c3 cxd4
11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc5 13.Nb3 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 00 15.00 Nc5 16.Kh1 KasimdzhanovAnand, Hyderabad 2002 16...Ne4= And Black should stand well with such a strong centralized
knight.) 9...Nxc5 10.Nd4 Nc6! 11.Bb5 (11.Nxf5 exf5 12.Nf3 Qa5+ 13.c3 Ne4 14.Bd3 Bc5 15.00
Qb6 unclear) 11...Bg6 12.00 (12.b4 Nd7 13.c3 Be7 14.N2b3 Qc7 15.00 00 16.Qd2 Nxd4
17.Nxd4 Be4=/+) 12...a6 13.Bxc6+ bxc6 14.f5!?
a) 14.N4b3 Nxb3 15.Nxb3 c5
b) 14.a3 Nd7 15.f5 (15.b4 c5 16.bxc5 Bxc5 17.N2b3 Qc7 18.Nxc5 Nxc5) 15...exf5 16.b4 Nxe5
17.Nxf5 Qc7 18.Bd4 f6 19.c4 compensation
14...exf5 15.Nxf5 Bxf5 16.Rxf5 Qc7 17.Nb3 Ne6 18.c4 initiative
8...Nh6 9.h3
As White has no better answer to ...Nh6 than this, it obviously makes sense for Black to include
this pair of moves before playing anything else.
9...Qxb2
In a sense Black is forced to accept the challenge, as otherwise ...Qb6 will prove both
destabilizing and a loss of time. For example, the following were given by Bareev:
9...Rc8 10.00 Qxb2 11.Rb1 Qa3 12.Rb3 Qxa2 13.Rxb7 c4 14.Qa1 Qxa1 15.Rxa1 Bxc2
16.Raxa7+/9...Be4 10.g4 Qxb2 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Ng5 cxd4 13.Bxd4 Bb4+ 14.Kf1 Qa3 15.Nxe4 00
16.Qd3+/- Black's pieces are spread over the edges of the board.
10.c4! initiative
Fighting for the initiative at all costs!
10.Rb1 would have been less precise, because of 10...Qxc2 11.Rxb7 c4 12.g4 Bd3 13.Qxc2
Bxc2 14.Kf2 Be7 15.Rc1 Bg6 Bareev
10...Bc2
What else?
10...Qc3 11.Kf2! and the pressure continues.
11.Qc1 Qc3 12.Kf2 Nf5
Black plays some only moves not to lose material, but as becomes obvious he is using the same
2-3 pieces all the time, while White's army is entering the game quickly.
12...Be7? 13.Nb3+12...Rc8? 13.Nb3 dxc4 14.Bd2+13.Nf1 Nxe3
Other options were hardly a picnic.
13...Nxd4 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.Bd2 Ba3 (15...Qa3 16.Qxc2) 16.Bxc3 Bxc1 17.Rxc1 dxc3 18.Rxc2 d4
19.Ng3+/- The dP will drop off soon, followed by the cP, and then Black's position will be quite
bad.
Morozevich-Bareev, Dagomys 2004. White's initiative has brought appreciable gains: Black's
pieces are still stuck on the back rank and it seems very unlikely that he will manage to castle
without surrendering at least the extra pawn.
This (and 6.Be2) is the modern interpretation of the line. White normally continues development
and plays similarly to the Short system, now that Black's knight is committed to d7 and thus ...c5
is less likely. In my opinion, 6.Be2 is the preferable move order (and has been chosen by Shirov
recently), as it retains the option of f2-f4. It is not clear whether this is so important, but why not
to keep it in mind?
6.Be2
6...Qb6 This move is almost essential, as it forces White's knight to an awkward position.
a) 6...h6 7.Ngf3 Ne7 8.00 Bh7 Black's play is too slow. 9.c4! Playing to exploit Black's backward
development. Due to the strange tangle of pieces on the kingside Black is absolutely incapable
of countering back. (9.g4!? was rather unnecessary in Movsesian-Conquest, Warsaw rpd 2003)
9...dxc4 10.Nxc4 Nf5 11.Bd2! initiative Intending Ba5; White has a firm hold on the initiative.
b) 6...Ne7 7.f4!
Again we see an important point: Black cannot opt for the (almost) equalizing line of 6.Ngf3 Ne7
7.Be2 Bg6 so simply, because White is ready to meet ...Ne7 with f2-f4! 7...Bg6 8.Ngf3 Rc8 9.00
c5 10.c3+/= gives White a solid edge thanks to his space advantage. Note how, in contrast to the
French Advance, Black has no pressure on White's centre.
c) 6...Bg6!? In my mind this move makes more sense than what has been played so far. If White
now goes for 7.f4, then Black switches to the ...h5 & ...Nh6 plan. Alternatively, if 7.Ngf3 then
...Ne7 and ...Nf5 will transpose to the main line of this article. This does not mean of course that
Black equalizes completely; for example: 7.f4 (7.Ngf3 Ne7 - 6.Ngf3 Ne7 7.Be2 Bg6) 7...h5 8.Ngf3
and we transpose to the 6.f4 h5 line, but with Black committed to ...Bg6 whereas in that line he
could find a better square for the bishop (e4 or g4). And of course the resulting positions are full
of play.
d) 6...c5!? This move, while generally not the best solution in this system, may be a good idea in
this particular position. Black takes advantage of White's somewhat unconventional development
to play this break, at a moment when White cannot really reply with c2-c4 effectively or exchange
on c5. And what is Black's idea? 7.Ngf3 c4! 8.00 b5 unclear
This is it! Black invited White to play Nf3 (renouncing the option of f2-f4) and then blocked the
position, turning the game into a race on opposite wings! White's potential expansion has been
slowed down by his lack of the f4-resource, but on the other hand Black will not easily break
through on the queenside. All in all it seems to me that White's chances should be better, but
only detailed analysis can give an idea of whose attack will touchdown first!
After 6Qb6, 7.Nb3 Ne7
a) 7...f6 Again trying to exploit the looseness of the Be3 after f2-f4, but White is here better placed
to meet this. 8.Nf3 Ne7 9.00 Bg6 10.c4!+/-
Shirov-Erenburg, Gibraltar 2005. Black's position looks horrible, particularly the weakness on e6.
White is fully mobilized and ready for action.
b) 7...Bg6 Black chooses the solid plan of developing his pieces before undertaking any action,
and waits to see which setup White will choose. 8.f4 I don't really like this setup when the black
knight is still on g8; the possibility of ...Nh6-g4 can be very annoying at times. (8.Nf3 should
certainly retain a slight plus, typical of these positions. 8...a5 This idea doesn't work very well
here. (8...Ne7 9.00 Nf5 10.Bd2! is another critical detail, specific to the ...Qb6 lines of course.)
9.a4 Ne7 (9...Bb4+?! 10.c3 Be7 11.00+/= Now the difference is clear: ...Nh6 will simply be met
by Bxh6.) 10.Bf4+/= Intending to meet ...Nf5 with g2-g4! Black will have to struggle to complete
development.(10.00 Nf5 11.c4!? initiative) ) 8...a5 9.a4 Bb4+ This standard positional idea is
met often in the 6.f4 line. 10.c3 Be7 11.Nf3 h5 12.g3 (12.Bf2 Nh6 13.00 (13.Bh4 Ng4!=/+)
13...Ng4=) 12...Nh6 13.Nfd2 Nf5= Timofeev-Riazantsev, Noyabrsk 2005. Black stands well here,
although of course the fight is still ahead.
c) 7...a5 8.a4 Ne7 As with 7...Ne7, this move ought to be a signal for f2-f4. 9.Nf3 (better is 9.f4!)
9...Bg6 10.00 (10.Nh4? Nxe5! 11.dxe5 Qb4+-/+ is the point of Black's play.) 10...Nf5 11.c4 Nxe3
12.fxe3 Be7= Gelfand-Kacheishvili, Rethymnon ECC 2003. It seems hard for White to dent
Black's position, and this is a good argument in favor of playing f2-f4 instead!
After 7Ne7, 8.f4 Now that the knight has been developed to e7, it makes perfect sense to go for
f2-f4! 8...Bg6 9.Bf2 h5 10.Nf3 Nf5 11.00 Be7 12.g3 White will slowly prepare to expand on the
kingside. It is significant that Black lacks real counterplay. 12...Kf8 13.h3 Qd8 14.Kg2 Kg8
15.c3+/=
Shirov-Johannessen, Drammen 2005. Black is very passive, thus one can even claim a clear
advantage for White here.
6...Ne7
6...h6 This prophylactic move seems once again too slow, and may perhaps prove weakening as
well. 7.Be2 Ne7 8.00 Bh7 9.Nb3 (9.g4!? is rather too violent, although it did work out well in an
earlier game of Shabalov. 9...f6?! 10.c4! A typical strike against Black's pawn structure after ...f6.
10...Ng6 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qb3+/- Shabalov-Iordachescu, Bermuda 2004) 9...Rc8 10.Bd2 Ng6
11.c4 Again this logical approach, creating play before Black is fully developed. (11.Ba5!? This
trick is very useful in this structure. White entices ...b6, which in reality is quite weakening for
Black: Ba6 might win control of the c-file later on, while Black does not have the b6-square
available anymore for his queen. Finally, White obtains a target on the queenside (a4-a5 might
follow).) 11...dxc4 12.Bxc4 Be7 13.Ba5!? b6 14.Bd2 00 Shabalov-Vallejo Pons, Calvia OL 2004.
And now some move preparing for Black's ...c5 would retain an edge. 15.Rc1+/= (15.Qe2+/=)
6...Bg6!? makes a lot of sense here as well, intending ...Ne7-f5, and will almost certainly
transpose to the text.
6...f6 This is a rather risky undertaking. White has not weakened himself in any way, while
Black's development cannot exactly be called "harmonious". 7.Be2 (worse is 7.exf6 Ngxf6 8.Nh4
Bd6 9.Nxf5 exf5 10.Qf3 g6 11.000 Qe7 12.g3 000= Wall-A.Ledger, Great Britain 2004.
Black of course has an excellent position.) 7...Bg6 8.00 Nh6 9.exf6 Qxf6 (9...gxf6 10.Nh4 and
Black's light squared are beginning to creak.) 10.Bg5 Qf7 11.Nh4 (11.c4!? initiative This
suggestion of Kruppa also seems promising, the idea being 11...Bd6 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.cxd5 exd5
14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qe3+) 11...Bd6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 Kruppa-Dreev, Aeroflot Open 2004. And now
White could have presented Black with great problems had he chosen 13.c4! Nf5 14.Nf3 e5
15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Re1+/- Kruppa, Komarov
7.Be2
7.h3 Bg6 8.g4 was played by Shabalov on the Internet but looks rather extravagant. 8...h5!=/+
7...Bg6
7...Qc7 8.00 a6 9.b4 Bg6 10.Nh4 Nf5 11.Nxf5 Bxf5 12.c3 Be7 13.f4+/- was a good example of
purposeless play by Black and its punishment.
7...c5?! As is usual in this line, this move proves premature. 8.c4! initiative Just as in the Short
system! Black is hardly able to meet this break and in this case also the drawbacks of having a
bishop on f5 are revealed.(8.00!? also looks good. 8...cxd4 9.Bxd4 Nc6 10.c4 initiative)
8.Nh4
Another idea borrowed from the Short system. White gains the bishop pair and then continues to
build his space advantage. In case this all seems accidental, I have to point out that it is White's
accurate and flexible opening play that creates these possibilities. White discourages ...c5, thus
forcing Black to go for the slower options, delays f2-f4 so as not to give Black easy kingside play,
delays c2-c3 so as not to lose time and allow a kingside break. Black must somehow develop his
kingside and particularly the Ng8, but how? ...Nh6 allows Bxh6 and a structural weakness, ...Ne7
allows Nh4 and loss of the bishop pair. Quick breaks do not work properly, ...h6 and ...Bh7 is too
slow and allows White to break in the centre...
8.00 is less accurate in my opinion. 8...Nf5 9.c4 Nxe3 10.fxe3 Be7 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qb3 This
position has been played a couple of times, but it seems to me that Black does not face particular
problems. 12...Rb8 (12...Qb6 13.Bb5 Rd8 14.Qa4 a6 15.Bxd7+ Rxd7 16.Rac1 Qd8 17.Rc3 00
18.Rfc1 Qe8 19.Nb3 h6 20.Rc8 Rd8 21.Qxe8 Rfxe8 22.R8c7 b6 23.R1c6 Rb8 24.Kf2 a5 25.Ke2
Bd8 26.Rc8 Rxc8 27.Rxc8 Kf8= Smirnov-Mchedlishvili, Istanbul 2003. Black seems to be holding
his own after all.) 13.Bd3 Bxd3 14.Qxd3 00 15.Rfc1 Qb6= Pedersen-Palo, Koge 2004
8...c5
Natural but perhaps not the best.
8...Nf5 This reply looks logical, but in fact allows White to expand on the kingside with gain of
time. 9.Nxf5 (worse is 9.Nxg6?! hxg6 is as usual a bad idea as ...Qh4 is coming and an exchange
on e3 is also on the cards.) 9...Bxf5 10.00 Black seems to be doing OK here (and he generally
is!) but his lag in development means that White will be able to start active play before Black is
ready to strike back. Also the Bf5 might provide White with a target for expansion (with tempo!).
(10.g4!? This definitely merits attention, especially since 10.00 does not offer White much.
10...Bg6 11.h4 f6 12.h5 Bf7 13.f4 unclear was a bit extravagant but perhaps quite good in
Korneev-Peralta, Seville 2005) 10...Be7 (10...f6?! An unfortunate reaction. 11.f4 (White could also
consider 11.exf6!? Nxf6 (11...Qxf6 12.Nf3 initiative) 12.g4! with initiative; Black's uncastled king
makes a juicy target!) 11...fxe5 12.fxe5 Be7 13.Bh5+ g6 14.Be2 Bg5 15.Bf2 h5 16.Nf3 Be7
17.Qd2+/- A.Ivanov-Rubenchik, Washington DC 2004. Both sides' play leaves a lot to be desired
(White was perhaps not resolute enough), but still it is clear that Black's central break has
backfired.) and now the rather strange move 11.Bg4!?
seems to promise White an edge. 11...Bg6 (11...Bxg4 12.Qxg4 forces the undesirable 12...Rg8+/; 11...00 12.Bxf5 exf5 13.Qh5 g6 14.Qh6+/= White develops a stronghold on the dark squares
and Black has no real counterplay.) 12.f4 Qb6! Trying to distract White. (12...00 13.f5+/=)
13.Nb3 00 And Black is finally very close to equality, as f4-f5 is not on for the moment: 14.f5?
exf5 15.Bxf5 Nxe5-/+
9.c3 Nc6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Nf3+/=
White is just in time to prevent ...g5. Play has now transposed to a line of the Short system that is
slightly better for White, namely 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nd7 6.00 Ne7 7.Nh4. White retains his space
advantage and the two bishops and will slowly expand on both sides of the board.
11...Be7 12.00 00
12...a6 13.Qd2 b5 14.a4 b4 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bxc5 Bxc5 17.Rac1! Be7 18.c4+/- Movsesian-Iljin,
Izmir ECC 2004. White again opens up the position to his benefit.
13.Bd3 Qb6 14.Qe2 Rfc8
Svidler-Macieja, Bundesliga 2004. Black now threatens ...cxd4 followed by ...Nb4, which
escaped Svidler's attention. He still won an incredible game in the end, but objectively here it
would have been better to proceed with
15.Rac1+/-
Supplementary Games
Smirin,I (2676) - Dreev,Alexey (2676) [B12]
RUS vs. ROW Moscow RUS (10), 11.09.2002
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Be3 e6 5.Nd2 Nd7 6.c3 f6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qb3 g5 9.Ngf3 gxf4 10.Bxf4 Bh6
11.Bxh6 Nxh6 12.exf6 Nxf6 13.Ne5 Rg8 14.Ndf3 Nhg4 15.Nxg4 Nxg4 16.h3 Nf6 17.Qxb6 axb6
18.Ne5 h5 19.a3 Ke7 20.000 Rg3 21.Bd3 Ne4 22.Bxe4 dxe4 23.h4 Rxg2 24.Nc4 Rag8
25.Rde1 R8g3 26.Rhf1 Rh2 27.Ne3 Bg6 28.Rg1 Rxg1 29.Rxg1 Kf6 30.Rf1+ Bf5 31.Rf4 b5
32.Nf1 Rh3 33.Kd2 e5 34.Rf2 exd4 35.cxd4 Rb3 36.Ne3 Rxb2+ 37.Ke1 Rxf2 38.Kxf2 Be6 39.Ke2
b6 40.Kd2 c5 41.Kc3 Bf7 42.Nc2 Kf5 43.Kd2 Kf4 01