FIDE Surveys – Arshak Petrosian

1

Arshak Petrosian:

Strategical ideas in the
Averbakh system of the KID

I would like to show some strategical ideas
from my own games which I employed
fighting against the Kings Indian. Knowing
general principles help us understand the
position better and make it easier to find the
right decisions in the over the board play.

Petrosian A. : Van Wely L.
Dortmund 1992

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2
0–0 6.Bg5 h6 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 Nbd7 9.Qd2
Nc5 10.f3 Nh5 11.Bd1 f5 12.Bc2 f4 13.Bf2
Qg5 14.g3 fg3 15.hg3 Qd2 16.Kd2 a5

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Thanks to the space advantage and the better
pawn structure White has clear strategical
advantage. Black's counterplay is based on
the pressure on the f-file. Because of the
weak f3 pawn white is unable to complete
his development. White has to find a
solution to this problem.
17.Ke2!
The first step.
17...Bd7 18.Kf1!!
This is the real idea! The White king goes to

g2, protects both weaknesses f3 and g3 and
allows the knight from g1 to develop to the
e2 square. Making White's position
harmonius.
18...a4
If black doubles on the f-file, White can
easily neutralize the pressure. For example
18...Rf7 19.Kg2 Raf8 20.Be3! and next
White goes Rf1 and Nge2 and later again
prepares the standard queenside play with
b3, a3, b4.
19.Kg2 Ra5 20.Nge2
So White has finally achieved the main idea.
The development is completed and now
White can slowly prepare the break on the
queenside.
20...Rfa8
Black is trying to be ready for the queenside
activity.
21.Be1
Here I could have continued with the natural
move 21.Be3, but i felt provoked by the a5
rook and wanted to disturb it.
21...c6?!
Black feels under pressure, so it is
understandable that he wants to do
something. But it was better to play 21...Nf6
first.
22.Rb1 Bf6?
Black wants to activate the bishop, but it has
a flow.
23.b4
White continues his plan, but it was possible
to switch the attention to the other side and
play 23.g4 Nf4 (Is forced.) 24.Nf4 ef4. On
general principle I did not want to open the
long diagonal at the cost of winning the h6
pawn, but i missed that i had a good
possibility with 25.Ne2! double attack.
23...ab3 24.ab3 Ra2!
This is a good practical choice. Black
understands very well, that after the normal
24...Ra3 White simply continues 25.b4 and
black's position slowly becomes hopeless.
The same happens after 24…Ra1 25.Bf2
Rb1 26.Rb1 Na6 27.b4 and soon Black's
queenside collapses.

FIDE Surveys – Arshak Petrosian

2

25.Na2 Ra2
Suddenly for the sacrificed exchange Black
got activity.
26.Bd1
This solid move keeps the advantage. White
had a very strong alternative in 26.b4!,
which was impossible to calculate over the
board in the approaching time-trouble. The
following beautiful line was pointed out by
the computer: 26...Rc2 27.bc5 Re2 28.Kf1
Re3 looks very messy, but the engines stay
calm: 29.Kf2!! (Key move!) 29...Bg5
30.Rb7 Nf6 and now 31.Rd7! Nd7 32.dc6
Ra3 (32...Nc5 33.c7 Nd3 34.Kg2 Ne1
35.Kh3 wins) 33.c7 Ra8 34.cd6 Kf7 35.Bb4!
is the computer win.
26...cd5
Looks that Black has achieved what he
wanted, but with a few precise moves White
consolidates.
27.Kf1!
Important! White had no good way to
capture on d5: 27.ed5? Bf5! and black wins
material or 27.cd5 Bb5! and black is to
active.
27...d4
Logical, if 27...de4, White has 28.Nc3, with
clear advantage.
28.Nc1!
A picturesque position! All of White's pieces
are on the 1st rank, but exactly now has
everything under control!
28...Ra8 29.b4
Black is systematically kicked back.
29...Ne6 30.Nd3
Now White is not only an exchange up, but
strategically occupies the important squares.
30...Kg7 31.Rh2!
Finally the last piece also joins the battle.
31...Ng5 32.Rd2 Ra3 33.Kg2 Ne6 34.Bb3
Ba4 35.Ba4 Ra4 36.c5 Ra3 37.cd6 Kf7
38.Nc5 Ng5 39.Rb3 Ra1 40.Bf2 b6 41.Nd7
b5 42.Nc5 Ne6 43.Rbb2 Bg5 44.Ra2 1:0.

Petrosian A. : Shirov A.
Daugavpils 1989

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2
0–0 6.Bg5 h6 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 Nbd7 9.Qd2
Nc5 10.f3 a5 11.Bd1 Nh5 12.Nge2 f5
13.Bc2 Qh4 14.Bf2 Qg5 15.Rg1 Nf6

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16.Ng3!
This is a very strong strategical move.
Suddenly Black faces a very unpleasant
strategical problem. Due to the "weak f5"
pawn Black is forced to make a concession
which he would normally like to avoid.
Black is unable to keep the tension in the
center. I was very happy to have been able to
use this classical idea which I have seen in
similar positions used by the 6th World
Champion Mikhail Botvinnik in his games
against Tal in 1961 and Garcia in 1964.
Another prove that studying classical games
are very important!
16...f4
Sad choice, but there is nothing better. If
after 16...Qd2 17.Kd2 Black tries to open up
the game with 17...fe4 (17...f4 18.Nge2.
After the center is closed, White has free
hand on the queenside and with a3, b3–b4
simply breaks Black`s blockade.) 18.Bc5!
dc5 19.Nce4 with a clear advantage. Black is
stuck with weaknesses and a very bad bishop
on g7.

FIDE Surveys – Arshak Petrosian

3

17.Nge2 Qh5
Probably 17...Ne8 was better, but Black
wanted to create counterplay on the kingside
as quickly as possible. As the game proves
this strategy backfires really badly!
18.h4!
Already having in mind to open up as much
files as possible on the kingside!
18...g5 19.hg5 hg5 20.0–0–0
The White king is totally safe on the other
side of the board.
20...g4
Black continues his plan. In case Black
decides just to sit and wait with 20...b6,
White can continue 21.Rh1 Qg6 22.g3! and
next Rdg1 with a strong attack for free.
21.Rh1 Qf7

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22.Nf4!
The position "felt ready" for a tactical
solution!
22...ef4
In case of 22...Nfe4 23.Ne4 Ne4 24.Be4 Qf4
25.Be3 White is simply winning.
23.Bc5 dc5
Trying to keep the position closed by
23...Nd7 is met by the thematic 24.e5! and
White breaks thrue anyway.
24.e5
White is simply winning.
24...Re8

There is no defence, if 24...Nh5 25.e6 Qe8
26.fg4 Nf6 27.g5 Nh5 28.Qd3 wins.
25.Qf4 Ra6 26.e6!
Is still a nice finesse.
26...Be6 27.de6 Qe6 28.fg4 Qg4 29.Qc7
Finally White is a pawn up and the attack
continues.
29...Qc8 30.Qg3 Qg4 31.Qc7
In time-trouble I decided to repeat moves to
win time.
31...Qc8 32.Nb5! Rf8 33.Qg3 Rd8
33...Qg4 34.Bh7.
34.Qg6 Rd1 35.Rd1 Ra8
Better was 35...Qe8 but after 36.Qf5 White
is winning easily as well.
36.Nd6 Qg4 37.Qf7 1:0.

Petrosian A : Balashov Y.
Moscow 1983

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2
0–0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.Bd2 e6 9.Nf3 ed5
10.ed5 Re8 11.0–0 Na6

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12.h3
White plays for restriction. In general
White's idea in the Averbakh system with
ed5 is to gain control of the central squares
and avoid unnecassary exchanges. In case if
White succeeds doing this, then thanks to the
space advantage he can look forward to a
very promising fight.

FIDE Surveys – Arshak Petrosian

4

12...Nc7
Black should have probably tried to play
12...Bf5!? when principle play could have
continued like 13.g4 Bd7 14.Re1 and if now
Black tries to break on the kingside with
14...h5 then 15.Ng5! keeps the tension and
we have a very interesting complex position.
13.a4!
Very important moment. The weakening of
the b4 square has no meaning, but it is
important not to allow any counterplay
connected with b7–b5.
13...Na6 14.Bd3!
The bishop is just in time to occupy the vital
b1–h7 diagonal.
14...Nb4 15.Bb1
White has fully achieved his strategical aim,
Black is forced to stay passive, while White
can slowly improve his position.
15...a6 16.a5 b6 17.ab6 Qb6 18.Bf4!
Targetting the d6 weakness.
18...Ra7 19.Qd2 g5 20.Bh2 Rae7 21.Ne1!
White is preparing to bring the knight to e3.
21...Nh5?!
This runs into a nice refutation. Better was
21...Nd7 when 22.Nc2! is coming with the
idea, if black does not exchange on c2 then
White goes Ne3! 22...Ne5 23.Ne3 with
advantage.
22.g4! Nf4
Desperate idea, but Black is not getting
enough compensation for the pawn. Black's
problem was that after 22...Nf6 White comes
with 23.Ng2! and Black is in big trouble
strategically.
23.Bf4 gf4 24.Nf3
White simply returns and black is helpless.
24...h5 25.Qf4
The rest is easy.
25...hg4 26.hg4 Nc2? 27.Bc2 Qb2 28.Ba4
Qc3 29.Be8 Re8 30.Rae1 Rf8 31.Re3 Qc2
32.Rfe1 Qg6 33.g5 f6 34.Qd6 Bg4 35.Ne5
1:0.

Petrosian A. : Wojtkiewicz A.
Polanica Zdroj 1988

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 Bg7
6.Be2 0–0 7.Bg5 e6 8.Qd2 ed5 9.ed5 Re8
10.Nf3 Bg4 11.0–0 Nbd7 12.h3 Bf3 13.Bf3
a6 14.a4 Qa5 15.Qc2 Re7 16.Bd2 Qc7

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17.Rae1
White's idea is to expand on the kingside to
get even more space. But it is very important
to understand that the best version to do this
is after exchanging 1 pair of rooks! If you
change both rooks black's chances of a
passive defence are much higher.
17...Ne5
For the moment Black tries to keep all rooks.
After 17...Re1 18.Re1 Re8 my idea was to
keep the rooks with 19.Rf1! and slowly
prepare the advance on the kingside.
18.Be2 Rae8 19.f4 Ned7 20.Bf3 Re1
21.Be1!
Following the same general idea!
21...Nb6 22.b3 Nc8
Black has a cramped position and there are
no good squares for both knights.
23.Bd2 Na7
Desperate idea, but if 23...Ne7 then of
course White plays 24.g4 and Black has no
plan.
24.f5!
The time was ready for action.

FIDE Surveys – Arshak Petrosian

5

24...b5 25.ab5 ab5 26.g4!
Continuing energetically.
26...b4 27.Ne2 Nd7 28.g5! Be5
Black has the problem that only one piece
can occupy the e5 square.
29.Kg2
White slowly improves the position. In such
positions there is no need to hurry.
29...Nc8 30.h4 Ne7 31.Bg4!
Keeping the tension.
31...Nf5
Black had nothing else.
32.Bf5 gf5 33.Qf5
Now we see how important was to keep one
pair of rooks on the board! Now the attack
continues.
33...Nf8 34.h5 Qd7
The counterplay with 34...Ra8 runs short
after 35.Ng3! Ra2 36.Ne4 just in time to
control everything.
35.Qf3 h6
In mutual time-trouble black tries to create
some counterplay, but it only makes White's
task easier. 35...Qe7 was more stubborn, but
Black's problem is that after 36.Ng3 Bg3
37.Kg3 Nd7 38.Qf5! even exchanging the
queens does not help 38...Qe5 39.Qe5 Ne5
40.Rf6! Rd8 41.Bf4 and black's position is
hopeless.
36.gh6 Nh7 37.Ng3 Ra8 38.Rf2 Ra2 39.Bf4
Rf2 40.Qf2 Bd4 41.Qc2 Nf6 42.Qf5
The game is over.
42...Qf5 43.Nf5 Be5 44.Be5 de5 45.d6 Nd7
46.Kf3 Nf6 47.Ng3 Kh7 48.Ne4 Nd7
49.Kg4 Kh6 50.Kf5 Kg7 51.Nf6!
Elegant solution.
51...Nf8
51...Nf6 52.h6! wins.
52.Ke5 Ne6 53.d7 Nd8 54.Ne4 1:0.