Challenging Black counterplay in MAROCZY structures

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

Adrian Mikhalchishin:

Challenging Black counter
play in Maroczy structures

In powerful Maroczy structures White
(sometimes we have reverse positions too)
creates magnificent center with two strong
pawns e4 and c4. Usually play on the Black
squares does not help and Black have to
fight these central pawns with three possible
pawn counterstrikes, like b7-b5, f7-f5 and
e7-e6 and then d6-d5. These methods are
very dangerous for White and he has to
know correct methods of reaction against
every type of central counterstrike. These
methods were performed by the top IGMs
and World Champions. So, using their
knowledge is a joy for every aspiring chess
player. Here we will see how to react to
counter play with b7-b5.

A. Muzychuk : Hou Yifan, Geneve 2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5 Bd7 4.Bd7 Qd7
5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cd4 8.Nd4 Bg7 9.f3
0–0 10.Be3 Nc6 11.0–0 a6!?
More logical plan is to try to control the
black squares. 11...Qd8.
12.a4 e6
It is direct Kasparov's plan to prepare central
break d6–d5.

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13.Nc6!

A very logical novelty. In the past the
following have been tested:
13.Rc1 Ne5 14.Qe2 Rfc8! 15.b3 d5! 16.cd5
ed5 17.f4! Rc3!? 18.Rc3 Ne4 19.Rc2 Ng4!
20.Rfc1 h5! (20...Ne3 21.Qe3 Re8 22.Qd3
Qd8 23.Nf3) 21.Rc7 Qd6!?, with big
complications, Sadvakasov : Kasparov,
Astana 2001;
13.Nde2 Qc7 14.Rb1 Nd7 15.Qd2 Nc5
16.b3 Rac8 17.Rfd1 Na5 18.Qa2 Ncb3
19.Rb3 Nb3 20.Qb3 Qc4 21.Qc4 Rc4
22.Rd3!, with a slight advantage,
Zagrebelny : Shipov, Russia 2004.
13...bc6
Another capture 13...Qc6 would be clearly
worse: 14.Rc1 Qc4? 15.Nd5 Qa2 16.Ra1
Qb2 17.Bd4 Nd5 18.Bb2 Bb2 19.ed5.
14.a5
It is necessary to keep the d6–pawn weak:
14.c5 d5 15.e5 Ne8 16.f4 Rb8, with very
serious counterplay.  Muzychuk considered
here 14.b4, but decided that 14...Ng4 is very
unpleasant.
14...Qc7
It would be safer to go to the other side with
14...Qe7.
15.Bb6
Sharper and probably equally good was
15.Na4 d5 16.Bb6 Qf4 17.g3 Qg5 18.f4
Qh6. Anna said that she did not like to allow
her opponent to build a strong structure by
15.Qd2 c5.
15...Qb8
Still it was not too late to go the other way
by 15...Qe7.
16.Na4
Very unclear developments would follow
the rook transfer 16.Ra3 Nd7 17.Rb3 Nb6
18.Qd3 Qd8 19.Rb6 Qg5.
16...Nd7 17.Be3
Anna said, that she had to return with her
bishop as c6–c5, threatened to cut it off.
17...c5 18.Qd2 Qc7
Black has a problem with the d6–pawn and
it could be solved in a slightly unusual way:
18...Rc8 19.Rfd1 Rc6.
19.Rfd1 Ne5 20.Nb6 Rad8 21.Ra3
A typical rook transfer to increase the
attacking power.
21...Nc6

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

An aggressive approach could lead to many
weaknesses: 21...f5 22.Bg5 Rde8 23.ef5
(23.Qd6? Qd6 24.Rd6 Nf7) 23...Rf5 24.Bh4
Bf8 25.Bg3.
22.Rd3 Rfe8

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23.Bg5
There was a positional trap: 23.Rd6 Bd4
24.Rd8 Rd8 25.Bd4 Rd4 26.Qe1 Qd6 and, a
pawn down, Black creates huge pressure on
the open file.
23...Rb8
White keeps a serious advantage after 23...f6
24.Bf4 Nd4 25.b4.
24.Rd6 Nd4
Another way did not work either: 24...Bd4
25.Rd4 Nd4 26.Bf6 Qd6 27.Qh6 Qf8 28.Qf8
Rf8 29.b4 Rfe8 30.Bd4 cd4 31.Rd4. White
would have total control over the most
important files for the sacrificed exchange.
25.Rd7 Qc6 26.Ra7 Rb6
After the game Hou Yifan said, that she has
not seen any other way, as activity does not
help.
26...f5 27.b4 fe4 28.bc5 Qc5 29.Rg7.
27.ab6 Qb6 28.Rd7 Qb3 29.Kh1
There was possibly a sharper way to cash in
on the material advantage: 29.Qd3 Qb2
30.Rb1 Qa2 31.Rbb7.
29...Qc4 30.Qf4 Rf8
A slightly better try was 30...e5 31.Qc1 Qb5
32.Ra7 Rb8 33.Qa1.
31.Rb7 Qa4 32.Re1 Nc2?
A bad move, but the World Champion said
that she had not seen anything which would
allow her to continue serious resistance.
33.Rc1 Nb4 34.Qd2 Nc6 35.Qd7 h6 36.Be7
Ra8 37.Bc5 Kh7 38.Bg1 1:0.

Bukic : Romanishin, Moscow 1977

1.d4 g6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.e4
Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nd4 8.Qd4 Bg7 9.Bg5
Be6 10.0–0 0–0 11.Qd2 Rc8 12.b3 b5?!

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Seems to be strategically correct, but
preferable was usual 12...Qa5 13.Rac1 Rfe8
14.f3 Nd7.
13.e5!
This tactics destroys strategical idea! Good
counterplay would have Black after 13.cb5
Rc3 14.Qc3 Ne4 15.Qe3 Ng5 16.Qg5 Ba1
17.Ra1 Qa5 18.Qe7 Qc3 19.Rd1 Qc2
13...b4
Endgame would be very bad: 13...de5
14.Qd8 Rfd8 15.Nb5± a6 16.Nc3.
14.ef6 ef6
To the same position led 14...bc3 15.Qc3 ef6
16.Be3.
15.Be3 bc3 16.Qc3 f5 17.Bd4 Bd4 18.Qd4
Qa5

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19.Rfd1!
It is much stronger move, as winning the

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

pawn helped Black to get counterplay:
19.Qd6 Rfd8 20.Qf4 Rd2 21.Bf3 Ra2 22.b4
Qa4 23.Ra2 Qa2 24.c5 a5.
19...Rfd8 20.Bf3 Rc5
Better was to try some counterplay on the
Queens side: 20...Qc5 21.Qd2 a5.
21.Qf6 Rd7?
Losing, because of great tactics, but even
after better moves Black would face difficult
life: 21...Qc7 22.h4 h5 23.Rd3 Rd7 24.Re1.

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22.b4! Qb4 23.Rdb1! Qc4 24.Be2 Qc3
24...Qc2 25.Bd3!
25.Rb8 Rc8 26.Qc3 1:0.

Sliwa : Balcerowski, Szeczin 1967

1.c4 c5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4
Nc6 6.Nge2 0–0 7.0–0 a6 8.d3 Rb8 9.a4
Ne8 10.Be3 d6 11.d4 cd4 12.Nd4 Nc7

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13.Rc1?!
White got very nice Maroczy structure and
plays very simple. Of course, it was very

useful plan here to limit opponents Queens
flank play with 13.a5.
13...Ne6
Correct flank counterplay could be
conducted now and White would have no
real advantage after 13...Bd4 14.Bd4 Nd4
15.Qd4 b5! 16.cb5 ab5 17.a5 b4 18.Na4 Ne6
19.Qa7 Rb7 20.Qa6 Rb8 21.Qa7 Rb7.
14.Ne6 Be6
Clearly better play got White after another
recapture 14...fe6 15.c5! dc5 16.Bc5 Qd1
17.Rfd1.
15.b3 Bd7 16.Qd2
It was possible to increase pressure
differently: 16.Nd5 b6 17.Qd2 Re8 18.Rfd1.
16...Na5
Better was to try black squared strategy
16...Qa5 17.Rfd1 Qb4.
17.Qa2 b5 18.ab5 ab5 19.Nb5 Bb5 20.cb5
Rb5 21.Qa4 Rb8

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22.b4!
It is not just potentially most dangerous
passed pawn, but main problem of Black is
that this Knight will be so limited and White
control over c and a files will become
decisive.
22...Nb7 23.Qc6
Even stronger was 23.Rfd1 Qe8 24.Qa7.
23...Qc8 24.Qb6 Nc5 25.Qa5 Ra8 26.Qb6
Rb8

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

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After few repetitions White sacrified Queen
and passed pawn will easily decide the
game.
27.bc5!! Rb6 28.cb6 Qa6 29.Rc7 e6
30.Rfc1 Bb2 31.Bf1!
Adding Bishop to the action.
31...Qa3 32.R1c6 Kg7 33.b7 Be5 34.Rc8
d5 35.Bc5 1:0.

Tal : Parma, Bled 1961

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 g6 5.c4
Nf6 6.Nc3 Nd4 7.Qd4 d6 8.Be2 Bg7 9.Be3
0–0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.b3 Rfc8
Better was to start flank play immediately:
12...a6! 13.0–0 b5.
13.0–0 a6 14.f4 b5 15.f5! Bd7 16.fg6 hg6

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17.c5!
Interesting was another central break 17.e5!?
b4 18.ef6 (18.Na4 Ne4 19.Qd4 Ba4 20.Qe4
Bc6 21.Qf4 Qe5 22.Qf7 Kh7) 18...bc3
19.Rc3 Bf6 20.Bd4 Bd4 21.Qd4 Qc5 22.Qc5
Rc5 23.b4 Rcc8 24.Rfc1, with better end.

17...Be6
There were few other interesting options:
17...b4 18.Nd5 Nd5 19.ed5 dc5 20.Bc4;
17...Bg4 18.e5 de5 19.Rf6 Be2 20.Rb6±;
17...dc5 18.e5 Ng4 19.Bg4 Bg4 20.Qf2 Be6
21.Ne4 Qc7.
18.Bf3
To equality led 18.cd6 ed6 19.Bf3 Nd7
20.e5 Rab8 21.Ba7 Be5 22.Bb8 Bc3.
18...dc5
18...Rab8 19.c6 Rc6 20.e5 Rc3 21.Rc3 b4
22.Rc6.
19.e5 Ng4
Simply bad was 19...Rd8? 20.Qf2 Nd5?
21.Nd5 Bd5 22.Bd5 Rd5 23.Qf7 Kh7
24.Qd5.
20.Ba8 Be5?
Compensation promised 20...Ra8 21.Ne2
Qd2 22.Bd2 c4.
21.Bd5 Ne3
Not better was 21...Rd8 22.Qe2! Ne3
23.Be6 fe6 24.Kh1.
22.Be6 Rd8
22...Nf1 23.Qh6! Bg7 24.Qg6 Rf8 25.Ne4.
23.Qf2
23.Bf7 Kg7 24.Qe3 Bd4 25.Qd4 cd4 26.Ne4
Qb6 27.Nc5.
23...Nf5 24.Qe2 Bd4 25.Kh1 fe6 26.Qe6
Kg7 27.Ne4 Qc7 28.Ng5 Rf8
28...Rh8 29.Qf7 Kh6 30.Rf5 gf5 31.Qf5+–;
28...Ng3 29.hg3 Rh8 30.Nh3.
29.Qf5! 1:0.

Grigoriants : Halyavskiy, Tula 2002

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 c5 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2
0–0 6.Nc3 cd4 7.Nd4 Nc6 8.0–0 Nd4 9.Qd4
d6 10.Qd3 Bf5 11.e4 Be6 12.b3 a6 13.Bb2
Qa5 14.Rfc1
Possible was to try to stop this counterplay
from the start, but with some weakening of
b3 pawn: 14.a4.
14...Rab8 15.Qe2
Earlier jump did not change much: 15.Nd5
Nd5 16.Bg7 Nf4 17.gf4 Kg7 18.Re1 f6!,
with equality.
15...b5

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

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16.Nd5
16.cb5 ab5 17.Nd5 Nd5.
16...Bd5
Better way to obtain counterplay was
another capture: 16...Nd5 17.ed5 (17.cd5
Bg4 18.f3 Qb6 19.Kh1 Bd7 20.Bg7 Kg7
21.Qd2 f6 22.h4 a5) 17...Bg4 18.f3 Bb2
19.Qb2 Bd7.
17.cd5 Nd7 18.Bh3!
This manoevre allows White full control
over c file.
18...Bb2 19.Qb2 Ne5
It was necessary serious calculation of other
Knight move: 19...Nc5 20.b4 Nd3 21.Qc2
Qa3 (21...Nb4 22.Qc3 Qa4 23.a3) 22.Qc3
Qc3 23.Rc3 Ne5 24.f4 Nc4 25.Kf2, with
next Bf1.
20.Qe2
Another option was 20.Rd1 Qd8 21.Rac1.
20...Rfd8 21.Qe3 Qb6
Endgame with total control of c file is
clearly better for white. No big achievment
would be 21...b4 22.f4 Nd7 23.Rc6 Nc5
24.e5.
22.Qb6 Rb6 23.Rc7 Kf8 24.Rd1
24.Rac1.
24...g5 25.Bf5
Now and on the next move very good was
25.f4 gf4 26.gf4 Ng6 27.Rf1.
25...h5 26.Kg2 g4 27.h3 Re8 28.hg4 e6
Or 28...hg4 29.Rh1 Kg7 30.Rh4.
29.de6 fe6

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30.f4!
Decisive strike, transposing into winning
Rook end.
30...ef5 31.fe5 fe4
31...Re5 32.gf5 Re4 33.Rh1.
32.ed6 hg4
Does not help exchange of Rooks: 32...Rd8
33.gh5 Rbd6 34.Rd6 Rd6 35.g4 Rd3
36.Ra7.
33.Rh1 Kg8 34.d7 Rf8 35.Rc8 Rd6 36.Rh8
1:0.

Bacrot : Giri, Germany 2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5 Bd7 4.c4!
Old great idea of IGM Oleg Romanishin.
4...Nf6
The idea behind the move 4.c4 becomes
clear after 4...Bb5 5.cb5 and the Black
knight cannot develop to his optimal square
c6.
5.Nc3 g6 6.0–0 Bg7 7.d4 cd4 8.Nd4 0–0
9.Bd7 Qd7
Now we got a position that could also be
reached by playing 4.Bd7, so we are more or
less back to the main line after a different
move order.
10.b3!?
10.f3, with the idea of playing Be3 next,
doesn't lead to anything for White: 10...Rc8
11.b3 d5! (This move is nothing new, it was
already played many times.) 12.ed5 Nd5!
13.Nd5 e6. Black wins the piece back with
an equal position.
10...Nc6 11.Bb2 a6
11...e6!?, followed by Rfd8 and d5, could be
logical option for Black.

FIDE Surveys – Adrian Mikhalchishin

12.Nc6 Qc6?!

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Better was 12...bc6 13.Re1 Qc7 and White
can claim just a minimal advantage.
13.Nd5!
With this move White is transposing into
classical Botvinniks structure with pressure
on e7 pawn.
13...Nd5?!
Once again Black doesn't feel the danger. It
was preferable to delay capture: 13...Rfe8
14.Nf6 Bf6 15.Bf6 ef6, followed by Re6,
with an about equal position.
14.ed5 Qc5 15.Bg7 Kg7 16.Re1
With heavy pieces the pressure on the e7
pawn is quite unpleasant and Black's play
with b5 is useless.
16...Rfe8
In such situations is recommended
immediately to solve center problem: 16...e5
17.de6 fe6, but after 18.Qd2 White has a
slightly better position and very pleasant
play by putting pressure on the d6 and e6
pawns.
17.Qd2
The queen is perfectly placed on d2. White
has multiple ideas: to play Rac1 and b4 or
maybe to play Re4–Rae1 and Rh4, with
some attack on the black king.
17...b5?
Now it was high time to play 17...e5 18.de6
Re6 and Black is still holding, although the
position is already very unpleasant.
18.Rac1!
White prepares plan of pawns agression on
the Queens flank, with the idea to play b4
next.
18...Qa7?!

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It was better to try 18...b4 and of course
White is better, but Black is still in the
game.
19.b4!
Threat is to create dangerous passed pawn
after c4–c5.
19...bc4
It cannot be stopped because of simple
tactics: 19...Rac8 20.c5! dc5 21.bc5 Rc5
22.Qd4.
20.Rc4 h5
And Black cannot fight for c file: 20...Rac8?
21.Qc3+–.
21.Qc3 Kg8 22.Rc7 Qb6 23.a4!
Another strong move by White. Black's only
counterplay could be based on playing a5 at
some moment and opening the line, but this
could never work because of White's b5
reply.
23...Rab8 24.Re4 f6 25.g4!
All Black weaknesses are protected, so, it is
necessary to create one more!
25...Rb7
And at the end nice small combination in
Capablanca style!
26.Qf6! 1:0.