5...f6!? 6 exf6 Qxf6, but Grandmasters tend
Andrew Martin:
to know a lot. I think 5...Nge7! is Black's
Game analysis
best and may nullify the idea of 5 a3. The
problem as I see it, is that Black has to put
Of all the different types of session I have
immediate pressure on the e5 pawn in this
conducted over the years, game analysis of
line and 5& Be6 does not contribute to this
one kind or another remains the most
process.
popular.I've noted many of the excellent
6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.b4 f6 8.ef6 gf6 9.Bb2 0 0 0
surveys in the FIDE manuals are pretty long
10.b5 Ne5
and might take a day or days to cover,
XIIIIIIIIY
whereas you can analyze a game in a couple
9-+ktr-vlntr0
of hours and then move to the next topic.So I
present a varied selection for you to dissect
9zppzpq+-+p0
with your own methods. Don't forget when
9-+-+lzp-+0
you are training that your purpose is to
encourage and guide, not to lecture. Good
9+P+-sn-+-0
teaching is all about the self-reliance of the
9-+Pzp-+-+0
student. We all learn most quickly when we
do things for ourselves. 9zP-+-+N+-0
9-vL-sNPzPPzP0
Sulava : Colakic, Zagreb 2013
9tR-+QmKL+R0
Hero worship is very common in the chess
xiiiiiiiiy
world and so when someone of the stature of
11.Nd4!Ä…
Alexander Morozevich starts to play and win
All White has done is to go through with the
with the Albin Counter-Gambit, everyone
main plan of 5 a3; to expand on the
wants to jump on board and do the same.
queenside and undermine the d4 pawn and
The club player will soon find that this is not
he will find that is enough to win the game,
at all easy, as precise theoretical knowledge
as Black has no cheapos in the centre!
and good decision-making is required from
11...Bg4
Black to even survive the opening! There are
11...Nc4 leads to mass liquidation, the
reasons why the Albin is not as popular
results of which can hardly favour Black:
among Grandmasters as the Slav or the more
12.Nc4 Bc4 13.Qa4 Bc5 14.Qc4 Bd4 15.Bd4
othodox line of the Queen's Gambit. Yes, the
Qd4 16.Qd4 Rd4 17.e3 White is a pawn up
Albin forces White to fight on tactical rather
for nothing.
than strategical ground, but the results are
12.Qc2 Bh6 13.e3
swinging very much in White's favour over
Attacking lines are quickly shut down.
the last couple of years.Observe the
13...Ne7 14.c5 c6
following game,which is pretty
An uncomfortable necessity.
representative. White plays like a
15.Nc4 Qd5 16.Nd6 Kb8 17.Rb1 Rd6
machine,taking everything on offer and
With the b7 square creaking, Black gets
wraps up in style.
desperate, but there was nothing else:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.de5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3
17...cb5 18.N4b5 Bc8 19.Be5! Qe5 20.Nf7
Be6?!
Bf5 21.Qb2+ ; 17...Rhf8 18.h3 Bh5
Even at this early stage, Black has to be
(18...Bc8 19.Qh7! Rh8 20.Qe7+ ) 19.Ba1+
accurate. Maybe at lower levels you can get
18.cd6 Qd6 19.bc6 N7c6 20.Nc6 Nc6
away with moves like 5...Be6 or even
21.Be2
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 1
White makes it look very easy.
XIIIIIIIIY
21...Qd5 22.e4 Qg5
9-+ktr-vl-tr0
The trick 22...Bd2 23.Qd2 Qe4 fails to
24.Qd3! Qg2 25.Qg3. 9zppzpq+pzpp0
23.Bg4 Qg4 24.0 0 Rg8 25.g3 Qe6 26.Rfd1
9-+n+l+n+0
Rc8 27.Qc3 Rd8 28.Qf3 Rf8 29.Qf5 Qa2
9+-+-zP-+-0
30.Qh7 Bd2 31.Be5 Ne5 32.Qb7# 1:0.
Games like this one provide the precise
9-zPPzp-+-+0
reason the Albin lay in a coffin until
9zP-+-+NzP-0
Morozevich revived the corpse. Black made
the wrong choice as early as move five and
9-+-sNPzPLzP0
got clobbered. You have to choose your lines
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
with great care!
xiiiiiiiiy
Mitura : Novosadova, Czechia 2013
10...h5!?
She cannot resist it! Yet there is nothing
Let's take a look now at an incredible recent
wrong with 10...Nce5 for instance: 11.Ne5
game, where the cheapo lands, or to put it
(11.Bb2 h5 12.Bd4 h4) 11...Ne5 12.Qc2
another way, Black confuses the hell out of
(12.c5 Bh3 13.Bb2 Be7 14.Nf3 Nf3 15.ef3
White with some baffling tactics. This is a
Bg2 16.Kg2 h5 17.h4 g5 looks extremely
roller coaster ride, so don't expect
dangerous.) 12...d3 13.ed3 h5! and Black has
Grandmaster perfection.
excellent chances.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.de5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3
11.Bb2 h4 12.Qa4
Nge7!
12.b5 is one pawn move too many and Black
A Morozevitch special. Black simply intends
puts the boot in after 12...Nce5 13.Nd4 Bh3!
to regain the pawn by playing ...Ng6 and
14.N2f3 hg3 15.fg3 Bg2 16.Kg2 Qh3
...Nge5. This simple approach is best against
17.Kg1 Nf3 .White's roof caved in very
5 g3, as far as I can see.
quickly, didnt it?
6.Bg2 Be6
12...hg3 13.fg3 a6?!
Black changes her mind and adopts a much
Ugly. This weakening of the queenside is
more aggressive approach, involving a
quite unnecessary. Of course 13...Kb8!
caveman kingside attack. The stable 6...Ng6!
should have been played, with 14.Rad1 d3
is better.
15.ed3 Qd3 16.Rfe1 Be7, leading to a very
7.Nbd2 Qd7 8.a3 Ng6
unclear situation.
As we saw in the last game, once White tees
14.b5 Nce5 15.Bd4 Bc4?
up the threat of b4 b5, it's crucial for Black
The best shot was certainly 15...Bh3 after
to attack e5 immediately.
which White has to show some care: 16.Bh3
9.0 0 0 0 0 10.b4
Rh3 17.Rfd1 Rh5 18.Ne4 Qe8 19.Kg2 Ng4
10.Qa4 Kb8 11.Rd1 Nce5 leads to a very
20.Nc3Ä… but still messy.
reasonable position for Black: 12.Qd7 Rd7
16.Be5?
13.b3 f6 14.h3 Be7 15.Ne1 Rhd8 16.f4 Nf7
One mistake deserves another. 16.Nc4! wins
17.Ndf3 h5 18.e4 de3 19.Rd7 Rd7 20.Be3
right away as far as I can see. White simply
Nh6 21.Nd4 Nf5 22.Nf5 Bf5 23.Bf3 Bh3
has to be able to count the pieces, which
24.Bh5 Bf5=, Asgeirsson : Raetsky,
clearly in the game, Mitura was unable to
Reykjavik 1996.
do: 16...Nf3 (16...Qb5 17.Qb5 ab5
18.Nce5+ ) 17.Bf3 Qd4 18.e3 Qa7
19.Rab1+ .
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 2
16...Bc5 17.Kh1 Ne5 But of course this is the type of tactical
Now it's Black who should be winning. melee the Albin Gambiteer wants to
18.Qc2 ab5 encourage and especially at lower levels. I
18...Qg4! is extremely strong, transferring doubt this game will be reported to the FIDE
the queen into a direct position of attack. Commission for chess cheating. 0:1.
19.a4 Ng4?!
19...b4. Carlsen : Kamsky, Saint Louis 2013
20.ab5 Kb8 21.Qa4 c6 22.bc6 Qd2 23.Qa8
Kc7 24.Qb7 Kd6 25.h4 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3
25.c7! Rde8 26.Nh4!+ . If 4...a6 is options-preserving, then 5 e3 is a
25...Qb4 26.Rad1 like-for-like move. White just keeps it solid.
5...Bf5
XIIIIIIIIY
Obviously Black can play 5...b5 or 5...e6,
9-+-tr-+-tr0
intending ...c6 c5! Kamsky sticks to the
Slav recipe of activating the queens bishop
9+Q+-+pzp-0
early.
9-+Pmk-+-+0 6.Bd3
6.Qb3 b5 7.c5 a5! goes nowhere for White.
9+-vl-+-+-0
6...Bd3 7.Qd3 e6 8.0 0 Bb4
It's either this or 8...Be7. It looks like Black
9-wql+-+nzP0
is trying to provoke a2 a3.
9+-+-+NzP-0
9.Bd2
9.a3 went nowhere in a recent game
9-+-+P+L+0
Karjakin : Anand, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012.
9+-+R+R+K0
9...Bc3 10.Bc3 0 0 11.a4
A new move, which plans Bb4 after a4 a5,
xiiiiiiiiy
but whatever white plays (11.Nd2; 11.Bb4),
Have you ever seen anything like this? I
one forms the impression that Black is solid
could have sworn Black had a big attack a
and has a position which is difficult to
few moves ago and then suddenly her King
breach.
starts to wander all over the board!
11...Nbd7 12.a5 Ne4 13.Bb4 Re8 14.Rac1
26...Bd5 27.Rd5 Kd5 28.Rd1 Ke4 29.Ng5
So White's plan is basically to arrange f2 f3
29.Nd4+ Ke5 30.Qc7 Bd6 31.Qf7 game
and hope this takes him somewhere.
over.
14...h5!?
29...Ke3
Kamsky sharpens the play! There were
I did tell you that this was a fairground ride!
other approaches. The Stonewall set-up with
Now White finishes things off, but not quite
14...f5 15.Rc2 Qf6 certainly seems playable;
in the expected way.
but maybe 14...Rc8! was best of all, just
30.Rd8??
aiming for a coordinated position: 15.Ne1
I can't find a symbol for three question
(15.Nd2 Nd2 16.Qd2 Nf6 17.f3 Qc7 18.Rfe1
marks in my version of Chessbase. what a
Rcd8 19.Bc5 Nd7 20.Bb4 Nf6) 15...c5.
terrible move. 30.Rc1 Nf2 31.Kg1 Rd1
15.Ne5 Qc7
32.Rd1 Qb7 33.cb7 Nd1 34.Nf7 Ke2 should
15...Ne5 16.de5 strands the knight on e4 and
of course win for Black, just not quite so
is therefore inaccurate.
quickly.
16.Nd7 Qd7 17.Qe2
30...Qe1
It's hard to say why Carlsen didn't choose
17.f3 Nf6 18.Be1!, with a slight edge, as this
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 3
is the sort of thing he has been playing for. 33.Rc7 Re7 34.Rc8! Qd6 35.Bf6 Kf6
Moreover, the move ...h7 h5 looks out of 36.Qh4 Kf7 37.Qh5 Rg6
place now. Very odd.
XIIIIIIIIY
17...Nf6 18.Rfd1 Qc7 19.h3 Rad8 20.b3
9-+R+-+-+0
Rd7 21.Rc2!
The Rook is useful on the second rank, both 9+p+-trk+-0
for defensive and offensive purposes. White
9p+-wqp+r+0
is still trying to fashion a pawn break, with
9zP-+p+p+Q0
either f2 f3 and e3 e4 or g2 g4 as the
ultimate plan.
9-+-zP-+-+0
21...Qd8 22.Rcc1 h4 23.Be1 Ne4 24.Qg4
9+P+-zPP+-0
g5!?
24...f5 25.Qh5 Rf7 26.f3 Ng3 27.Bg3 hg3
9-+-+-+p+0
leaves both players with a mutually weak
9+-tR-+-mK-0
pawn.
xiiiiiiiiy
25.cd5 f5 26.Qf3 cd5
I like 26...Rd5! now, to keep the c file
38.f4!
closed, but as both recaptures are equal, this
Very nice. Black's major pieces run out of
is a question of taste.
space and good moves. Carlsen now moves
27.Rc2 Rg7 28.Rdc1 Nf6
in for the kill.
28...g4!? forces the pace, but Kamsky was
38...Qa3 39.Qh8 Rg7 40.Qh5 Rg6 41.Qh8
getting short of time and with the c file open,
Rg7 42.Qf8 Kg6 43.Kg2!
probably didnt want to go all in just yet.
With the idea of Rg1 and then a deadly
29.Qf4 Qg5! Best, I think, but hard to play
discovered check from the King!
when you thinking of the attack (29...gh3?!
43...Rgf7 44.Qd8 Rh7
30.f3! I'm sure this is the move that put
44...Qb2 45.R8c2.
Kamsky off the whole line. 30...Ng3 31.Kh2
45.Rg1 Qa2 46.Kf3 Kf6 47.Qg8 Rh3
hg2 32.Rg2 Qb8 33.Qb8 Rb8 34.Bg3 hg3
48.Rg3 Rg3 49.Qg3 1:0.
35.Rg3Ä…) 30.Qg5 Ng5 31.Rc7 Rf8 a move
which would also have been difficult to
Pardo Simon : Kamsky, Gibraltar 2014
judge with little time. 32.Bb4 Rff7=.
29.Qd1 g4 30.f3!
I now present a game from the Tradewise
Strong. Carlsen turns the tables. With the fall
Gibralter Masters, an event which has been
of hte h4 pawn and the open c file at his
growing in stature and strength since 2003.
mercy, White assumes a powerful initiative.
Much of this success is down to the excellent
30...gh3 31.Bh4 Kf7?
organizational skills of GM Stuart Conquest,
Perhaps he had to try 31...hg2 32.Qe1 Qe7
who assembles a world-class field and then
33.Rc7 Qf8 34.Rg7 Qg7 35.Rc2 Kf7
makes sure everyione has a great time! We
36.Qg3! Qg3 37.Bg3 Re7 38.Kg2 Rd7 but
pick up play in Round Eight and find Gata
this could be unpleasant for a long time.
Kamsky pressing for the win with Black.
32.Qe1!
1.d4 f5
White's queen joins the attacking party.
The Dutch Defence, much favoured by those
32...hg2?
wanting to win at all costs. And, of course,
32...Rgg8 was maybe the only try: 33.g3
Gibraltar commentator GM Simon Williams.
Kg6 34.Qb4 Rg7 35.Kh2 Qe7 36.Qb6 Rd8
2.Bg5
37.Rc7 Rd7 38.Rc8 keeps up the strong
A very popular anti-Dutch system,although
pressure, but with no clear win for White.
the line that Kamsky plays is OK for Black.
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 4
2...g6! 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 A possible improvement lies in 17.Na4 b6
4.h4 can be met by 4...h6! 5.Bf4 Nf6 after 18.Qd3, but Black's Knight comes to d6 and
which very sharp play can arise: 6.Qd3 d6 holds everything together: 18...Nd6! 19.Qg6
7.e4 fe4 8.Ne4 Bf5! (19.Qa6 Ne4; 19.Nc3 is safest, with only a
4...fe4 5.Ne4 d5 6.Nc3 small edge to Black.) 19...Bf6! 20.Qd3
White has a couple of other locations for this (20.Qh6 Rh8 21.Qg6 Ne4 +) 20...Nc4.
Knight (6.Nc5; 6.Ng3), but in each case 17...Nd6 18.f3?!
Black obtains counterplay. He wants to keep Black out of e4, but
6...Nh6! now...e7 e5 becomes very strong.
18...Bg8! 19.Nb5 a6 20.Nd6 Qd6 21.Nf1 e5
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+ntr0
9-mk-tr-trl+0
9zppzp-zp-vlp0
9+pzp-+-vl-0
9-+-+-+p+0
9p+nwq-+-zp0
9+-+p+-vL-0
9+-+pzp-zp-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9-+-zP-+P+0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9zP-+-vLP+P0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9-zPPwQL+-+0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
9+K+RtRN+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
A characteristic manouevre in this variation.
From f7, the Black Knight helps to prepare Paradise for a Dutch exponent.
e7 e5 and keeps the White Bishop out of h6. 22.de5
7.Nf3 Nf7 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qd2 Bf5 10.Be2 22.c3 attempts to hold the centre together,
Qd7 11.0 0 0 0 0 0 12.Kb1 Kb8 but Black has a grip on the initiative:
Both sides marshall their forces. White has 22...Bh7 23.Ka2 Bg6! (23...ed4 24.cd4
no advantage at all. Black probably Rde8µ) 24.Bf2 Rd7 25.Bg3 Qe6 26.Bd3 Rf3
considered the probing 12...Nb4, but after 27.Bg6 Qg6 28.de5 Qe6 29.Qe2 Rdf7.
13.Rc1 Nd6 14.a3 Nc6 15.Rcd1 the 22...Qe5 23.c3?!
adventure has not achieved very much. He probably could not bear to to play
13.a3 23.Qc1 d4 24.Bg1 but it may last
White can also probe 13.Na4 b6 14.Nc3, but longer,although after 24...Qe6! 25.b3 Qf6!
Black keeps it very tight after 14...Nd6 15.a3 26.Ka2 Qd6 27.Nd2 Qg3 Black makes four
h6 with once again, good counterplay successive Queen moves and is pressing
(15...Na5). White's position very hard.
13...h6 14.h3 g5 15.g4 Be6 16.Rhe1 Rhf8 23...d4 24.cd4 Qd5
17.Nh2?! White does not want to see his King taken
Around here White starts to lose the thread. apart.Larsen once said that he liked to play
Kamsky has what he wants; a complicated the Dutch against timid players, because
middlegame with all the pieces on and his then it became a really good opening. We
tactics start to pay off as White doesn't seem see exactly what he meant by playing over
to know what to do and misplaces his pieces. this game. 0:1.
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 5
Rodshtein : Karpov, Germany 2014 A typical jab and with it, equality.
16.Nbd2 Nc3 17.Qc3 Nb6 18.Ne5?!
Anatoly Karpov retains a keen interest in I think White fails to appreciate the
playing chess and he recently turned out in resources of the Black position around these
the Bundesliga for SV 1930 Hockenheim. parts. He should take on a5: 18.ba5 Nd5
Here we see a great example of Karpovian (18...Na4 19.Qd3 Ra5 20.Nb3 Ra6
technique. 21.Rfc1=) 19.Qd3 Ra5 20.Nb3 Ra8
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 21.Nc5=. The difference between these lines
0 0 6.0 0 dc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qc4 b5 9.Qc2 and the game is that Black doesn't have a
Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Bb7 target on b4 to attack.
Having driven the queen to a poor square, 18...ab4 19.ab4 Bg2 20.Kg2 Nd5 21.Qc6
the bishop retreats, asking White to declare Bb4 22.Ndf3 Bc3 23.Ra8 Qa8 24.Qb5 Bd4!
his intentions. The assessment of this With advantage to Black, albeit slight,as the
position depends on Black's ability to force extra pawn is going to be difficult to realise.
through...c7 c5. If he can play this freeing 25.Nc6 Bb6 26.Rc1
break at the right moment, then all his White has some positional pressure to
positional problems will disappear. compensate him for the pawn, so Karpov has
Meanwhile 11...Qc8 also looks reasonable, to find a way of negotiating his grip on the c
although White may be able to retain an file before anything else.
edge with 12.Bg5! 26...Qa3! 27.Rc4 Ra8 28.Nce5 h6 29.Nd3
12.a3 Possibly 29.Qd7 was an improvement here.
Or 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.Ba5 Nc6 14.Bc3 Rd8 Black can easily cope with the threats, but
(Wang Y : Carlsen M., Leon 2009). the extra pawn remains extremely difficult to
12...Qc8 13.b4 realise: 29...Qe7 30.e4 Qd7 31.Nd7 Nf6
White certainly prevented c7 c5, so 32.Nb6 cb6 33.Ne5 b5 34.Rb4 Ra5
counterplay must come from elsewhere, How easy is this to win? I am not absolutely
possibly via ...a6 a5. Central to Black's sure.
survival now must be his ability to keep 29...Qa6 30.Qc6 Ne7 31.Qe4 Rd8 32.Qh4
control over the central light squares or to be Rf8 33.Ra4 Qb5 34.Rb4 Qe8 35.Nde5 f6
able to contain the White pawn center if it 36.Nd3 e5
ever becomes mobile. Finally, Black starts to feel a bit of freedom.
13...Nbd7 14.Bc3 Ne4 15.Qc2 37.Qe4 Qc6! 38.g4
38.Qc6 Nc6 39.Ra4 Rd8 40.Rc4 Ne7 starts
XIIIIIIIIY
to look like a solid pawn up, whereas before,
9r+q+-trk+0
Black was jammed up.
9+lzpnvlpzpp0 38...Ra8 39.Qc6 Nc6 40.Rc4 Ne7 41.e3 Kf7
42.Nfe1 Nc8 43.Nb2 Nd6 44.Rc2 Ke6
9p+-+p+-+0
Black's edge grows to substantial. The White
9+p+-+-+-0
Knights have no real outposts in the centre
and with ...g7 g6, Black can prepare to
9-zP-zPn+-+0
improve his pawn structure.
9zP-vL-+NzP-0
45.Ned3
45.Nc4 offering an exchange,escapes the
9-+Q+PzPLzP0
coming pin, but runs into the simple
9tRN+-+RmK-0
45...Nc4 46.Rc4 Kd5.
xiiiiiiiiy
45...Ra2! 46.Nb4 Ra3 47.Nc6 g6 48.h3 h5!
15& a5!
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 6
Black opens up a second front,which in time, This is a very nice position for White to
will highlight the power of his Bishop. play. Bb2, Rook to c1, look for Nd5. Black
49.gh5 gh5 50.Kg3 Ra8 51.Kf3 Ra2 does not really have a corresponding risk-
52.Nb4 free plan.
White cannot stay in the pin. 15...Kh8 16.Bb2 Rac8
52...Ra5 53.Kg3 Nf5 54.Kf3 c5 Trading on d4 merely gives Black concerns
At last and with this advance, problems in about his pawn on e7: 16...Nd4 17.ed4 Rac8
the White ranks. 18.Re1! e6 (18...Qd4? 19.Nd5) 19.Rad1
55.N4d3 Nd6 56.Ke2 Kd5 57.f3 Ra2 Rfe8 20.Re2Ä….
58.Rd2 Kc6 59.Rc2 Kb5 60.Nc1 Ra3 17.Qe2 Rce8 18.Rac1 Ne5
61.Rd2 Bc7 62.Nd1 Kc6 63.Rc2 c4
XIIIIIIIIY
It must have been really horrible to play this
9-+-+rtr-mk0
endgame out against one of the greatest
technicians of all-time. Despite his veteran
9zpp+lzp-vlp0
status, Karpov is completely in his element.
64.e4 Bb6 65.Na2 Bd4 66.Nb4 Kc5 67.Nd5 9-wq-zp-snp+0
f5! 68.N1c3 fe4 69.fe4 h4
9+-+-snp+-0
White is out of good moves. Black threatens
...Ne4 and there is not a great deal that can
9-+PsN-+-+0
be done about it. 0:1.
9+PsN-zP-zP-0
Bacrot : Mamedov, Shamkir 2014
9PvL-+QzPLzP0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.c4
0 0 6.0 0 d6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.d5 Na5!?
xiiiiiiiiy
8...Ne5 is regarded as dubious these
19.Nd5!
days,which may be a reason to have another
The plan is carried out!
look at that line. 8...Na5 is sharp of course,
19...Nd5 20.Bd5
not to everyone's taste.
20.cd5 Rc8 21.h3 Nf7 22.Qd2 also looks
9.Qa4! c5 10.dc6 Nc6
nice for White as well, although after
10...bc6 isn't played too often, presumably
22...Ng5 Black has some chance to muddy
because 11 c5! is a good move: 11.c5 dc5
the water.
12.Ne5! looks distinctly awkward for Black.
20...e6 21.Bg2 Nf7?
Perhaps the best he can do is 12...Rb8
He didnt see Bacrot's next move,which
13.Rd1 Qb6 but after 14.Bf4 his position is
admittedly, is well-hidden. 21...Rc8 is
unappealing.
probably best, with an ongoing edge for
11.Rd1
White after 22.Qd2 Nf7 23.Ne2, but nothing
Results have been very good for White in
100% clear.
this clearcut line, where he keeps the better
22.c5!
structure and sets up the immediate threat of
Right to the heart of the matter. Black's loose
c4 c5!
position is exposed with this thematic pawn
11...Qb6
lever.
There is no clear way for Black to get a
22...Qa5
position with fully equal chances.
If 22...Qd8 23.cd6 e5. Then 24.Nb5! is more
12.Qc2
or less winning for White: 24...Re6
There is no need to give Black the b2 pawn.
(24...Qb6 25.Nc7 Rd8 26.Qd2 Bc8 27.Ba3
12...Ng4 13.e3 Nf6 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.b3
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 7
e4 28.Bf1+ ) 25.Bd5 Bb5 26.Qb5 Rd6
(26...Nd6 27.Qc5 Re7 28.Ba3) 27.Ba3 Rb6
28.Qe2+ .
23.Bb7 e5
23...dc5 24.Nf5 ef5 25.Rd7+ .
24.c6! ed4
24...Bc8 25.Bc8 Rc8 26.Ne6 is no good at
all for Black.
25.cd7 Rb8 26.Bc6
Resigning is not too early. Black is paralysed
by the pawn on d7 and if he plays 26...Ne5,
simply 27 Bd4 will do. Black has questions
to answer in this line. 1:0.
FIDE Surveys  Andrew Martin 8