A Rare Line of the Spanish Exchange Variation

By Ivan Sokolov
D. Andreikin (2705) A. Morozevich (2737) Governor's Cup, Saratov Round 8, 16.10.2011 [C69] Annotated by Ivan Sokolov In this game Morozevich opted for a rarely played line of the Spanish Exchange variation with 7...cxd4 8.exd4 Qd7. In a sharp game Black seemed to obtain enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn. Also critical for the evaluation of this line is the old Fischer move 9.h3, and it would be interesting to know what Moro had in mind there. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.00 f6 6.d4 Bg4 7.c3 exd4 8. cxd4 Qd7
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Chess Evolution

Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzystof Panczyk & Jacek Ilczuk

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Spanish Exchange Variation by Stefan Kindermann

9.Be3 The other logical choice for White here is the old Fischer move 9.h3. Black has many different options at his disposal, though the road to equality is not easy to find: Play through and download the games from ChessCafe.com in the ChessBase Game Viewer. a) 9...Bh5 10.Ne5 Bxd1 10...Qxh3 11.gxh3 Bxd1 12.Rxd1 fxe5 13.dxe5 Bc5 14.Kg2 Ne7 15.f4 Ng6 (15...00 16.f5 [16.e6 and 16.Nc3 Ng6 17.Kg3 are also possible] 16...Nxf5 17. exf5 Rxf5 18.Rf1 Rxe5 19.Nc3 with a plus for White) 16.e6 00 17.f5 Ne5 18. Nc3+/- g6 19.Bh6 Rf6 20.Bg5 Rff8 21.f6+ Mozes Krantz, Harrachov 1967. 11.Nxd7 Kxd7 12.Rxd1 Re8

Strategy University, Vol 4 by Adrian Mikhalchishin

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13.f3 White may be able to get some advantage with 13.Nc3, since ideas with ...f5 appear to work less well here: 13...Bb4 14.f3 f5 (14...Ne7 15.Na4 Kc8 16.a3 Bd6 17.b4+/=) 15.exf5 Ne7 16.g4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 g6 (17...Nd5 18.c4 Ne3 19. Bxe3 Rxe3 20.Kf2+/-) 18.Bd2 (After 18.f6 Black has a promising exchange sacrifice: 18...Nd5 19.Bh6 Nxc3 20.f7 Rb8! An important nuance. [The "logical" 20...Ref8? fails to 21.Rd3 Nd5 22.Bg7!.] 21.Rd3 Nd5 22.Re1 Rhf8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 compensation) 18...gxf5 19.Kf2+/=

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13...Ne7 Black's play can be improved here with 13...f5!=. Should White try to be "clever", he can easily get into trouble, for example: 14.exf5?! Ne7 15.g4 g6 16.f6 (16.fxg6 hxg6 17.Kg2 Nd5=/+) 16...Nd5 17.g5 h6 18.h4 hxg5 19.Bxg5 Bb4 20.Nd2 Bxd2 21.Rxd2 Rhf8=/+ 14.Nc3 Kc8 15.Be3 f5 16.Rac1 fxe4 17.fxe4 g6 18.Bf4 Bg7 19.d5 Rd8 20. Na4 Rhf8 21.g3+/- Fischer Jimenez Zerquera, Havana (ol) 1966. b) 9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3

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10...Qxd4?!

This early pawn collecting is not going to bring Black anything good. Perhaps Moro investigated in the direction of: 10...000 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Bf4 Ng6 13.Bg3 Bd6 14.Rfd1 Bxg3 15.fxg3 This move may have been inspired by Fischer's decision in a similar position to recapture on g3 with his f-pawn see his game against Gligoric below. (However, 15.Qxg3 looks more logical for White here.) 15...Kb8 16.Rac1 Rhe8 17.Qh5 Nf8 18.Qa5 Qc8 19.b4 Rd6 with a sharp game in Tatai Donner, Palma de Mallorca 1967. 11.Rd1 Qc4 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxd6 cxd6 14.Rxd6 White has regained the pawn and still has a lead in development. 14...Nh6 15.Na3 Qb4 16.Rad1 00 17.R1d2 Nf7 18.R6d4 Qc5 19.Nc4 Rad8 20.Qd1 Rxd4 21.Rxd4 Qe7 22.Na5 Rd8 23.b4 The black queenside pawn majority cannot move and is actually a target here, while White was able to advance his kingside pawn majority and went on to win in Timman Beliavsky, Linares 1988. c) 9...Be6 10.Nc3 000

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11.Bf4 White may also consider 11.Be3. The white bishop is perhaps not as actively placed as on the h2-b8 diagonal, however the ...g5 pawn push now does not come with tempo: 11...g5 12.Rc1 h5? 13.d5! cxd5 14.exd5 (14.Qd4! with Qa7 to follow looks extremely strong) 14...Bxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Qc2 Qf7 17. Nd4 Bd6 18.b4 Ne7 19.b5 axb5 20.Nxb5 Nd5 21.Qa4+ Rozentalis Sosnicki, Lubniewice 1998. 11...g5! Immediate kingside play is probably Black's best here. 11...Ne7 was played in an old classic, but it looks too slow: 12.Rc1 Ng6 13. Bg3 Bd6 14.Na4! Bxg3 15.fxg3 Kb8 16.Nc5 Qd6 17.Qa4 Ka7?? A terrible blunder losing on the spot, though Black's situation is in any case far from ideal. (After 17...Bc8 18.Rc3 White has a strong attack.) 18.Nxa6 Bxh3 19.e5 + Fischer Gligoric, Havana (ol) 1966. 12.Bg3

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12...g4 Perhaps Black should focus his research efforts along the lines of: 12...h5!? 13. d5 h4 14.Bh2 (14.dxe6?! Qe8 15.Qb3 hxg3 16.fxg3 g4 with attack) 14...cxd5 15.Rc1 Bd6 unclear 13.d5! cxd5 13...gxf3 14.dxe6 Qxe6 15.Qxf3 gives White the advantage. 14.exd5 Bxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.hxg4 Qxd1 17.Rfxd1 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Nh6 19.g5 Nf5 20.gxf6 Nxg3 21.fxg3 Bc5+ 22.Kh2 Rf8 23.Rd5 Bd6 24.Rf5 Kd7 25.Kh3? After 25.Ng5! h6 26.Ne4+/- White remains a sound pawn up and should likely win the ending. 25...Ke6 Petrushin Yudasin, Soviet Union 1981.

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9...f5N This is a positionally sound concept for Black in this pawn structure. However, the black king is still in the centre and White can try to take advantage of that. Previously Black has played: 9...000 10.Nbd2 Ne7 Black should also consider 10...f5!? here. 11.b4 Ng6 12.Qb3 Qe7 13.Qc2 Re8! An interesting concept, the threat of ...Bxf3 is now unpleasant and White has to act on the queenside. 14.a4? White pushes the wrong pawn. He had to play 14.b5! cxb5 (14...axb5 15.a4 b4 16.a5 with attack) 15.Rfc1 Qd7 16.a4 b4 17.Ne1! with Nd3 to follow, with

strong compensation for the sacrificed pawn. 14...Bxf3 15.gxf3 Qe6 16.Kh1 Bxb4 17.Rg1 Nh4-/+ Magem Badals Lin Weiguo, Beijing 1998. 10.Qb3 Bxf3 11.Qxb7 Rd8 12.gxf3 fxe4

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13.Rc1! Putting immediate pressure on the weakness on c6 is probably White's best here. 13.Re1 should not worry Black: 13...Bd6! (13...exf3 leads to an advantage for White after 14.Bf4+ Be7 15.Nd2 Nf6 [or 15...Nh6 16.Qxc7 Qxc7 17.Bxc7 Rd7 18.Be5 00 19.Nb3+/=] 16.Bg3+/= 00 17.Nxf3 Rb8 18.Ne5!) 14.fxe4 (14.Nc3? exf3 15.Bf4+ Ne7-/+) 14...Qg4+ 15.Kf1 Ne7 16.e5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Qc4+ 18.Kg2 Qg4+= with perpetual check. 13...exf3 White is better in the event of 13...Ne7 14.Nd2! exf3 15.Kh1, as Black has problems completing his development. 14.Qxc6 Bd6 It is essential for Black to first develop his bishop to d6 before placing his knight on e7. 15.Nd2 White is now going to be a pawn up. 15...Qxc6 16.Rxc6 Ne7 17.Rxa6 00

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18.Ne4 More testing was:

18.Nc4! Nf5! This seems to generate enough kingside counterplay for a draw. Less convincing for Black is 18...Nd5, since after 19.Bg5 Rd7 20.Nxd6 cxd6 21.Ra5! Nf4 22.Bxf4 Rxf4 23.Rc1! Black's situation is not easy: 23...Re7 (or 23...Rxd4 24.Rc8+ Kf7 25.Rf5+ Ke6 26.Rxf3+/-) 24.h3+/19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.b4 The white rooks are passive and Black appears to be just in time. 20...Rf6! 21.b5 Rg6+ 22.Kh1 Rg2 23.a4 Or 23.b6 Nxe3 24.fxe3 Rb2=. 23...Re8 24.Rg1 Nxe3 25.fxe3 Rb2 25...Ra2 is also possible. 26.Ra7 Rxe3 27.Raxg7+ Kf8 With a likely draw. 18...Bf4! 19.Re6 Nd5 Black has strong compensation and White must be careful. 20.Nc3 Rf5 Black had a winning attempt in: 20...Bxe3! 21.fxe3 (21.Nxd5?! Bxd4) 21...f2 + 22.Kf1 Rd6 23.Rxd6 (23.Re4?? runs into mate after 23...Nxc3 24.bxc3 Rg6 25.Ke2 f1=Q+! 26.Rxf1 Rg2+ 27.Ke1 Rb8) 23...Nxe3+ 24.Ke2 cxd6 25.Kxe3 f1=Q 26.Rxf1 Rxf1 In this unusual position Black is favourite, but is it enough to win? It is not easy to say. 21.Nxd5 Rdxd5

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22.Bxf4 This forces a draw. White's last winning attempt was 22.a4!. Then Black should avoid: 22...Bxe3 23.Re8+! It is important that the f3-pawn would hang with check. 23...Kf7 24. Rxe3 Rxd4 25.a5 and Black is in bad shape. Instead 22...Bd6! is probably the only move here, offering Black counterplay on the kingside. Andreikin obviously did not like this and therefore settled for a draw. However, the white a-pawn is very dangerous and White would retain some winning chances. 22...Rxf4 23.Re3 Rg5+ 24.Kh1 Rh5! A strong and precise move!

25.Rae1 Rfh4 26.Re8+ Kf7 27.R8e7+ Kf8 28.Re8+ Kf7 29.R8e7+

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