by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin

With this rare move White want to create own center immediately 6...Be7 [Black has few different methods how to stop Whites activity in the center 6...g6 7.Nge2 (7.b3 Nc6 8.Nge2 Nb4 9.0–0 Nd3 10.f4 exf4 11.Nxf4 Nxc1 12.Qxc1 Bg7 13.Qa3 Bxc3 14.dxc3 Qe7 15.Qa5 0–0 16.e4 Re8 (16...c6) 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bf5 19.c4 Qe3+ 20.Rf2 Qd4 21.Raf1 Bd3 22.Re1 b6 23.Qd2 Kf8 24.Rd1 Re3 25.d6 Rae8 26.dxc7 Qc5 27.Qc3 Bf5 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Qxh7 Qxc7 30.Bd5 Kf8 31.Qh8+ Ke7 32.Qg7 Rf8 33.Rxf5 Rxg3+ 34.Kh1 1–0 Shabalov,A (2553)-Schmakel,S (2127)/Vancouver USA 2012) 7...Bg7 8.f4 (8.0–0 0–0 9.f4 exf4 10.Nxf4 c6 11.b3 Re8 12.Bb2 N8d7 13.Qc2 Nf6 14.Rae1 a5 15.Na4 Bf5 16.Qc1 Nxa4 17.bxa4 Be4 18.Qa1 Bxg2 19.Nxg2 Re6 20.Re2 Ne8 21.Ref2 Re7 1/2 Piorun,K (2489)-Arutinian,D (2556)/Pardubice CZE 2012) 8...exf4 9.Nxf4 c5 10.0–0 0–0 11.b3 Nc6 12.Ba3 Nb4 13.Rc1 Nd7 14.Bxb4 cxb4 15.Ncd5 a5 16.Qc2 Ne5 17.Qc7 Nc6 18.d4 Qxc7 19.Nxc7 Rb8 20.Nd3 Bg4 21.Rfe1 with Whites slight advantage,1/2 Nepomniachtchi,I (2716)-Lintchevski,D (2563)/Tyumen RUS 2012; The most direct way is 6...c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 8.0–0 Be7 9.f4 exf4 10.Nxf4 0–0 11.b3 Bf5 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Ncd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bh3 15.Bxh3 Qxh3 16.Nxe7+ Nxe7 17.Rc1 b6 18.Rc4 with just small Whites advantage,1/2 Collas,S (2261)-Ushenina,A (2433)/Istanbul TUR 2012 ; 6...Nc6 7.Nge2 Be7 8.0–0 h5 9.f4 h4 10.fxe5 Nxe5 11.d4 Ng4 12.h3 Nf6 13.g4 c5 14.Nf4 g5 15.Nd3 cxd4 16.exd4 Qxd4+ 17.Nf2 Qxd1 18.Rxd1 and Black will have to overcome problems,despite the extra pawn.1/2 Danin,A (2525)-Sandipan,C (2618)/Pardubice CZE 2012] 7.Nge2 0–0 8.0–0 c6 [Even here is possible more active center counterplay 8...c5 9.a4 a5 10.d4 exd4 11.exd4 Nc6



12.d5 (№12.Nb5) 12...Nb4 13.Bf4 Nc4 14.Nb5!? Nxb2 15.Qb3 Bf6 16.Nec3 N2d3 17.Bc7 Qd7 with very unclear situation, Bocharov,D (2600)-Kanter,E (2402)/Izhevsk RUS 2012] 9.b3 [It is possible to attack center immediately 9.f4 N8d7 (9...exf4 10.Nxf4 N8d7 11.d4 Nf6 12.e4 Bg4 13.Qd3 Nh5 14.h3 Nxf4 15.gxf4 Be6 16.d5 f5 17.Qd2 cxd5 18.exd5 Bf7 19.b3 Nc8 20.Qd3 Nd6 21.Ba3 Qa5 22.Nb5 Be8 23.Nxd6 Bxd6 24.Bxd6 Qb6+ 25.Rf2 Qxd6 26.Qd4 and central pawn is still dangerous,1/2 Galliamova,A (2465)-Kosintseva,T (2530)/Moscow RUS 2012) 10.b3 a5 11.fxe5 Nxe5 12.d4 Ng6 13.e4 Bg5 (13...c5 It may look wrong losing a tempo like this, but with the e-pawn on e4 White's light-squared bishop is restricted and so 13...c5 makes sense. 14.Be3 cxd4?! An inaccuracy. (14...Bg4!) 15.Qxd4 Qxd4 16.Bxd4 Nd7 Obviously Black's idea is to trade the dark-squared bishops, getting the e5-square for his knights. 17.Nd5 Bc5 18.Rac1 b6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.Rfd1 Zvjagintsev correctly considered this move to be an inaccuracy as it allows me to trade the weak a-pawn. (After 20.Nec3!І Black is under pressure.) 20...a4! 21.Nef4! Zvjaginsev,V (2663)-Mikhalevski,V (2584)/Aix-les-Bains 2011(Mikhalevski) White is threatening with a win of a piece.) 14.Ba3 Other moves dont promise advantage either a) 14.Nf4 Bxf4 (14...Re8!?) 15.gxf4 f5! 16.Ba3 Re8 17.d5 (In the event of 17.e5 Be6 White's central pawns are blocked.) 17...Nh4 18.Bh1 fxe4 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Qxd8 Rxd8 21.Bxe4 Bf5 22.Bh1 Rd3 23.Rac1 a4 and Black should be able to retain equality.; b) 14.Rf2 Bxc1 15.Rxc1 Qe7 Black's position is slightly worse.(15...Bg4 16.h3 Bxe2 17.Nxe2 Re8 18.h4І is in White's favour.) ; 14...Be7 15.Bb2 a4 16.bxa4 Bg4 17.Bf3 Bxf3 18.Rxf3 c5 19.Ba3 Nc4 20.Bxc5 Bxc5 21.dxc5 Nd2 22.Rf2 Ne5 23.Nf4 Qd4 24.Nfd5 Qxc5 1/2 Turov,M (2636)-Smirin,I (2632)/Trieste ITA 2012] 9...f5 [It was slightly better to develop faster 9...Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.d4 exd4 12.exd4 Na6 13.Qd2 f5 14.Nf4 Bf7 with very solid position.] 10.d4 e4 [A bit artificial was 10...N8d7 11.e4 (Nothing promised 11.d5 Qc7 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Qc2 e4) 11...fxe4 12.Nxe4 exd4 13.Nxd4 Nc5 14.Nxc5 Bxc5 15.Be3 and White has better development with some tactical threats.] 11.Bb2 Na6



12.g4?! Typical Cmilyte hypperaggressive attitude. [Correct was to destroy center in different way 12.f3 ] 12...fxg4 13.Nxe4 Nd5 [Practically the same was 13...Nc7 ] 14.N2g3 [Very tempting was tto try to transfer Knight to e5 14.Nc1 ] 14...Qe8!? [Very good chances kept Black after 14...Be6 15.Nd2 Nac7 16.Nc4 a5] 15.Nc5? [Once more better was to transfer Knight on e5 15.Nd2 Be6 16.Nc4] 15...Nac7?! [Possible was 15...Nxc5 16.dxc5 Be6 17.Qc2 Rd8 18.Be4 g6] 16.Qc2 [FCor some reason Cmilyte underestimate the value of Knight on e5 16.Nd3 ] 16...Ne6 17.Nxe6 [Last chance was here 17.Nd3 ] 17...Bxe6 18.Be4 h5! Defending and attacking-threatening h5-h4. 19.Ne2 Bd6 [Very good was to try to create weakness on the other side 19...a5 ] 20.Kh1 Rf6 [Interesting idea to increase pressure on f file.Another option was 20...h4 21.Rae1 Qh5] 21.Nc3 Nxc3 22.Bxc3 Bd5! Now is clear that Black obtained huge advantage. 23.f3?



[Just prolonged suffering 23.Bg2 h4] 23...Rxf3! 24.Bxf3 Bxf3+ [ possible was even 24...gxf3 25.Qf2 Qxe3!] 25.Rxf3 gxf3 26.e4 Qf7 27.Qf2 [Completely useless was 27.Rf1 Rf8 28.Be1 g5 29.Kg1 g4] 27...Rf8 28.Rg1 Qf4 29.e5 Be7 30.Be1 Qe4 31.Bd2 Bh4 32.Qe3



It demand good calculation,as Black King has to avoid the perpetual check. 32...Qd5 [Transfer into endgame was simply delaying the well deserved win 32...Qxe3 33.Bxe3 f2 34.Rf1 Rf3 35.Bc1 Rd3 36.Bf4 Kf7] 33.Rxg7+ Kxg7 34.Qh6+ Kf7 35.Qxh5+ Ke6! 36.Qg4+ Rf5 37.Qg6+ Ke7 38.Qh7+ Ke8 39.Qh5+ 0–1