The British Chess Magazine
type of position, but it is extremely difficult to
take it further. For example: 19 h4 h5 20 e5
×e5 21 ×e5 f6 22 g3 f8 23 d3 f7;
S Karyakin–V Anand, Sao Paulo/Bilbao, 2012,
with a draw in 31 moves.
9…×c3 10 ×c3 0–0 11 a4
A new move, which plans b4 after a4–a5, but
whatever White plays, one forms the impression that Black is solid and has a position which
is difficult to breach:
(a) 11 d2 b5 (11…bd7 12 e4 d×c4 13
×c4 e8 14 f4 b6 15 d3 ad8 16 c4
c7 17 e2 c5 18 ad1 c6 19 fe1 b5 20
e5 c7 21 b3 c×d4 22 ×d4 ×e5 23 ×e5
b6+ 24 h1 ×d1 25 ×d1 d8 26 ×d8+=
M Medic–O Jovanic, Velika Gorica, 2006) 12
c×d5 c×d5 13 a4 b×a4 14 ×a4 b6 15 b4
c8 16 c5 b7 17 fa1 e8 18 b4 c7
19 h3 d7 20 b3 a5 21 ba4 cb8 22 c3
b5 23 4a3 ab8 24 c1 a4 25 d2 ×b2
26 ×a4= E Bacrot–P Stoma, Warsaw, 2011.
(b) 11 b4 e8 12 a4 a5! 13 a3 bd7 14
d2 h6 15 e4 d×e4 16 ×e4 ×e4 17 ×e4
e5 18 ad1 f6=.
11…bd7 12 a5 e4 13 b4 e8 14
ac1
So White’s plan is basically to arrange f2–f3 and
hope this takes him somewhere.
14…h5!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqr+k+0
9+p+n+pzp-0
9p+p+p+-+0
9zP-+p+-+p0
9-vLPzPn+-+0
9+-+QzPN+-0
9-zP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Kamsky sharpens the play! There were other
approaches: the Stonewall setup with 14…
f5 15 c2 f6 certainly seems playable, but
523
maybe 14…c8! was best of all, just aiming for
a coordinated position: 15 e1 (15 d2 ×d2
16 ×d2 f6 17 f3 c7 18 fe1 cd8 19 c5
d7 20 b4 f6) 15…c5.
15 e5 c7
15…×e5 16 d×e5 strands the knight on e4
and is therefore inaccurate.
16 ×d7 ×d7 17 e2
It’s hard to say why Carlsen didn’t choose
17 f3 f6 18 e1! with a slight edge, as this
is the sort of thing he has been playing for.
Moreover, …h7–h5 looks out of place now.
Very odd.
17…f6 18 fd1 c7 19 h3 ad8 20 b3
d7 21 c2!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+r+k+0
9+pwqr+pzp-0
9p+p+psn-+0
9zP-+p+-+p0
9-vLPzP-+-+0
9+P+-zP-+P0
9-+R+QzPP+0
9+-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
The rook is useful on the second rank, both for
defensive and offensive purposes. White is still
trying to fashion a pawn break, with either f2–
f3 and e3–e4 or g2–g4 as the ultimate plan.
21…d8 22 cc1 h4 23 e1 e4 24
g4 g5!?
24…f5 25 h5 f7 26 f3 g3 27 ×g3 h×g3
leaves both players with a weak pawn.
25 c×d5 f5 26 f3 c×d5
I like 26…×d5! now, to keep the c-file closed,
but as both recaptures are equal this is a question of taste.
27 c2 g7 28 dc1 f6
28…g4!? forces the pace, but Kamsky was