The British Chess Magazine
Or 10…a6 11 a3 c5 (if 11…×b2 then 12
b1 traps the queen) 12 ×f7+ (of course the
hidden attack on the black queen is a theme in
this line) 12…×f7 13 ×c5 ×c5 14 f3 f5
15 e5+ f8 16 d4 c8 17 ×f5 g×f5 18
c2 d8 19 ×c5 d1+ 20 e2 ×h1 21 c4
1–0 M Dziuba–A Petriso, Eforie Nord, 2010.
11 a3 a5 12 b4 a6 13 c7 ×a3
Black is able to grab some material, but it won’t
be enough to compensate for the rook.
14 ×a8 c6 15 e2 g4
If you get this far then it is useful to know the
winning line after 15…e5. For instance: 16
g3 ×b4 (16…g4 17 c7 ×b4 18 f3 with
a clear advantage) 17 c7 d8 18 b3 d2
19 f3 (19 ×f7+! h8 20 e6 also wins easily) 19…a5 20 ×f7+ f8 21 a2 c6 22
e6+ ×e6 23 ×d2 ×d2 24 ×e6 1–0 A
Aleksandrov–T Nedev, Rethymnon, 2003.
16 c7 e4 17 f3 d8
Black has active play, which might be good
enough for a quick game on the Internet, but
when you have plenty of time to ponder what
to do then giving back some material is a perfect
plan.
18 d5 e6 19 f×e4 e×d5 20 e×d5 e5 21
×e5 ×e5 22 b3 1–0
8 c×d5 ×c3 9 d2 ×a2 10 ×c3!?
The modern reply, offering the exchange in
return for a strong attack. This unusual move
is not even mentioned in the Grünfeld books
from ten years ago, so you might well catch
out a few players. 10 b×c3 has been known as
the solid reply for some time and featured in
the celebrated game TV Petrosian–RJ Fischer,
Buenos Aires, 1971; now play might continue:
10…a5 (after 10…×d2+ the ending favours
White upon 11 ×d2 d7 12 b5 0–0 13 ×d7
×d7 14 e4, with the superior chances) 11 c4
d7 12 f3 ×c5 13 e5 ×e5 14 ×e5 f6
15 f3 0–0 16 0–0 g7 17 fe1, with equal
opportunities in the game E Levin–S Klimov, St
Petersburg, 2012.
10…0–0
The critical line has to be the immediate 10…
×c3, but few people are willing to take the risk
and the practical results are in White’s favour. In
the top-level rapid game Wang Yue–M Carlsen,
Leon, 2009, play continued: 11 ×c3 f6 (11…
a1+ 12 d2 f6 13 f3 0–0 14 h6 f7 15 g1
threatening to move the white-squared bishop
with a discovered attack on the black queen favours White) 12 f3 d7 13 e2 ×d5 14 0–0
c6 (the short-term problem is that the black
king is stuck in the centre as 14…0–0? allows 15
c4) 15 b4 a5 16 b5 b4 17 d1 e4 18 e1
d5 19 d2 e6 20 c2 0–0 21 d6 fd8 22
d4 h4 23 g3 with the advantage.
11 c4 ×c3!?
Naturally Black has one or two alternatives
to a knockout game in 22 moves, so let’s
take a look at a couple of grandmasters
handling the opening.
G R Leitao
O A Fier
Brazil Championship, 2011
Grünfeld D82
553
[Gary Lane]
1 d4 f6 2 c4 g6 3 c3 d5 4 f4 g7 5 e3
c5 6 d×c5 a5 7 c1 e4
The triple attack on the queen’s knight gives
White cause for concern, but prior knowledge of
the move means there is nothing to worry about.
Fier just cannot resist the lure of the exchange
and aims to resist the forthcoming attack and
use the extra material to win in the long term.
The alternative 11…a1+ has gone out of
fashion since the game B Gulko–D Eckert, Saint
Louis, 2009, which continued 12 c1 ×b2
13 f3 d7 14 e2 a3?! (maybe 14…a5
should be considered) 15 d4 ×d4 16 e×d4
f6 17 f3 d8 18 0–0 ×d5? Black adds a
pawn to his collection but overlooks the possibility of his queen being trapped: 19 ×d5
×d5 20 a1 b3 21 fb1 1–0
12 ×c3 a1+ 13 e2 f6 14 h4 a6
Black keeps the queen on a1 to restrict the
king’s knight, but naturally must try to catch