[Event "Moscow Aeroflot op-A"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2005.02.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Ni, Hua"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2711"]
[BlackElo "2625"]
[ECO "B33l"]
[EventDate "2005.02.15"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qd8 11. Bd3 ( 11. Nxf6+ ) ( 11. c4 ) 11. ...
 Nxd5 12. exd5 Ne7 13. c4 g6 ( 13. ... bxc4? 14. Nxc4 +/- ) 14. cxb5 Bg7 
15. O-O {A better pawn structure and open files for his pieces provide 
Black with sufficient compensation for the pawn.} ( 15. bxa6 O-O 16. Nb5 
Bxa6 ( 16. ... Nxd5 17. O-O ( 17. Be4 Bxa6! 18. Bxd5 Bxb5 19. a4 Ba6 20. 
Bxa8 Qxa8 =/& ) 17. ... Bxa6 18. Qb3 Nf4 19. Bxf4 exf4 20. Rfd1 Rb8 21. a4
Be5 ~ ( 21. ... f3 22. g3 ) ( 21. ... Qf6 22. Rab1 h5 23. Qa3 Bb7 24. Nxd6
Ba8 +/- {1-0 Lanka,Z-Huschenbeth,N/Hamburg 2005 (33)} ) ) 17. a4 Rc8 18. 
O-O Nxd5 19. Qb3 Nf4 20. Rfd1 Nxd3 21. Qxd3 Qh4 22. Qxd6 Bb7 23. Qb6 Ba8 
24. h3 Rc2 25. Qe3 Rxb2 26. Nc7 Bb7 27. a5 f5 28. a6 f4 29. Qc5 Bxg2 30. 
Kxg2 f3+ 31. Kh2 Rc2 32. Qb6 e4 33. Be3 Rxf2+! ( 33. ... Be5+? 34. Kg1 
Bxc7? 35. Qe6+ Rf7 36. Rd7 +- {1-0 Polgar,J-San Segundo Carrillo,P/Madrid 
1994 (38)} ) 34. Bxf2 Be5+ 35. Kg1 Qg5+ 36. Kf1 Qg2+ 37. Ke1 Bc3+ 38. Rd2 
Qh1+ 39. Bg1 f2+ 40. Qxf2 Rxf2 -+ ) 15. ... O-O 16. Bb4 N {Ivanchuk 
correctly wants to organize pressure on d6. White must not let Black to 
develop freely his initiative.} ( 16. Bc4?! f5 ( 16. ... e4!? ) 17. Qe2 ( 
17. Bg5 h6 ) 17. ... f4 18. f3 Nf5 19. Nc2? Ng3! 20. hxg3 fxg3 -+ {
Korneev-Sriram/Ubeda 2001} ) 16. ... a5 ( 16. ... f5? 17. Nc4 Nxd5 18. 
Nxd6! ( 18. Bxd6 Re8 ~ ) 18. ... Be6 ( 18. ... Nxb4? 19. Bc4+ +- ) 19. Bc4
Nf4 20. Bxe6+ Nxe6 21. Qd5 +/- ) ( {Serious attention deserved} 16. ... 
Nxd5 17. Be4 Nxb4 18. Bxa8 d5 =/& ) 17. Bc3 Nxd5 ( {According to M.Notkin 
correct was} 17. ... f5 {"though with the bishops on c3 and d3 White is 
much better equipped to meet the plan carried out by Sriram (see 16.Bc4 - 
DR) since f5-f4 gives the e4 square to the light-squared bishop while 
after e5-e4 the dark squares in the Black's camp would be weakened. 
Nevertheless Black has useful moves at his disposal (Bb7, Rf7, Rc8) and 
the central advance can wait until an opportune moment as White needs time
to regroup for active operations" (M. Notkin) Everything is right, only 
that I believe that 17...Nxd5 also offers Black enough possibilities for 
counterplay.} ) 18. Qf3 ( 18. Be4 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Rb8 ~ ) 18. ... Nb6? {
Black wants to advance the d-pawn, but unfortunately for him the concrete 
play favors White.} ( 18. ... Be6 19. Be4 Nxc3 20. Bxa8 Qxa8 ( 20. ... 
Nxa2!? 21. Bd5 Bxd5 22. Qxd5 Nb4 =/& ) 21. Qxc3 ( 21. Qxa8?? Ne2+ ) 
21. ... d5 =/& ) ( 18. ... Bb7!? 19. Be4 Nxc3 20. Bxb7 e4 21. Qe3 ( 21. 
Bxe4? Nxe4 22. Qxe4 Bxb2 -+ ) 21. ... Rb8 22. bxc3 Rxb7 23. Qxe4 ( 23. 
Rad1 Re8! ( {Better than} 23. ... d5 24. c4 Rd7 25. c5 +/- {(M.Notkin)} ) 
24. c4 Qc7 ~ 25. Rd5 f5 26. Rfd1 Be5 =/& ) 23. ... d5 24. Qf3 Qe7 ( 
24. ... Qd6 25. Nc4! ) ( 24. ... Rc7!? 25. Rac1 Qd6 26. Nb1 Rb8 27. a4 Rc4
28. Rfd1 Rd8 â‡„â‡„ ) 25. Qxd5 ( 25. Nc2 Rxb5 ) 25. ... Rfb8 =/& ) 19. Nc4
! ( 19. Be4? d5 -/+ ) 19. ... Be6 ( 19. ... Nxc4 20. Qxa8 +- ) 20. Bxa5! (
20. Nxb6? Qxb6 -/+ ) 20. ... Bxc4 ( {Probably Black should have tried his 
chances in the following variation:} 20. ... Rxa5 21. Nxa5 d5 {although 
after} 22. Nc6 {White has good pieces and Black's compensation is not 
sufficient.} ) ( 20. ... e4!? 21. Bxe4! ( 21. Bxb6 exf3 22. Bxd8 Rfxd8 {
with some compensation} ) ( 21. Qxe4? Bxc4 22. Bxb6 Bxd3 -+ ) 21. ... Bxc4
22. Bxb6 ( 22. Bxa8 Qxa8 23. Bxb6 Qxf3 24. gxf3 Bxf1 25. Rxf1 Rb8 ( 
25. ... Bxb2 26. Bc7 +- ) 26. Bc7 Rxb5 27. b3 +/- ) ) 21. Bxb6 Qxb6 22. 
Bxc4 {A pawn up and a better bishop secures White a huge advantage. 
Ivanchuk easily converts it into a full point.} 22. ... Rac8 23. Qb3 e4 
24. a4 Bd4 ( 24. ... Qa5 25. b6? â–³ ( 25. Bd5! +- ) 25. ... Rc6! ) 25. a5
Qc5 26. Bd5 +- Rce8 27. Qc4 Qxc4 28. Bxc4 Re5 29. b6 Rc5 30. Ra4 d5 31. 
Be2 Be5 32. a6 Rc2 33. a7 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 1"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "San Segundo Carrillo, Pablo"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[ECO "B33l"]
[EventDate "1994.11.01"]
[Annotator "Gagarin"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qd8 12. c4!? ( 12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13.
 Bd3 ( 13. c4 ) ) 12. ... Nxe4 13. cxb5 Be6 14. Bc4 Ne7 15. O-O!? {A fine 
idea of GM V.Kupreichik's. White energetically finishes his development, 
leaving his d5-knight under attack } ( 15. Be3 Rc8! ( 15. ... Qa5+?! 16. 
Ke2 Rc8 17. Qd3! ( 17. Bb6? Qxa3! 18. bxa3 Rxc4 =/& ( 18. ... Bxd5!? â†‘ )
) ( 17. Rc1? Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Rxc1 19. Bxc1 Qxa3! 20. Bc6+ Bd7 {
Zapata,A-Ochoa de Echaguen,F/Habana/1983/0:1/28/} 21. bxa3 Nc3+ 22. Kf3 
Nxd1 23. Bxd7+ Kxd7 24. Rxd1 axb5 -+ ) 17. ... Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Nc5 19. Bxc5 
Rxc5 20. Bb3 d5 21. Rhc1 +/- {Kruppa,Y-Vyzmanavin,A/Irkutsk/1986/1:0/38/} 
) 16. Nb6 ( 16. Nxe7!? ) ( 16. Bb6!? {Sveshnikov/} ) 16. ... d5! 17. Qa4!?
( 17. Nxc8 Nxc8 18. Bb3 ( 18. O-O? Bxa3 19. bxa3 dxc4 20. Qxd8+ Kxd8 21. 
bxa6 Kc7 -+ {Gobet, F-Kasparov,G/Luzern(simult)/1987/0:1/34/} ) 18. ... 
Qa5+ 19. Kf1 Bxa3 20. bxa3 O-O =/& ) 17. ... dxc4 18. Rd1 Nd5 â–¡ 19. 
bxa6+ Bd7! 20. Nxd7 Bb4+ 21. Kf1 Qxd7 â–¡ 22. Qxd7+ Kxd7 23. Rxd5+ Ke6 24.
 Rb5! Bxa3 â–¡ 25. bxa3 Nc3! 26. Rb6+ Kd7! 27. a7 Nd5 28. Rb7+ Ke6 = {
Yudasin,L-Vyzmanavin,A/URS(ch I) Lvov/1987/0,5/28/} ) 15. ... Bxd5! ( {In 
the original game there followed} 15. ... Nxd5? 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Ba5! 
Qxa5 18. Qxd5 Rc8 19. Qxe4 +/- {
Kupreichik,V-Nikcevic,N/Cattolica/1992/1:0/28/} 19. ... Be7 ( 19. ... axb5
20. Qb7 Qc7 21. Qxb5+ Qc6 22. Rfc1 +/- ) 20. Qb7 Qc7 21. Qxc7 Rxc7 22. 
bxa6 Kd7 23. Nb5! Rc2 24. Rfc1! Rxb2 ( 24. ... Rhc8 25. Rxc2 Rxc2 26. a7 
Rc8 27. Rd1 +- ) 25. Rc7+ Ke6 26. Rb7 Kf6 27. Nc7 Rc8 28. Nd5+ Ke6 29. 
Rxb2 { 1-0, Kupreichik,V 2555 - Nikcevic,N 2350 , Cattolica 1992} ) 16. 
Bxd5 ( 16. Ba5! {Horvath,T} 16. ... Qxa5 17. Bxd5 Rd8 18. Bxe4 d5 19. Bc2 
( 19. Bd3 Ng6 20. Nc2 Be7 21. Qe1! +/- {Fernandez,Garcia-Antunes/Expo/1992
} ) 19. ... Ng6 20. bxa6 Bxa3 -/+ ) 16. ... Nxd5 17. Ba5 Ndc3! { This 
resource allows Black to consolidate his position } ( 17. ... Qxa5? 18. 
Qxd5 +/- ) 18. Bxc3 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Be7? ( 19. ... d5! 20. Qb3 ( 20. Nc2 
axb5 21. Ne3 ( 21. Qe2 Be7 22. Qxe5 O-O = ) 21. ... Bc5 22. Nxd5 O-O 23. 
Qd3 Ra5 24. Rfd1 Qg5 =+ ) ( 20. Qa4 {Horvath,T} 20. ... Bxa3 21. b6+! +/- 
) ( 20. bxa6 Bxa3 21. Qa4+ Ke7 22. Qxa3+ Qd6 23. Qa4 Rxa6 24. Qg4 g6 25. 
Qh4+ Qf6 26. Qb4+ Qd6 = ) 20. ... Bxa3 21. Qxa3 axb5 ( 21. ... Qe7!? ) 22.
 Qc5! Rc8 23. Qxb5+ Qd7 24. Qb4 ) 20. Qb3 +/- Rb8 ( 20. ... O-O 21. c4 
axb5 22. Nxb5 Qd7 23. Rfd1 += {gives White an opportunity to blockade 
light squares in the center)} ) 21. c4 d5!? {Black revives his e7-bishop 
before it's too late } ( 21. ... O-O 22. Rfd1 +/- {>< d5/} ( 22. Rfd1 {
Horvath,T} 22. ... Qa5 23. Rd5! +/- ) ) 22. cxd5 O-O ( 22. ... Qa5? 23. d6
! Bxd6 24. Nc4 Qb4 25. Rfd1 +/- ) 23. Rfd1 Bxa3 ( 23. ... Bd6!? ) 24. Qxa3
Rxb5 ( 24. ... axb5 25. d6 +/- ( 25. d6 {Horvath,T} 25. ... Qd7 +- ) ) 25.
 d6 +/- {In spite of considerable simplifications White maintains the 
initiative due to his strong central passed pawn } 25. ... Qa5 ( 25. ... 
Ra5 26. Qe3 Qd7 27. Qc3 Qd8 28. Rac1 e4 29. Qc4 +/- ) 26. Qf3! ( 26. Qxa5
?! Rxa5 27. d7 Rd8 28. Rac1 Kf8 {/\ Ke7/} ) 26. ... Rd8 27. d7 Rc5 28. 
Rab1 h6 ( {The weakness of the 8th rank is felt in the variation } 28. ...
 Qxa2? 29. Qa8! Qa5 30. Rb8 +- ) ( 28. ... Rc7 29. Rb7 Rxb7 30. Qxb7 +/- )
29. h3 Rc4 ( 29. ... Qxa2? 30. Rb8! Rxb8 ( 30. ... Qa5 31. Qa8 +- ) 31. 
d8=Q+ Rxd8 32. Rxd8+ Kh7 33. Qf5+ g6 34. Qf6 +- ) ( 29. ... Rc7 {Horvath,T
} 30. Rb8 Rxb8 ( 30. ... Ra7 31. Rxd8+ Qxd8 32. Qc6 +- ) 31. d8=Q+ Rxd8 
32. Rxd8+ Kh7 33. Qf5+ g6 34. Qf6 +- ) 30. Rd5 Qc7 ( 30. ... Qxa2? 31. Rb8
! Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Rxb8 33. d8=Q+ Rxd8 34. Rxd8+ Kh7 35. Qf5+ g6 36. Qf6 +- ) 
31. Rbd1 Rc1 32. g3 ( 32. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 33. Kh2 ( 33. Rd1 Qc7 34. Qd5 Kf8! = 
) 33. ... Qf4+ 34. Qxf4 exf4 = ) 32. ... Qc6 33. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 34. Kg2 Qc2 
35. a3 Qc6 36. Qd3 Qb6 37. Kg1 Qe6 38. h4 e4 39. Qd4 Kh7 40. a4! {Having 
paralized the opponent's pieces with blockade of the passed pawn, White 
seizes the space on the Q-side, creates the strong point on b6 for his 
major pieces and fixes the a6-weakness} 40. ... Kg8 41. a5! Kh7 42. Kh2 g6
( 42. ... Kg8 {Horvath,T} 43. Rd6 Qe7 ) 43. Rd6 Qf5 ( 43. ... Qe7 44. h5! 
gxh5 45. Qd5 +/- ) 44. Rf6! Qxd7 {Black has eliminated the d7-pawn, but 
this does not make life much easier for him. Weakness of the a6-pawn and 
insecure position of the black king give White fine chances for a win } ( 
{White wins an instructive rook ending after } 44. ... Rxd7 45. Rxf5 Rxd4 
46. Rxf7+ Kg8 47. Rf6 Kg7 48. Rxa6 Rd2 ( 48. ... e3 49. fxe3 Re4 50. Rb6 
Rxe3 51. a6 +- ) 49. Kg1 Ra2 50. Ra7+ Kf6 51. a6 h5 52. Ra8 Kg7 53. a7 Kh7
54. Kf1 Kg7 55. Ke1 Kh7 56. Kd1 Kg7 57. Kc1 Kh7 58. Kb1 Ra4 59. Kc2 Ra3 
60. Kb2 Ra6 61. Kb3 Kg7 62. Kc4 Ra1 63. Kd4 Ra4+ 64. Kd5 Kh7 65. Kc6 Ra1 (
65. ... Kg7 66. Kb6 Rb4+ 67. Ka5 Rb1 68. Rg8+ +- ) 66. Rd8 Rxa7 67. Rd7+ 
Rxd7 68. Kxd7 Kg7 69. Ke6 +- ) 45. Qxe4 {/\ Ra6, /\ h5/} 45. ... h5 ( 
45. ... Qa7 46. h5 Rg8 47. Kg1 Qd7 48. Qf3 +- ) 46. Rxa6 Qd5 47. Qf4 Kg8 
48. Rf6 Kg7 ( {(More stubborn is } 48. ... Qxa5 49. Rxf7 +- {/\ Qf6, /\ 
Rc7/} 49. ... Qd5 50. Rf6 Kg7 +/- ) 49. a6 Rd7 50. Qf3! Qc5 ( 50. ... Qxf3
51. Rxf3 +- {/\ Ra3/} ) 51. Rc6! Qd4 52. Qc3 +- Qxc3 53. Rxc3 Rd2 54. Ra3 
1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 1"]
[Site "Havana CUB"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Zapata, Alonso"]
[Black "Ochoa de Echaguen, Fco Javier"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2425"]
[BlackElo "2400"]
[ECO "B33l"]
[EventDate "1983.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 { This move was first
employed by de la Bourdonnais in his famous match against MacDonnel 
(1834), 
later Em.Lasker would play so during his match against Schlechter. But 
those were only episodical attempts. In the light of W.Steinitz positional
theory the e7-e5-development looked anti-positional, as it served to 
create a backward d6-pawn and a weak d5-square in his own camp. Main ideas
of e7-e5 advance in Sicilian defence were formulated during 1940s by 
I.Boleslavsky who used to play this way successfully after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 
d6 3.d4 cd 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 e5! It turns out that in return for 
his pawn structure defects Black is presented with an opportunity to 
deploy his pieces actively and to chase the white d4-knight away from 
center. 
Similar motives can be seen in Cheliabisk variation that has now become 
one of the most popular openings in the tournaments of any category. The 
1970s undertakings of Cheliabinsk GMs E. Sveshnikov and G.Timoscenko were 
successfully carried on in modern practice by M.Krasenkow, V.Kramnik, A. 
Shirov, P.Leko, J.Lautier, G.Kasparov, T.Radjabov and many others. 
} 6. Ndb5 ( 6. Nb3 Bb4 7. f3 d5 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 d4 10. Bd2 Nxe4 11. 
Bd3 Qh4+ 12. Ke2 Qf2# {0-1 de Booij, Marco (1044) - Vesely, Emanuel (2083)
/ BI-2012-P-00020 (-), ICCF2012_cor32 2012} ) 6. ... d6 7. Bg5 {As 
distinct from the Boleslavsky System, in the Cheliabinsk Variation White 
manages to exchange his dark-squared bishop for the f6-knight immediately,
and this strengthens his control over the key d5-square. Black's dynamic 
compensation for this concession is the fact that white knight has to 
leave for a3 } 7. ... a6 8. Na3 b5 {Below we will examine the following 
branches of this popular opening: } 9. Nd5 ( 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. 
Bd3 ( 11. Nxb5!? axb5 12. Bxb5 ) ( 11. Bxb5!? axb5 12. Nxb5 ) ( 11. c3 Bg7
12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 ) 11. ... Be6 12. Qh5 ( 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 ) 
12. ... Bg7 ( 12. ... Rg8!? ) 13. O-O f4 ) 9. ... Qa5+ { Before examining 
the mainline move 9...Be7 it should be noted that the queen check to a5 
turns out to be quite poisonous for White } ( 9. ... Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11.
 c3 ) 10. Bd2 Qd8 { Black idea has clarified - his opponent is hard put to
hold the knight d5-outpost } 11. c4 {A sharp continuation. White cedes his
central e4-pawn, but demolishes the opponent's Q-side } ( {To repeat 
position in order to draw} 11. Bg5 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Qd8 13. Bg5 Qa5+ { would 
certainly be a moral compromise for White} ) 11. ... Nxe4 12. cxb5 Be6 13.
 Bc4 Ne7 {Energically struggling against the opponent's centralized pieces
} ( {To an obvious white advantage leads } 13. ... axb5? 14. Nxb5 Qh4 15. 
Be3 Nxf2 16. Nbc7+ Kd8 17. Nxe6+ fxe6 18. Bb6+ Ke8 19. Nc7+ Ke7 20. Bxf2 
Qxc4 21. Nxa8 { Beliavsky Alexander G (SLO) 2620 - Van Der Wiel John T H 
(NED) 2520, Moscow (Russia) 1982)} ) 14. Be3 Qa5+ 15. Ke2 {Threatening to 
catch the enemy queen by means of Â¥e3-b6 } ( {Less precise is } 15. Kf1 {
in view of } 15. ... Rc8 16. Bb6 Qd2 17. Nc7+? Rxc7! ) 15. ... Rc8! {Black
despsrately struggles for the initiative, aiming his blows at the 
opponent's key pieces } 16. Rc1?! ( {On} 16. Bb6 {an effective refutation 
is prepared} 16. ... Qxa3!! 17. bxa3 Rxc4! 18. Ne3 ( 18. Nxe7 Nc3+ -+ ) 
18. ... Nc3+ 19. Kd3 e4+! -+ 20. Kd2 Nxd1 21. Nxc4 Bxc4 22. Rhxd1 axb5 -+ 
) ( {Later it will be established that the strongest continuation for 
White is} 16. Nb6! d5! ( 16. ... Rxc4 17. Naxc4 Qxb5 18. Qd3 +- ) ( 
16. ... Qxa3 17. bxa3 Nc3+ 18. Kd2 +- ) ( 16. ... Rd8 17. bxa6 Bxc4+ 18. 
Naxc4 Qxa6 19. Qd3 +- ) ( 16. ... Bxc4+ 17. Naxc4 Qxb5 18. a4 Qb4 ( 
18. ... Qc6 19. Rc1 ) 19. Qc2 +/- ) 17. Nxc8 Nxc8 18. Bxd5 Bxa3 19. Bxe4 
Qxb5+ 20. Bd3 Qxb2+ 21. Qc2! ( 21. Qd2 e4! 22. Bxa6 ( 22. Bxe4 Bc4+ 23. 
Kf3 Qf6+ 24. Bf4 g5 ) 22. ... Qe5 {Sisniega,M 2500 - Espinoza,R 2430 , 
Linares 1992} ) 21. ... e4 22. Bxe4 Bc4+ 23. Kf3 Qf6+ 24. Bf4 g5 25. Qxc4 
Qxf4+ 26. Ke2 O-O 27. Bxh7+ Kxh7 28. Qxf4 gxf4 29. Kf3 {with an ending 
that is somewhat more favorable for Black - shown by M.Sisniega} ) 16. ...
 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Rxc1 18. Bxc1 Qxa3!! {The whole black play is based on this
fine blow. White is unable to make use of his opponent's Q-side 
underdevelopment } 19. Bc6+ ( 19. bxa3 Nc3+ 20. Ke3 Nxd1+ 21. Rxd1 axb5 =+
) ( 19. Bxe4 Bc4+ -/+ ) 19. ... Bd7 20. Qd5?! ( 20. bxa3 Nc3+ -/+ ) 
20. ... Qa4! 21. Bxd7+ Kxd7 22. Qb7+ Ke6 23. Qc8+ Kf6 24. bxa6 Be7!! {Â° A
thematic rook sacrifice excluding white queen from play. Now the attack 
against the white king becomes irrefutable } 25. Qxh8 ( 25. Qb7 Qc2+ ) 
25. ... Qc2+ 26. Kf3 ( 26. Ke3 d5! 27. Rf1 Bc5+ 28. Kf3 Qd3+ 29. Be3 Bxe3!
) 26. ... Qd3+ 27. Be3 Nd2+ 28. Kg3 ( 28. Kg4 Qf5+ 29. Kh4 Ke6+ ) 28. ... 
Qg6+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 3"]
[Site "Pamplona ESP"]
[Date "1998.12.29"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Xie, Jun"]
[Black "Sutovsky, Emil"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2575"]
[ECO "B33n"]
[EventDate "1998.12.27"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Rb8 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a3 {Lanka's 
idea. This in many positions useful move prepares Ncb4, in some lines it 
prevents Black's advance b5-b4. However, the practice has shown that Black
is able to solve the opening problems.} ( 13. h4 Be7!? 14. a3 Kh8 15. Bd3 
Be6 16. Ncb4 Nxb4 17. axb4 Ra8 18. Bc2 Ra7 19. g3 Qd7 20. O-O Bd8 =, quiet
{Nisipeanu - Rogozenko, Hamburg 98} ) 13. ... Bg5!? {Not trying to prevent
the Nc2-b4 maneuver, Black prepares the usual play against white 
d5-knight, that is associated with re-grouping Bc8-b7 and Nc6-e7 } ( 
13. ... a5 14. h4 ( 14. Bd3!? ) 14. ... Ne7 15. Nce3 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Be6 17.
 g3 Qd7 18. Bg2 Bd8 =, quiet {Kasparov-Kramnik, Moskow PCA rapid 94} ) 14.
 Ncb4 {Now Black is definetely OK. With the Bishop on c8 this move is 
pointless, because of the answer Bb7. But it seems that Black has a very 
pleasant position anyway.} ( {In case of the aggressive} 14. h4 Bh6 15. g4
( 15. Bd3 Be6 ( 15. ... Ne7 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Nb4 Bb7 18. Bc2 += ) 16. 
Ncb4 Nxb4 17. Nxb4 ( 17. axb4 Bxd5 18. exd5 ~ ) 17. ... Qb6 18. Bc2 ~ ) 
15. ... Bf4 16. Qf3 Be6 17. Nxf4 exf4 18. Qxf4 Ne5 {Black obtains rich 
play as a compensation for his sacrificed pawn)} ) ( 14. g3 a5 15. Bg2 Ne7
16. h4 Bh6 17. Nce3 Bxe3 18. Nxe3 Be6 19. O-O Qb6 20. Qd3 Rfd8 21. Rfd1 h6
22. Bf3 Bb3 23. Rd2 {and Black has no particular problems,1/2-1/2, Rausis 
Igors 2515 - Vaisser Anatoly 2555 , Las Palmas 1995 It (open)} ) 14. ... 
Bb7 =, quiet 15. g3?! ( 15. Bd3 Na5!? ~ ( 15. ... a5 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Bc2
Qd7 18. O-O Bd8 =, quiet ) ) ( 15. Be2 a5 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. O-O Qd7 
=, quiet ( 17. ... b4 =, quiet ) ) 15. ... a5 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. h4 Bh6 18.
 Bh3 b4! â†‘ {Creating counterplay on the Q-side is a useful prelude to 
transferring the game into a position with the bishops of opposite colors 
after the exchange on the d5-square 

White's Bishop looks totally misplaced on h3, naturally Black creates 
counterplay on queenside.} 19. axb4 axb4 20. c4 ( 20. O-O bxc3 21. bxc3 
Rb2 =+ 22. Ra7 Bxd5 ( 22. ... Rd2?? 23. Ne7+ Kh8 24. Nxc6 Rxd1 25. Nxd8 
Rxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Rxd8 27. Rxf7 +/- ) 23. Qxd5 Qf6 {and Black solves all his 
problems by pinning down his opponent with the defence of f2-square} ) 
20. ... Ra8 21. O-O?! {Leads to a pawn structure that is favorable for 
Black} ( 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23. Nxc6 Qxc6 24. O-O g6! ( 24. ... 
Qxe4?! 25. Qxd6 g6 26. c5 ) 25. Qd3 Ra8 26. Rd1 Bf8 = ) 21. ... Rxa1 22. 
Qxa1 Bxd5 23. cxd5 ( 23. exd5?! { enhances the mobility of black pawns on 
the K-side} ) 23. ... Qb6 =+ { It turns out that in the ensuing pawn 
structure light squares in the Black camp are vulnerable 

Despite the oposite-coloured Bishops Black has better prospects due to 
weak e4 and b2 pawns.} ( 23. ... Qc7!? {24...Qc2, 24...Qc4) } 24. Re1 ) 
24. Re1?! ( 24. b3 ) ( 24. Rd1!? {xd4} 24. ... Qc5 =+ ) 24. ... Qd4 25. 
Qb1 {Qc2 Rd1} 25. ... b3! 26. Rd1 Bd2! {As usual, bishops of opposite 
color in the middle game serve only to increase the advantage in activity 
for one of the parties } 27. Bf1! Rc8 28. Bd3 ( {Following analysis by 
E.Sutovsky demonstrates that even in the endgame with bishops of opposite 
colors defence would not be easy for White} 28. Qd3 Qxd3 29. Bxd3 Bc1 ( 
29. ... Rc2! 30. Rb1 ( 30. Ra1 g6 31. Kf1 ( 31. Ra8+ Kg7 32. Rb8 Rxb2 33. 
Bc4 Be1! -/+ ) 31. ... Rxb2 32. Rb1 Rxb1+ 33. Bxb1 Bc3 34. Ke2 Bd4 -/+ ) )
30. Ba6! ( 30. Kg2 g6 31. Kf3 Bxb2 32. Rb1 Rc2 -+ ) 30. ... Rc2 31. Rd3 f5
32. exf5 Rxb2 33. Bc4 Kf7 34. Rxb3 = ) 28. ... Qb4!? { This move violates 
the logical course of the game, although in the following (and not quite 
error-free) struggle Black still manages to win } ( {An effective and 
efficient method of developing an attack in a position with bishops of 
opposite colors is} 28. ... Be3!! 29. Ba6! ( 29. Bb5? Bxf2+ 30. Kf1 Qc5 -+
) ( 29. Rf1 Bxf2+! 30. Rxf2 Qe3 -+ ) ( 29. fxe3 Qxe3+ 30. Kg2 Rc2+! 31. 
Kh3 ( 31. Bxc2 Qe2+ 32. Kh3 bxc2 33. Qa1 g5!! -+ ) 31. ... g5!! 32. h5 ( 
32. Bxc2 Qe2! -+ ) ( 32. hxg5 Qxg5 33. Bxc2 Qh5+ 34. Kg2 Qe2+ 35. Kh3 bxc2
36. Qc1 Qh5+! 37. Kg2 cxd1=Q -+ ) 32. ... g4+! 33. Kh4 Rh2+ 34. Kxg4 Rg2 
-+ ) 29. ... Bxf2+ 30. Kf1 Qe3 31. Qd3! ( 31. Bxc8 Bxg3 32. Kg2 Qf2+ 33. 
Kh3 Qh2+ 34. Kg4 h5+! 35. Kg5 Qxh4+ 36. Kf5 g6# ) 31. ... Rb8! 32. Qxe3 
Bxe3 33. Bd3 Ba7! 34. Bc4 Rb4! -/+ { analysis by E.Sutovsky} ) 29. Qa1 g6 
30. Qa6 {White decided not to wait any more. A passive play can become 
dangerous, for example:} ( 30. Qb1 Ra8 31. Kg2 Ra2 32. Kg1 Bh6 33. Bf1 ( 
33. Kg2 Qd4 ) 33. ... Qc5 34. Kg2 Qc2 -+ ) ( 30. Kg2 Rc2 31. Qb1 Qc5 -/+ )
30. ... Rc7 31. Ra1 Bc1 32. Qa8+ ( 32. Qa3 Qxa3 33. Rxa3 Rb7 34. Bc4 Rb4 
35. Bxb3 Bxb2 36. Ra8+ Kg7 37. Bc2 Bd4 38. Ra2 =+ ) 32. ... Kg7 33. Qd8 
Qe1+ 34. Kg2 Rc2! {Using the last chance.} 35. Bxc2 bxc2 36. Ra8 ( 36. 
Qxd6 Qxe4+ 37. f3 Qe2+ 38. Kh3 Bxb2 39. Ra8 Ba3 40. Qxa3 Qf1+ 41. Kh2 c1=Q
42. Qf8+ Kf6 43. Qd6+ =, quiet ) 36. ... Qxe4+ 37. Kh2?? ( 37. f3! { leads
to a draw} 37. ... Qe2+ 38. Kh3 Qf1+ 39. Kh2 Qf2+ 40. Kh3 Qf1+ 41. Kh2 {It
seems Black should force a draw by perpetual here.} 41. ... Qxf3 42. Qf8+ 
Kf6 43. Qxd6+ ) 37. ... Kh6! -+ {This nice move saves Black from 
perpetual.} 38. Rc8! ( 38. Qf8+ Kh5 39. Qxf7 Bh6 -+ 40. Rc8 c1=Q 41. Rxc1 
Bxc1 42. f3 Qe2+ 43. Kh3 Qf1+ 44. Kh2 h6 45. Qf6 Bf4! 46. gxf4 Qf2+ 47. 
Kh1 Qxf3+ 48. Kg1 exf4 -+ ) 38. ... Bd2 39. Qf8+? ( 39. Qxd6! Qf5! ( 
39. ... c1=Q 40. Qf8+ Kh5 41. Rxc1 Bxc1 42. Qxf7 Qf5 43. Qxh7+ Kg4 44. Qa7
Bxb2 45. Qe3 Bc1! 46. Qe2+ Qf3 47. Qc4+ e4 48. Qc8+ Kh5 49. Qxc1 Qxf2+ 50.
 Kh3 Qf5+ 51. Kg2 Qf3+ 52. Kh2 Qf2+ 53. Kh3 = ) 40. Rxc2 Qxf2+ 41. Kh1 
Qxg3 42. Qf8+ Kh5 43. Qxf7 Qh3+ 44. Kg1 Be3+ 45. Rf2 h6! 46. Qf6! ( 46. d6
Qg4+ 47. Kh1 Bxf2 48. Qxf2 Qd1+ 49. Kg2 Qxd6 -/+ ) 46. ... Bxf2+ 47. Kxf2 
Qh2+ 48. Ke3 Qxb2 -/+ {- shown by E.Sutovsky)} ) 39. ... Kh5 40. Qxf7 c1=Q
41. Qxh7+ Kg4 {Black not only runs away from perpetual, he creates his own
threats!} 42. Rxc1 Bxc1 43. h5 Qe2 44. Qxg6+ ( 44. Qf7 Kxh5 -+ ) 44. ... 
Kf3 45. Qf7+ Bf4! 46. Qa7 Bxg3+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 4"]
[Site "Manila olm"]
[Date "1992.06.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Zapata, A."]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2515"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "B33n"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[PlyCount "94"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 Bb7 13. Nc2 Nb8!? {GM
B.Gurgenidze's original idea in the spirit of the G.Breyer System in the 
Ruy Lopez. Black transfers his knight to a flexible d7-stand, where the 
new prospects of influencing the enemy bases in the center get opened up 
before it. } 14. a4 { Quick undermining of the oppponent's queenside is 
one of the main white ideas in the Cheliabinsk Variation } ( {An immediate
raid of the enemy mounted troops is not dangerous for Black} 14. Nce3 Nd7 
15. Nf5 O-O! 16. Nxd6 Bxd5 17. exd5 ( 17. Qxd5 Nb6 18. Qd3 g6! ) 17. ... 
Nb6 18. Ne4 Nxd5 = ) ( {(In case of leisurely development Black achieves 
equilibrium quite comfortably } 14. g3 Bg5 15. Bg2 O-O 16. O-O Nd7 17. Kh1
Nb6 18. Nxb6 Qxb6 19. Nb4 Qc5 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Qxd5 Qxd5 22. exd5 Rab8 { 
Sulypa Alexandre 2434 - Nunn John D M 2598 , France 1999 Ch France (team) 
1999} ) 14. ... bxa4 15. Nce3 Nd7 ( {An attempt to clutch at the a4-pawn 
by way of } 15. ... Bc6 {allows White to develop his initiative } 16. Nf5 
O-O 17. Bc4! +/- ) 16. Qxa4 O-O 17. Rd1 Bg5 18. Qc2 Nc5 ( {As A.Shirov 
points out, Black could have directed his knight via another route as well
} 18. ... Bxe3 19. Nxe3 Nf6!? ( 19. ... Nc5 20. Bd3 += ) 20. Bd3 Qc7 21. 
O-O Rfd8 -/+ { a5 xe4} ) 19. Nf5 { White manages to hide his e3-knight 
from an exchange and to create the tension around the d6-square } ( {Less 
successful is} 19. Nc4? Bc6 20. b3 Rb8 -/+ ) ( 19. Bd3 Bc6 20. Ra1 Bxe3 
21. Nxe3 Qh4 22. O-O Bxe4 23. Bxe4 Qxe4 =+ ) 19. ... g6 20. b4! ( 20. Ng3 
Ne6 = ) ( 20. h4!? gxf5 21. hxg5 Bxd5 ( 21. ... Nxe4? 22. Nf6+! Nxf6 23. 
Qxf5 Be4 24. Qxf6 +/- ) 22. Rxd5 Nxe4 23. Bd3 Qxg5 24. Bxe4 fxe4 25. Qxe4 
f5 26. Qc4 Kh8 27. Rxd6 Qxg2 28. Rdh6 Ra7 29. Qh4 Qg8! =+ ) 20. ... Bxd5 (
20. ... Ne6? 21. Nxd6 +/- ) ( 20. ... gxf5 21. bxc5 Rc8 22. h4! Bh6 23. 
cxd6 +/- ) 21. Rxd5 ( 21. bxc5? Be6! 22. h4 Bf6 23. Nxd6 Qc7 -/+ ) 21. ...
 Nb7 22. h4 Bf6 23. Nh6+ Kg7 24. Ng4 {White position appears obviously 
better in view of the b7-knight's unfortunate location. However Black 
manages to create timely counterplay exploiting a certain lag in the 
mobilization of the opponent's K-side } 24. ... a5! 25. Be2 axb4 26. cxb4 
Ra1+ {Activity above all!} ( {After winning a pawn Black is left in a 
strategically difficult situation} 26. ... Bxh4 27. O-O +/- ) 27. Bd1?! { 
The active opponent rook should have been exchanged } ( 27. Rd1 {promises 
a slight advantage to White} 27. ... Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 h5 29. Ne3! ( 29. Nxf6
Qxf6 30. g3 Nd8! 31. b5 Ne6 32. Qxd6 Ra8! 33. O-O Nd4 34. Qxf6+ Kxf6 35. 
Bd3 Ra3 36. Rd1 Rb3 = ) 29. ... Qd7 30. Nd5 += ) 27. ... Qc8! =+ {Exchange
of the queens allows Black to unexpectedly overtake the initiative due to 
dramatic activation of his rooks } 28. Ne3!? ( 28. Qxc8 Rxc8 29. Nxf6 Kxf6
30. O-O Ke7 =+ {Nd8} ) 28. ... Qxc2 29. Nxc2 Rb1 30. Kd2 Rc8 31. Rh3 Rc4! 
32. Kd3 Rc7 33. Kd2 Nd8! -/+ {Black knight, quite recently a main burden 
for his own army, heads for d4, increasing black offensive potential 
sharply } 34. Be2 ( 34. Rxd6 Ne6 {Be7 Nf4} ) 34. ... Ne6 35. Rc3 Rxc3 36. 
Kxc3 Nf4 37. Rd2 Nxg2 38. Bd1! ( 38. b5 Bxh4 39. Na3 Rc1+ 40. Kb2 Rc8 -+ )
38. ... Bxh4 39. Na3 Rc1+ 40. Nc2 Bg5 41. Rxd6 h5 {The passed pawn on the 
h-file decides the outcome of the struggle in Black's favor } 42. b5? ( 
42. Kb2 h4 43. Bg4 Rf1! 44. b5 Rxf2 45. b6! Ne3 46. b7 Rxc2+ 47. Kb1 Rc4! 
48. b8=Q Nxg4 { h3-h2-h1Q} 49. Qb3 Rxe4 -+ ) 42. ... h4 43. b6 h3 44. b7 
h2 45. b8=Q h1=Q -+ 46. Rd7 Qe1+ 47. Kb2 Qxe4 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 4"]
[Site "Madrid ESP"]
[Date "1998.05.20"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "Illescas Cordoba, Miguel"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2600"]
[ECO "B33n"]
[EventDate "1998.05.11"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 {Manor,I} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 ( 2. ... e6 {Manor,I} 3. d4 cxd4 4. 
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 
11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 Rb8 13. Nc2 Bg5 14. a4 bxa4 15. Ncb4 Bd7 16. Bxa6 
Nxb4 17. Nxb4 Qa5 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. exd5 O-O 20. O-O e4 21. Ra2 Rb6 22. Be2
f5 23. Bd1 Bb5 24. Rxa4 Bxa4 25. Bxa4 Ra8 26. Bc6 Ra7 27. g3 {
Wallace,J-Rogozenko,D/Budapest FS05 GM 1995/ 0-1 (61)} ) 3. d4 cxd4 4. 
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6
11. c3 Rb8 12. Nc2 Bg5 {With such move order Black tries to avoid both 
h2-h4 and a2-a4. However, the practice has shown that 13.a4 here is the 
strongest move anyway.

A conceptual move order. By postponing his castling for some time, Black 
manages to activate his dark-squared bishop and to counteract the a2-a4 
advance } 13. a4! {The only way to fight for advantage.  The most 
principled continuation. White attacks his opponent's Q-side despite 
presence of the black rook on b8 } ( 13. a3 a5?! ( 13. ... O-O 14. h4 ( 
14. Ncb4 Bb7 =, quiet {/\a5.} ) ( 14. Bd3 Be6 ( 14. ... Ne7 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7
16. Nb4 Bb7 17. Bc2! += ) ) 14. ... Bh6 15. g3 a5 16. Bg2 ( 16. Bh3 Be6 ) 
( 16. b4 Ne7 ) ( 16. Bd3 Ne7 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Qe2 f5!? 19. exf5 d5 ~ ) 
16. ... Ne7 =, quiet ) 14. Bd3 O-O 15. Qe2 += {
Nisipeanu-Rogozenko/Bucharest/1995} ) ( 13. Qf3!? Be6 14. Rd1 O-O ( 
14. ... a5 =, quiet ) 15. h4 Bh6 16. g4 Bf4 17. Nxf4 exf4 18. Qxf4 Ne5 =/&
19. Ne3 Bxa2 ( 19. ... b4! 20. c4 b3 21. a3 Qa5+ 22. Rd2 Rfc8 â†‘ ) 20. 
Nf5 Rb6 21. Be2 Re8 22. Rd4 d5 23. exd5 Bxd5? ( 23. ... Bc4! ~ ) 24. O-O 
Qa8 25. Qg5! +/- {Varavin-Rogozenko/Budapest/1995} ) 13. ... bxa4 14. Ncb4
Nxb4 15. Nxb4 ( 15. cxb4 Bd7 16. Bxa6 O-O 17. O-O ( 17. b3 Ra8! =+ {
Schmuter-Sutovskij/ Rishon le Zion/1994} ( 17. ... Ra8 {Manor,I} 18. Bc4 
axb3 19. Bxb3 Bb5 20. h4 Rxa1 21. Qxa1 Bxh4 22. Nc3 Qg5 23. g3 Bxg3 24. 
Kd1 Qg4+ 25. Kc2 Bxf2 26. Qd1 Qg2 27. Nxb5 Bg1+ 28. Kd3 Qxh1 29. Nxd6 Qh3+
30. Kc2 Bd4 {0-1 Shmuter,L-Sutovskij,E/Rishon le Zion 1994} ) ) 17. ... 
Bc6 18. Rxa4! Bxa4 19. Qxa4 g6 20. Qc6 Bd2 21. b5 Ba5 ~ {
Barua-Lalic/Ubeda/1998} ) 15. ... Bd7 ( 15. ... Bb7? 16. Qxa4+ Qd7 17. f3 
Qxa4 18. Rxa4 O-O 19. Bxa6 Bxa6 20. Rxa6 Bc1 21. Kd1! Be3 22. Kc2 +- {
Ahn,M-Jelen,I/EU-chJM U18/1992} ) ( 15. ... O-O {Manor,I} 16. Nc6 Qb6 17. 
Nxb8 Qxb2 18. Be2 Qxc3+ 19. Kf1 Be6 20. h4 Bh6 21. Nxa6 a3 22. g3 a2 23. 
Kg2 Bd2 24. Qa4 Qb2 25. Nc7 Bb3 26. Qb5 Bc3 27. Bc4 Bd4 28. Rhf1 {1-0 
Nunn,J-Borik,O/Dortmund 1979} ) 16. Bxa6 Qa5 ( 16. ... O-O 17. O-O Be7 += 
( 17. ... Be7 {Manor,I} 18. Qe2 Kh8 19. Kh1 g6 20. Rad1 Qe8 21. Rd5 ( 21. 
Qe3 f5 22. exf5 gxf5 23. f4 Bc6 24. Bc4 Be4 25. Bd5 exf4 26. Qxf4 Qg6 27. 
Qg3 Qxg3 28. hxg3 Rf6 29. Rfe1 Rh6+ 30. Kg1 Bd8 31. Bxe4 Bb6+ 32. Kf1 fxe4
33. Rxe4 += {1-0 Jansa,V-Milicevic,P/Kragujevac 1984 (58)} ) 21. ... f5 
22. exf5 gxf5 23. f4 exf4 24. Qf2 Bc6 25. Rd2 Be4 =+ {0-1 
Chandler,M-Simic,R/Rakovica 1982 (45)} ) ) 17. Qxd6 {White is practically 
forced to accept the offer of d6-pawn, which leads to activation of his 
opponent's dark-squared bishop along the f8-a3 diagonal } ( 17. Be2 Rxb4! 
18. cxb4 Qxb4+ 19. Kf1 O-O {Black obtains an excellent compensation for 
the exchange he has sacrificed} ) 17. ... Rb6 18. Qd3 Be7!? {An important 
novelty. I analysed this move several years ago and I thought it's not 
enough for equality. In my comments I evaluated the position after 20.0-0 
as better for White. Well, this game shows that the position must be very 
close to equal.} ( 18. ... Rxb4? 19. cxb4 Qxb4+ 20. Kf1 Bc6 21. h4 +/- {
Aseev-Volzhin/RUS-ch/Elista/96} ( 21. h4 {Manor,I} 21. ... Bh6 22. Qc2 Qb6
23. Bc4 O-O 24. Rh3 +- {1-0 Aseev,K-Volzhin,A/RUS-ch 1996 (27)} ) ) ( 
18. ... Be6 19. O-O O-O 20. Bc4 Rd8 21. Bd5 ( 21. Nd5 Rxb2 =, quiet ) 
21. ... Be7 22. Qd1! +/- {Belotti-Komarov/Asti/94} ( 22. Qc2 Bxb4 23. Rxa4
Qc5 =, quiet ) ) 19. Nd5 Rxb2 ( 19. ... Rxa6?? 20. Qxa6 Qxa6 21. Nc7+ +- (
21. Nc7+ {Manor,I} 21. ... Kd8 22. Nxa6 Bb5 23. Nb4 +- ) ) 20. O-O ( {
Black play is based on an attractive combinational variation } 20. Nxe7 
$143 Kxe7 21. O-O-O Rhb8! {and, in spite of an extra piece, white king 
gets under a deadly attack)} 22. Qxd7+ Kf8 23. Qd6+ Kg8 â†’ ) 20. ... Qc5 
( 20. ... Bc5? {Manor,I} 21. Qg3 +/- ) ( 20. ... Bg5!? {Manor,I} 21. Qg3 
f6 22. h4 Bh6 ) ( 20. ... Bd8!? {Manor,I} 21. Rab1 Rxb1 ( 21. ... a3 22. 
Rxb2 axb2 23. Rb1 Qa1 24. Bb5! ) 22. Rxb1 O-O ~ ) 21. Rab1 ( 21. Qg3 {
Important move for evaluation of the whole line.} 21. ... O-O 22. Qxe5 Bd6
23. Qd4 ( 23. Qg5? Bxh2+ 24. Kxh2 Qd6+ 25. Kg1 Qxa6 ) ( 23. Qh5 f5 =/& 24.
 Bd3? Rxf2 25. Rxf2 fxe4 â‡„â‡„ ) 23. ... Re8!? 24. Bd3 Bc6 {Black has 
compensation for the pawn, which is probably enough for draw.} ) 21. ... 
Rxb1 ( 21. ... a3 {Manor,I} 22. Rxb2 axb2 23. Rb1 Qa3 24. Bb5 ) 22. Rxb1 
O-O 23. Bb5 ( 23. Rb7 Rd8 24. Bb5 Bxb5 25. Rxb5 ( 25. Qxb5 Qxb5 26. Rxb5 
Bf8 27. Ra5 a3 =, quiet ) 25. ... Qa7 =+ ) ( 23. Qg3 Bc6!? 24. Qxe5 Bxd5 
25. exd5 Bf6 26. Qe4 a3 â†‘ ) 23. ... Be8 {Unusual and interesting move. 
Instead of taking on b5 and improving position of White's pieses, Black 
exchanges the Bishops on e8 and improves the position of his own Rook.} ( 
23. ... Be6 {Manor,I} 24. Bxa4 ( 24. Nxe7+ Qxe7 25. Bxa4 += ) 24. ... Bxd5
25. exd5 += ) ( 23. ... Bxb5 {Manor,I} 24. Rxb5 Qa3 ( 24. ... Qa7 25. Qe3 
Qd7 ( 25. ... Ra8 26. Qxa7 Rxa7 27. Nxe7+ Rxe7 28. Rb8+ ) 26. Ra5 Rb8 27. 
Nxe7+ ( 27. g3 Bf8 28. Kg2 a3 ~ ) 27. ... Qxe7 28. g3 Qd6 29. Qa7 g6 30. 
Rd5 Rb1+ 31. Kg2 Qc6 32. Rxe5 {and a rough equality could have been 
maintained after } 32. ... Rb6 {In the actual game Black lost after a 
blunder} ( 32. ... Qxc3?? 33. Re8+ Kg7 34. Qe7 h5 35. Qf8+ Kh7 36. Re7 ) )
25. g3 ( 25. Ra5 Rb8 26. Nxe7+ Qxe7 27. Rxa4 Qd7! ) 25. ... Ra8 26. Qc4 
Bf8 27. Rb7 â†’ ) 24. Bxe8 Rxe8 25. Rb7 Bg5 ( 25. ... Bf8!? 26. Qg3 Re6 ) 
( 25. ... Bd6 26. Qa6 a3 {1/2-1/2, Motylev Alexander 2651 - Timofeev 
Artyom 2611 , Moscow 26.11.2004 Ch Russia)} ) 26. Qg3 Qa3 27. h4 Qc1+ 28. 
Kh2 Bf4 29. Nxf4 exf4 ( 29. ... Qxf4? 30. Qxf4 exf4 31. Ra7 +/- ) 30. Qd3 
Qe1 31. Qd5 Rf8 32. Qd4 Qe2 33. Ra7 Qg4 34. Qxa4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 5"]
[Site "Horgen SUI"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2740"]
[ECO "B33n"]
[EventDate "1994.09.??"]
[Annotator "Horvath,Ta"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 Bb7 ( 12. ... O-O 13.
 Nc2 Rb8 14. h4 Ne7 15. Nxf6+ gxf6 16. Qd2 â†’ {
Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Novgorod/ 1994/1-0/ CBM 43} ) 13. Nc2 Nb8 14. a4 bxa4
15. Rxa4 ( 15. Nce3 {Ftacnik} 15. ... Nd7 16. Qxa4 O-O 17. Rd1 ( 17. Bc4 
Bg5 18. O-O Bxe3 19. fxe3 Nc5 20. Qc2 Qh4 21. Bd3 f5 -/+ {
Hoepfl,T-Ankerst,Mil/Dortmund op/1992/0-1 (32)} ) 17. ... Bg5 18. Qc2 Nc5 
19. Nf5! g6 20. b4! Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Nb7 22. h4 Bf6 23. Nh6+ Kg7 24. Ng4 {
Zapata, A-Shirov,A/Manila/1992/0-1 (47)} ) 15. ... Nd7 ( 15. ... O-O!? 16.
 Nce3 ( 16. b4 Nd7 17. Nce3 Bg5 ~ ) 16. ... Nd7 17. Nc4 ( 17. Ra3 {Ftacnik
} 17. ... Bg5 18. Nc4 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Be7 20. Bd3 Nf6 {
0-1/Tatai,S-Iruzubieta,J/Cannes op/0-1 (20)} ) 17. ... Bc6! ( 17. ... Bxd5
18. Qxd5 Nb6 19. Nxb6 Qxb6 20. Rb4 Qc5 21. Bc4 += ) 18. Ra2 Nc5 ~ ) 16. 
Rb4! { An introduction to an effective idea that has made Black lose 
interest in employing this variation for a long time } ( {After a 
natural-looking move} 16. Nce3 O-O 17. b4 Bg5 { Black has no problems)} ) 
16. ... Nc5?! ( 16. ... Bc6?! { White's hunt for his rival's light-squared
bishop is successful } 17. Rc4! Rc8 ( 17. ... Bxd5 18. Qxd5 O-O ( 18. ... 
Nb6 19. Qc6+ Ke7 20. Rb4 +/- ) 19. Rc6 +/- ) 18. Ncb4 +/- ) ( {In 
G.Kasparov's opinion, worth attention is} 16. ... Rb8!? ) 17. Rxb7! {A 
thematic sactifice of an exchange that allows White to obtain undivided 
domination over light squares } 17. ... Nxb7 18. b4! { Only this move 
reveals the subtlety of the positional exchange sacrifice undertaken by 
White. An important detail of the position is that it is impossible for 
Black to bring his e7-knight into play } 18. ... Bg5 ( 18. ... Qc8 19. 
Nce3 Bd8 20. Bc4 O-O 21. Qd3 a5 22. O-O Kh8 += ) ( 18. ... O-O {Ftacnik} 
19. Nce3 ( 19. h4 a5 20. Bc4 =/& ) ) 19. Na3! O-O 20. Nc4 a5 ( 20. ... f5 
21. Bd3 f4 22. Qg4 +/- ) 21. Bd3! {Of course, white b4-pawn should be at 
its post to the last } ( 21. Ncb6 {Ftacnik} 21. ... Ra7 ~ ( 21. ... axb4 
22. Nxa8 bxc3!? 23. Nab6 Bd2+ 24. Ke2 Nc5 25. f3 f5 26. exf5 e4 â†’ ) ) 
21. ... axb4 22. cxb4 Qb8 { Threatening with the Nb7-d8-e6 maneuver } ( 
22. ... Rb8!? {Ftacnik} 23. h4 Bh6 24. Qg4 Kh8 25. O-O Qc8 ) ( {Activation
of the rook does not save the day for Black } 22. ... Ra2?! 23. O-O Qa8 
24. Ncb6 Qa3 25. Bc4 Rd2 26. Qg4 +/- ) 23. h4! ( 23. O-O? Nd8! 24. Ncb6 
Ra7 =+ ) 23. ... Bh6 ( 23. ... Bd8!? {/\ Bc7,Nd8,Ne6} ) ( {(It turns out 
that after} 23. ... Bd8 {Ftacnik} 24. g3 =/& Qa7 25. O-O Qd4 26. Qb3 +/- {
black minor pieces still have no room to move around} ) 24. Ncb6 Ra2 25. 
O-O ( 25. Nd7?! {Ftacnik} 25. ... Qa7 26. O-O Ra8! ) 25. ... Rd2 ( 25. ...
 Qa7 {Ftacnik} 26. Bc4 Rd2 27. Qf3 Nd8 ) 26. Qf3 Qa7 ( 26. ... Qe8 {
Ftacnik} 27. g4 ( 27. Ba6? Nd8 28. Nc4 Rd4 29. Nxd6 Qe6 30. Nf5 Qxa6 31. 
Nxd4 exd4 -+ ) ( 27. Nc7 Qe7 28. Nbd5 Qxh4 -/+ ) 27. ... Bf4 28. Nxf4 exf4
29. Nd5 Nd8 30. Nxf4 = ) 27. Nd7 ( {As G.Kasparov points out, the most 
precise way to develop white initiative is} 27. Bb5! Nd8 28. Nd7 Ne6 29. 
Ne7+! ( 29. Nxf8 Kxf8 30. Rc1 Qb8 31. Qc3 g6 = ) 29. ... Kh8 30. Nxf8 Qxe7
31. Nxe6 Qxe6 ( 31. ... fxe6? 32. Rc1! ( 32. Ra1 g6 33. Ra8+ Kg7 34. Qa3 
Qxh4 35. Qa7+ Kf6 36. Re8 Rd1+ 37. Bf1 Kg5 ) 32. ... Qd8 33. Rc6 +/- ) 32.
 Bc6 += ) 27. ... Nd8? ( 27. ... Rd8? 28. Ne7+ Kh8 29. Qxf7 Rxd3 ( 29. ...
 g6 30. Nf6 Bg7 31. Ne8 +- ) 30. Nf8 +- ) ( 27. ... Qa3 28. Ne7+ Kh8 29. 
Nxf8 Rxd3 30. Qxf7 Qb3 31. Ne6 +- ) ( 27. ... Ra8! {Ftacnik} 28. N7b6! ( 
28. Bc4 Nd8 29. N5b6 â†‘ ) ( 28. Ne7+ Kh8 29. Qxf7 Rxd3 30. Nf8 Qa2! ) 
28. ... Rf8 ( 28. ... Rd8?! 29. Bb5 ) ( 28. ... Rb8?! 29. Nc4! Nd8 ( 
29. ... Ra2? 30. Ne7+ Kf8 31. Nc6 Qa8 32. Nb6 +- ) 30. Nxd2 Bxd2 31. b5 
+/- ) 29. Bb5! {makes White turn back to the variation shown in the 
comment to the move 27. Bb5} ) ( 27. ... Nc5? {Ftacnik} 28. Nxf8 Nxd3 29. 
Qf5! g6 30. Qd7 Qxd7 ( 30. ... Qb8 31. Nxh7 â†’ ) 31. Nxd7 +/- ) 28. Nxf8 
Kxf8 29. b5! { Now there is a material equality on the board, but Black's 
positional advantage is great } 29. ... Qa3 ( 29. ... Ne6 30. b6 Qa3 31. 
b7 Qb3 ( 31. ... Rb2 32. Bb5! Qa7 33. Qc3 +- ) 32. Rb1 Rb2 33. Rxb2 Qxb2 
34. Ba6 Nc5 ( 34. ... Nd4 35. Qc3 +- ) 35. Qf5 +- ) ( {more stubborn is} 
29. ... Qd4! 30. Rd1 ( 30. Qf5 Ke8 ) 30. ... Rxd1+ 31. Qxd1 Ne6 32. b6 Nc5
33. Bc2 Qxd1+ 34. Bxd1 Ke8 { and then, according to G.Kasparov's analysis,
White wins this ending in an instructive way } 35. Bg4 Nd7 ( 35. ... Kd8 
36. Nb4! +- ) 36. b7 Nb8 37. Be2 Kd8 38. Bb5 Bc1 39. h5 Ba3 40. Kh2 Bc5 
41. Kg3 Ba7 42. f3 Nd7 43. Bxd7 Kxd7 44. h6! gxh6 45. Kg4 Kc6 46. Kh5 Kxb7
47. Kxh6 Kc6 48. Kg7! Kc5 ( 48. ... f5 49. exf5 ) 49. Kxf7 Kd4 50. Kg7 Kd3
51. Kxh7 Ke2 52. Kg6 Kf2 53. g4 Kxf3 54. Kf5 +- ) 30. Qf5! Ke8 ( 30. ... 
Rxd3 {Ftacnik} 31. Qd7 +- g6 ( 31. ... Ne6 32. Qc8+ ) 32. Qxd8+ Kg7 33. b6
+- ) ( 30. ... Ne6 {Ftacnik} 31. Qxh7 +- ) 31. Bc4 Rc2 ( 31. ... Qa4 32. 
Nc7+ Ke7 33. Qc8! Rc2 34. Bxf7! Nxf7 35. Nd5# ) ( 31. ... Qc5 32. Qxh7! 
Kd7 33. Qf5+ Ke8 34. Bb3 Rb2 35. Bd1 +- ) 32. Qxh7! Rxc4 ( 32. ... Qc5 {
Ftacnik} 33. Bb3 Rb2 34. Qg8+ Kd7 35. Bd1 +- ) 33. Qg8+ Kd7 34. Nb6+ Ke7 
35. Nxc4 Qc5 ( 35. ... Qb4 {Ftacnik} 36. Nb6 Qxb5 37. Nd5+ Kd7 38. Ra1 +- 
) 36. Ra1! Qd4 ( 36. ... Qxc4 {Ftacnik} 37. Ra7+ Ke6 38. Qe8+ Kf6 39. 
Qxd8+ Kg6 40. Qxd6+ f6 41. Qc6 +- ) 37. Ra3 Bc1 38. Ne3 ( 38. Ne3 {Ftacnik
} 38. ... Bxa3 39. Nf5+ +- ) 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 1"]
[Site "Amsterdam NED"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Black "Dolmatov, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2725"]
[BlackElo "2535"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1980.06.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 { After this move the game follows the main line of 
the variation } 10. Bxf6 ( 10. Nxe7 Qxe7 11. c4 O-O 12. cxb5 Nd4 13. Bd3 
axb5 14. Nxb5 Nxb5 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Bxb5 Bb7 17. O-O Bxe4 18. a4 Rac8 19.
 b4 Qg5 20. g3 Ba8 21. Be2 d5 22. b5 d4 23. a5 Rc3 24. Bd3 h5 25. Rc1 e4 
26. Rxc3 dxc3 27. Be2 e3 28. Qd3 exf2+ 29. Rxf2 Rc8 30. Qd7 {1/2-1/2 
Morcin, Tom (1954) - Vesely, Emanuel (1851) / RB-2012-0-00172 (-), 
ICCF2012_cor18 2012} ) 10. ... Bxf6 11. c3 { Having achieved the exchange 
of the black f6-knight, White takes hold of the important d5-square. Now 
his top priority task is to improve the a3-knight position } 11. ... O-O 
12. Nc2 Rb8 {The choice of this move can be explained by a desire to 
counteract the ramming a2-a4 advance } 13. Be2 Bg5 14. O-O Be6 15. Qd3 {A 
fine square for the queen. Either of two white rooks is ready to go to d1,
and the queen can be transferred to g3, disturbing the opponent on the 
K-side } 15. ... Qd7 ( 15. ... Ne7 16. Ncb4 += ) 16. Qg3 f6? { An 
unfortunate decision. The f7-f6 advance leads to weakening of light 
squares in the Black camp and to exclusion of the g5-bishop from play } ( 
{More flexible appears the retreat} 16. ... Bd8 { with a prospect of 
d8-bishop entering the game via the b6-square} ) 17. Rfd1 a5 18. Na3! { 
Black has deprived the c2-knight of a transit b4-square, but it finds a 
chance to enter the game in another way } 18. ... Na7 ( 18. ... b4 19. Nb5
+/- ) 19. h3! { A standard tactical method associated with preparing the 
exchange of the light-squared bishops on g4-square } 19. ... Kh8 ( 19. ...
 b4 20. Nc4 bxc3 21. bxc3 Nc6 +/- ) 20. Bg4 Rfc8 21. Bxe6 {Stressing the 
fact that black e6-bishop is now deprived of the f7-pawn's support } 
21. ... Qxe6 22. Qd3 {White advantage is clear now. He has crucial 
d5-square securely in his possession, and Black is left with a bad bishop 
} 22. ... Rc5 23. Nc2 g6 24. b4! { White begins active operations on the 
Q-side in order to open up the files for his major pieces on this area of 
the board and to join their efforts with the ones of the powerful 
centralized d5-knight } 24. ... axb4 25. Ncxb4 Rb7 26. a4 bxa4 27. Rxa4 f5
28. Ra6 Nc8 29. Ra8 Kg7 30. Qe2 fxe4 31. Qxe4 Qf5 32. Qe2 Rf7 33. c4 Bh4 
34. Rf1 Ne7 35. Ra6 Qd7 36. Qe4 Nxd5 37. Nxd5 Be7 38. Rfa1 Bf8 39. Qe2 Rc6
40. R6a3! {A nice transfer of the rook to f3 that allows to provoke the 
f7-rook exchange and to weaken the black rear even more } 40. ... Rc5 41. 
Rf3 Rxf3 42. Qxf3 Qf7 ( 42. ... Rxc4? 43. Qf6+ Kg8 44. Ra8 Rc8 45. Nb6 +- 
) 43. Qg4 h5 44. Qe4 Rc8 45. Ra3 Qf5 46. Ra7+ Kh6 47. Qe3+ g5 48. Qe2 Rb8 
49. g4 hxg4 50. hxg4 Qb1+ 51. Kg2 Rb7 52. Rxb7 Qxb7 53. Qf3 Qc8 54. Qf6+ 
Kh7 55. Qf7+ 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 2"]
[Site "Biel SUI"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Lputian, Smbat G"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2645"]
[BlackElo "2565"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1993.07.??"]
[Annotator "Horvath,Ta"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 
8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O ( 11. ... Bb7 ) 12. Nc2 Rb8
13. Be2 Bg5 14. O-O a5 15. Nce3 { Having lost the opportunity to maneuver 
via the b4-square, White knight moves to e3, content to be exchanged for 
the opponent's dark-squared bishop } 15. ... Be6 16. Qd3 Bxe3!? ( 16. ... 
Ne7 ) 17. Nxe3 += {Black has managed to exchange his inactive bishop, but 
due to chronic vulnerability of his d6-pawn White still has a small 
advantage } 17. ... Qd7 18. h3 { A typical tactical method. Preparing 
bishop lunge to g4, White maintains the tension around the key d5-square }
18. ... Rfd8 19. Bg4 Ne7 20. Rfd1 { White king rook takes an aim at 
weaknesses along the d-file, and the queen one can support the ramming 
advance a2-a4 } 20. ... Rbc8?! { Inattention to opponent's potential 
threats costs Black a pretty penny. A rough equality is maintained after 
an accurate move } ( 20. ... Qc7 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. a4 b4 ( 22. ... bxa4 
23. Qc4!? Qxc4 24. Nxc4 d5 25. exd5 exd5 26. Nxe5 Rxb2 27. Rxa4 += ) 23. 
c4 Qc5 24. Rd2 Nc6 = ) 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. a4! { Demolishing the opponent's 
queenside White obtains an obvious advantage } 22. ... bxa4 ( 22. ... b4 
23. cxb4 axb4 24. Nc4 +/- ) 23. Qc2!? Rb8? ( 23. ... Qb5 24. Rd2 d5 25. 
Qxa4 Qxa4 26. Rxa4 Rc5 += ) 24. Nc4 +/- Qb5 25. Qxa4 {><d6, a5, e5} 
25. ... Nc6 26. Rd2! {An important prophylactic move that serves to 
prepare an attack against weak a5- and d6-pawns } ( 26. Nxd6 Qxa4 27. Rxa4
Rxb2 = ) ( 26. Qa2!? d5 27. exd5 exd5 28. Nxa5 Nxa5 29. Qxa5 Qxb2 30. Rxd5
Qxa1+ 31. Qxa1 Rxd5 = ) 26. ... Rd7 ( 26. ... d5? 27. Nxa5 ) ( 26. ... Qc5
!? 27. Nxa5 Ra8 28. b4! Qxc3 29. Rc2 {/\ Rc6+-} ) 27. Qxb5 Rxb5 28. Nxd6 
+- Rb8 29. Rad1 {White now has both positional and material advantage that
he successfully converts into a win } 29. ... Kf8 30. Nc4 Rxd2 31. Rxd2 
Ke7 32. h4!? ( 32. Kf1 âŒ“ {/\} 32. ... Rb5 33. Ke2 Rc5 34. Kd3 {/\ Rd1-a1
} ) 32. ... Rb5 33. Kf1 Rc5 34. Nb6?! Nb8 35. f3 Rc6 36. Na4 Nd7 37. Ke2 
Nf6 38. b3 Ne8 39. c4 Nc7 40. Kd3?! ( 40. Ra2! âŒ“ Na6 41. Nb2 Rb6 42. 
Rxa5 Rxb3 43. Nd3 Nb4 44. Nxe5 +- ) 40. ... Na6 41. Kc3 {/\ 41...Nc7? 
42.c5 /\ Kc4+-} 41. ... Rc7 42. Nb2 Nb4 43. Nd3 Nc6 44. Ra2 ( 44. g3!? {/\
f4 ><e5, d4} ) 44. ... h6! â‡„â‡„ 45. Ra4 g5 46. hxg5 hxg5 47. c5 +/- g4 
â–¡ 48. fxg4! Kf6 49. b4!? axb4+ ( 49. ... Nxb4!? 50. Rxa5 â–¡ ( 50. Nxb4
?? Rxc5+ = ) 50. ... Nc6 51. Ra6 +/- ) 50. Nxb4 Na7 51. Nd3 +- Nc8 52. Ra6
Rg7 53. Ra8 Rc7 54. Kb4 Kg5 55. Nxe5 Kf4 56. Nc4! Kxg4 57. Nd6 Ne7 58. Kb5
Kf4 59. Ra6 e5? ( 59. ... Ke5 ) 60. Ra3! Ng6 61. Kb6 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 2"]
[Site "Bankia"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Georgiev, Kiril"]
[Black "Spasov, Vasil"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2605"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. Be2 Bg5 14. 
O-O a5 15. Qd3 Ne7 16. Nce3 Be6!? {An interesting interpretation of the 
position. Black rejects the exchange of his "bad" dark-squared bishop 
hoping that in the following play the weaknesses on d5 and d6 could be 
compensated by potential energy of the bishops pair } 17. Rfd1 Nxd5 18. 
Nxd5 Qd7 {On the threshold of Â£d3-g3 maneuver Black prepares the retreat 
of g5-bishop on the "staging post" square d8} 19. Qg3 ( {An immediate 
white activity on the Q-side} 19. b4 { is parried by way of} 19. ... axb4 
20. cxb4 Rfc8 21. a4 bxa4 22. b5 Rc5! 23. Rxa4 Bxd5 24. exd5 Bd8 = ) 
19. ... Bd8 20. b3! { Preparing the c3-pawn's ramming advance } 20. ... 
Kh8 {Necessary arrangements for counterplay with g7-g6 and f7-f5 that is 
standard in such situations } ( 20. ... Rc8 21. Qd3! += ) 21. c4 bxc4 ( 
21. ... b4? 22. c5! dxc5 23. Nxb4 +/- ) 22. Bxc4 g6 { White has achieved 
domination over light squares in the center of the board, but his 
opponent's possible counterplay associated with f7-f5 advance leaves the 
position unclear } 23. f4!? ( {Probably it is reasonable to give to f7-f5 
advance a following kind of reception: } 23. Ne3!? f5 24. Bxe6 Qxe6 25. 
exf5 gxf5 26. Nc4 Bc7 27. Qd3 += ) 23. ... exf4 24. Qxf4 f5 25. Kh1 ( {(It
turns out that after opening of the game by way of } 25. exf5 {Black has 
time to consolidate his position by means of the maneuver } 25. ... Rxf5 
26. Qd4+ Re5! ) 25. ... g5! 26. Qf2 f4 {Now the far-advanced f-pawn gives 
Black real chances for counterplay } 27. e5! Bg4 ( 27. ... dxe5? 28. Qc5 
Qf7 29. Qd6 +/- ) 28. Re1 ( 28. Be2 Bxe2 29. Qxe2 Re8 -/+ ) 28. ... dxe5 
29. Rxe5 f3 30. g3 Qg7 31. Rae1 Bd7! {An elegant transfer of the 
light-squared bishop to c6 allows Black to struggle against his opponent's
piece grouping in the center} 32. a4!? Bc6 33. Re6 Rc8 34. Ba6 Bxd5 35. 
Bxc8 Bxe6 36. Bxe6 Qb7 { Most of the active white pieces are exchanged. 
Now black chances are more preferable due to his strong f3-pawn } 37. Bc4 
Bf6 ( 37. ... Bb6?? 38. Qb2+ ) 38. h3 Qd7 39. Be6 Qd3 40. Bc4 Bd4 41. Qf1 
Qc2 42. Re7 Bg7 43. Rf7? {Agreeing to exchange his active rook White 
deprives himself of counterplay. Now the activity of black pieces in 
combination with bishops of opposite color becomes a decisive factor } ( 
43. g4 += ) 43. ... Rxf7 44. Bxf7 Bd4 -/+ 45. Bd5 ( 45. Qxf3?? Qc1+ 46. 
Kg2 Qg1# ) ( 45. g4 Kg7 46. Bd5 Qe2 47. Bc4 Qe4 48. Bd3 Qe3 49. Bc4 Kh6! 
50. Bd5 Qe2 51. Bc4 Qe4 52. Bd3 Qe3 53. Bc4 Be5 54. Bd5?? ( 54. Bb5 Qd2 
55. Qg1 Bd6 -/+ ) 54. ... Qe2 {zaver partie v   ChessOK} ) 45. ... Qe2 46.
 Bc4 Qe3 47. g4 Kg7 48. Bd5 Qe2 49. Bc4 Qe4 50. Bd3 Qe3 51. Bc4 Kh6 52. 
Bd5 Qe2 53. Bc4 Qe4 54. Bd3 Qe3 55. Bc4 Be5 56. Bd5 Qe2 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 2"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Suetin, Alexey S"]
[Black "Andrianov, Nikolai"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2460"]
[BlackElo "2355"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Rb8 14. 
Be2 Bg5 15. O-O a5 16. b4!? {An intricate continuation. Creating pawn 
tension on the queenside White wants to reduce the efficiency of Â¤c6-e7 
maneuver } 16. ... Ne7 17. Nxe7+ Bxe7 {Black has to capture on e7 with his
bishop, and the c2-knight manages to make it to d5 in time } ( 17. ... 
Qxe7 18. bxa5 ) 18. Ne3 Be6 19. Nd5 ( 19. a4 axb4 20. cxb4 bxa4 21. Qxa4 (
21. Rxa4 Qd7 ) 21. ... Bg5 = ) 19. ... axb4 20. cxb4 Qd7! {Black is in no 
hurry with an exchange on d5, putting it off as far as possible until the 
time when White is unable to take with his piece } 21. Qd3 Bd8! {A 
transfer of the bishop via d8 to b6 that is typical for such positions } 
22. Kh1 { White prepares the f2-f4 advance, which is familiar to us from 
the previous game } ( {N.Andrianov indicates the opportunity of } 22. Nc3
!? Bc4 23. Qd2 Bb6 24. Bxc4 bxc4 25. Nd5 Bd4 26. Rac1 Rfc8 { that leads to
a complicated game)} ) ( {In our opinion the maneuver } 22. Bd1!? { is 
also worth attention} 22. ... Bb6 23. Bb3 ) 22. ... Bb6 23. Rac1 ( 23. 
Qxb5? Qxb5 24. Bxb5 Bxd5 25. exd5 Bd4 -/+ ) 23. ... Bd4! { Preparing the 
exchange on d5 in circumstances most favorable for Black } 24. f4 Bxd5 ( 
24. ... f5?! 25. fxe5! dxe5 26. Rc7 Qd8 27. Qg3 ) 25. exd5 f5 =+ {Now the 
middle game with "opposite colors" turns out to be advantageous for Black 
due to active position of the d4-bishop } 26. Rc6 Qe7 27. Bd1 Qf6 28. fxe5
Bxe5 29. Qh3?! ( {(In N.Andrianov's opinion, more precise is} 29. g3 {
getting ready to check his opponent's growing pressure on the K-side} ) 
29. ... Rb7! { The most effective method of concentrating major pieces on 
the kingside } ( {Less accurate is} 29. ... Qg5 30. Bc2 Rf6? 31. Bxf5! Rh6
32. Rc8+! Rxc8 33. Bxc8 ) 30. Bb3 Qg5 31. Rc2 Rbf7 32. Rcf2 Rf6 33. Qd3 
Rh6! { Black threats on the K-side increase, he practically attacks having
an extra piece, as white bishop does not take any part in the game } ( 
33. ... Qh4 34. g3 Qxb4 35. Rxf5 = ) 34. h3 g6 35. Rf3 Rh4 36. Qxb5 Rd4 ( 
{As N.Andrianov points out, still more energetic is } 36. ... Rc8 {with an
idea of Rc8-c1)} ) 37. Rd1 Rxd1+ 38. Bxd1 Rc8 39. Qe2 Rc1 40. b5 Rb1 ( 
40. ... Qh4! ) 41. a4? ( 41. Rb3! =+ ) 41. ... Qh4! 42. Qd3 ( 42. Rb3? 
Rxb3 43. Bxb3 Qg3 ) 42. ... Rc1! 43. Qf1 ( 43. Rf1? Rc3 44. Qe2 Qg3 -+ ) (
43. Qd2 Ra1 -/+ ) ( 43. b6!? -/+ ) 43. ... Qd4 44. Rd3 Qxa4 45. b6 Qb5 46.
 Rf3 Qxb6 -+ {Black is a pawn up and has a great positional advantage } 
47. Qd3 Qb4 48. Rf1 Kg7 49. Qe3 Rc3 50. Qa7+ Kh6 51. Qf7 Qe4 52. Kg1 ( 52.
 Bf3 Rxf3! ) 52. ... Rg3 53. Bf3 Qe3+ 54. Kh1 Rxf3! 55. gxf3 Qe2 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 2"]
[Site "Lvov UKR"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Short, Nigel D"]
[Black "Horvath, Tamas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2500"]
[BlackElo "2440"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1984.02.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Rb8 14. 
Be2 Bg5 15. O-O Ne7 {In this particular game Black attacks the d5-pawn 
without a preliminary move a6-a5, and this allows White to involve his 
"standby" c2-knight in a struggle for d5-square } 16. Ncb4 Bb7 17. Qd3 a5 
18. Nxe7+ Bxe7 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. Qxd5 += {Black also exchanges the second 
opponent knight that has penetrated to d5, but in the middle game with 
bishops of opposite color he has not reached the equality yet. White 
bishop may well turn out more promicing than his black counterpart, 
especially if it manages to get to the a2-g8 diagonal } 20. ... b4 ( {
Worth attention is} 20. ... Qb6!? { hampering white bishop's access to c4 
and b5-squares)} ) 21. Bb5! Qb6 22. c4 { In this particular case white 
bishop is actively situated on b5 as well; in prospect it has an 
opportunity to move over to d5 via c6 } 22. ... Bd8 {Black bishop also 
stives to improve its position, moving over to the a7-g1 diagonal } ( {
white also maintains a small advantage after } 22. ... Qd4 23. Qxd4 exd4 
24. Rad1 Bf6 25. f4 += ) ( 22. ... Qc5 23. Qd3 += ) 23. Rad1 Bc7 24. g3! {
Groping for a plan with f2-f4 advance White manages to stress the more 
aggressive positioning of his pieces that is of a particular importance in
positions with bishops of opposite color} 24. ... Rbd8 25. Kg2 Qb8 26. f4 
Bb6 27. f5 Bd4 28. Rxd4! { A typical sacrifice of an exchange. In the 
ensuing position an extra exchange is of no importance at all as the rooks
have no open files ar their disposal } 28. ... exd4 29. f6 gxf6 ( 29. ... 
g6 30. Qg5 Kh8 31. Rf4 Rg8 32. Rh4 +- ) 30. Rxf6 Qc7 31. Bc6 d3 32. Rf5 d2
33. Qxd2 f6 ( 33. ... Qxc6 34. Qg5+ Kh8 35. Qf6+ Kg8 36. Rg5# ) 34. Ba4!? 
Kh8 35. Qd4 Qe7 36. Bc6 Rc8 37. Bd5 {From d5 white bishop will support his
army's attack in a decisive way } 37. ... Rc7 38. Kf3 Qd8 39. g4 Re7 40. 
Rxf6 Re5 41. Rf5 Rxf5+ 42. gxf5 Qh4 43. Qg1 Re8 44. Qg3 Qxg3+ ( {More 
chances for resistance are left after} 44. ... Qf6 ) 45. hxg3 Kg7 46. Kf4 
Kf6 47. g4 h6 48. Be6! { It is impossible to prevent the decisive 
breakthrough of white pawns in the center } 48. ... Re7 49. c5 Rxe6 ( 
49. ... dxc5 50. e5+ Kg7 51. f6+ ) 50. fxe6 dxc5 51. e7 Kxe7 52. Ke5 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 2"]
[Site "Tashkent UZB"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Beliavsky, Alexander G"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1980.09.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Rb8 14. 
Be2 Bg5 15. O-O a5 { A typical tactical method. Having deprived the white 
"standby" c2-knight of the b4 and e3-squares (on the latter one it will be
exchanged on the g5-bishop immediately), Black intends to start driving 
white knight away from d5 by means of Â¤c6-e7 } 16. Qd3 Ne7 17. Nce3 ( {
(Black also has no particular problems in case of } 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. 
Rfd1 Rb6 19. Ne3 Bxe3 20. Qxe3 Qc7 21. Rd5 Qb8 22. a3 {1/2-1/2, De Firmian
Nick E 2595 - Benjamin Joel 2530 , Long Beach 1989 Ch USA} ) 17. ... Bxe3 
18. Nxe3 Qb6 19. b4 { Fixing the black pawn on b5, White expects either to
pressurize it or to create a passed pawn on the Q-side by way of a2-a4 } 
19. ... axb4 20. cxb4 Be6 ( 20. ... Nc6 21. Nc2! {a2-a4} ( 21. Qxd6?? Nd4 
-+ ) ) 21. Rfb1 Rfc8 22. a4 bxa4 23. Rxa4 Qd4! {Well-timed counterplay in 
the center allows Black to subsequently implement the conceptual advance 
d6-d5 and to equalize the game completely } 24. Qxd4 exd4 25. Nf1 d5 26. 
b5 dxe4 27. Rxd4 Nd5 28. Ng3! ( 28. Bc4 Nc3 29. Bxe6 fxe6 30. Rb2 Rxb5 31.
 Rxb5 Ne2+ 32. Kh1 Nxd4 =+ ) 28. ... Nc3 29. Rb2 Nxe2+ 30. Nxe2 Bc4 31. 
Rxe4 f5 32. Re5 Bxe2 33. Rbxe2 Rc1+ 34. Re1 Rxe1+ 35. Rxe1 Rxb5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 3"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Lautier, Joel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2800"]
[BlackElo "2645"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1994.11.01"]
[Annotator "Moiseev"]

1. e4 {Horvath,T Ftacnik} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. 
Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6
12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Rb8 14. h4!? { For the time being this continuation is 
considered to be the most unpleasant objection to Black's 13th move. White
plays for restricting the mobility of the f6-bishop without inclusion of 
the moves a2-a3 and a6-a5 and also deprives Black of an extra opportunity 
to play 14.a3 Bg5!? } ( 14. a3 a5 ( 14. ... Ne7 15. Ncb4 Bb7 {
Karpov,An-Lautier,J (06)/ Ubeda m/1994/1/2-1/2/ ;CBM 45} ) 15. h4 Ne7 16. 
Nce3 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Be6 18. g3 Qd7 19. Bg2 Bd8 ~ {
Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Moscow PCA/1994/1/2-1/2/30/} ) 14. ... Ne7 { As we 
have already seen, in such positions this is the most energetic answer to 
the white plan } ( 14. ... g6 {Ftacnik} 15. g3 Bg7 16. h5 += ) ( 14. ... 
Be6 {Horvath,T} 15. Nxf6+ gxf6 ( 15. ... Qxf6? 16. Qxd6 Rbc8 17. Qd2 Rfd8 
18. Qg5 +/- ) 16. Ne3 b4!? ~ ( 16. ... Ne7 17. Bd3 +/- d5? 18. exd5 Bxd5 
19. Qh5 +/- ) ) 15. Nxf6+! ( 15. Nce3 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Bb7 17. g3 b4! 18. c4 
Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Qb6 = {Smagin,S-Gorelov, S/URS/1982/1/2-1/2/37/} ) 15. ... 
gxf6 16. Bd3! ( {To sharp and unclear play leads} 16. Qd2 Bb7 17. Bd3 d5 
18. exd5 Qxd5 19. O-O-O e4 20. Be2 Qxa2 21. Qh6 Qe6 22. Nd4 Qb6 ~ {
Kasparov,G-Kramnik, V/Novgorod/1994/1-0/ CBM 43} 23. Rh3 Kh8 ) 16. ... d5 
( {Another liberating advance leads to White's positional advantage} 
16. ... f5 {Ftacnik} 17. exf5 Bxf5 ( 17. ... Nxf5 18. Qh5 ( 18. Nb4! +/- {
Horvath,T} ) ( 18. Nb4! +/- {Horvath,T} ) 18. ... e4 19. Be2 +/- ) 18. 
Bxf5 Nxf5 19. Qd3 +/- ) 17. exd5 Qxd5 ( 17. ... f5 {Horvath,T} 18. Ne3 e4 
19. Bc2 f4 20. Ng4 f5 21. Ne5 Qd6 22. Qd4 Bb7 23. O-O-O +/- ) 18. Ne3 Qe6 
19. Qh5 { The lag in development of the white queen on the 16th move leads
to the fact that it gets an opportunity to move out to a more aggressive 
position } 19. ... e4?! ( {The best continuation for Black is} 19. ... f5
!? 20. O-O-O ( 20. Nxf5?? Nxf5 21. g4 Qh6 -+ ) ( 20. g4?! Qg6! 21. Nxf5?? 
( 21. Qg5 Qxg5 22. hxg5 e4 23. Bc2 f4 ~ ) 21. ... Bxf5 22. Bxf5 Qxh5 -+ ) 
20. ... Qg6 21. Qe2 â†‘ ( 21. Qg5 {Ftacnik} 21. ... f6 22. Qxg6+ hxg6 23. 
Bc2 += {and White's advantage in the endgame is only minimal)} ) ) 20. Bc2
b4 { If the moves a2-a3 and a6-a5 are included, this advance leads to a 
total opening of the lines on the Q-side 
} ( 20. ... f5 +/- {Ftacnik} ) 21. c4 {Depriving his opponent of real 
counterplay on the Q-side, White is ready to develop his own initiative on
the opposite area of the board} 21. ... Kh8 ( 21. ... f5 {Ftacnik} 22. 
Qg5+ Kh8 23. Qf4 +/- Rb7 24. h5 +/- ) ( 21. ... Rd8!? {Horvath,T} ) 22. 
O-O-O +/- ( 22. Qc5!? +/- {Ftacnik} ) 22. ... f5 23. Qg5! Rb6 ( 23. ... 
Rg8 24. Qf4 Rb6 25. h5 +/- ) ( 23. ... Qe5 {Ftacnik} 24. Ng4 Qe6 25. Nf6 
Ng8 26. Nd5 +- ) ( 23. ... f6 {Horvath,T} 24. Qf4 Qe5 25. Qxe5 fxe5 26. 
Rd6 Bb7 27. Ba4! +/- ) 24. h5 { The h-pawn advance contains both offensive
(subsequent h5-h6) and prophylactic (depriving black pieces of g6-square) 
ideas } 24. ... Rc6?! ( 24. ... Qf6 âŒ“ {Ftacnik} 25. Qf4 Qh6 26. g3 Qxf4 
27. gxf4 +/- ) ( 24. ... f6 {Horvath,T} 25. Qf4 Qe5 26. Qxe5 += ) ( {In 
G.Kasparov's opinion, the lesser of two evils for Black is} 24. ... Rg8 
25. Qf4 Qh6 26. g3! +/- ) 25. Kb1 ( 25. h6?! Rg8 26. Rd8 Qf6 ) 25. ... Rc5
? ( 25. ... h6 âŒ“ 26. Qf4 +/- ) ( 25. ... Qe5 {Ftacnik} 26. Ng4 Qe6 27. 
h6 ) ( 25. ... Qf6 +/- {Horvath,T} ) 26. h6 Qe5 ( 26. ... Rg8 27. Rd8! Ng6
28. Nd5 +- ( 28. Rxg8+ {Horvath,T} 28. ... Kxg8 29. Qd8+ Nf8 30. Nd5 f6 
31. Rh3 Kf7 32. Rg3 +- ) ) ( 26. ... Ng6 {Ftacnik} 27. Rd8 +- Kg8 28. Nd5 
) 27. Rh5! +- { White king rook's joining in decides the outcome of the 
game } 27. ... Rg8 ( 27. ... Ng6 28. Rd8! +- {/\ 29 Ng4, 29 Rf8 Nf8 30 Qd8
} 28. ... Kg8 29. Ng4 fxg4 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 31. Qd8+ Qe8 32. Qxe8+ Kxe8 33. 
Rxc5 +- ) ( 27. ... Nc6 28. Rd5 ( 28. Ng4! {Ftacnik} 28. ... fxg4 29. Qg7+
Qxg7 30. hxg7+ Kxg7 31. Rxc5 +- ) 28. ... Rxd5 29. cxd5 +- ) 28. Ng4!! ( 
28. Ng4!! Qe6 ( 28. ... fxg4 29. Qxe5+ Rxe5 30. Rxe5 +- ) ( 28. ... Rxg5 
29. Nxe5 Rxe5 ( 29. ... Rxh5 30. Rd8+ Ng8 31. Nxf7# ) 30. Rxg5 Nc6 31. Ba4
+- ) 29. Rd8! {/\ 30 Qg7} 29. ... Ng6 ( 29. ... Qg6 30. Qxe7 fxg4 31. 
Rxg8+ +- ) 30. Rxg8+ Kxg8 31. Qd8+ Nf8 32. Nf6+ +- ( 32. Rg5+ +- ) ) 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 3"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2710"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1994.04.??"]
[Annotator "Horvath,Ta"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. a3 a5 ( 
13. ... Ne7!? ) 14. h4 Ne7! { A dynamic continuation. Black solves the 
problem of the Nc6-e7 maneuver in a cardinal way, not being concerned 
about his doubled f-pawns } 15. Nce3 ( 15. Nxf6+ gxf6 { Black, despite his
inferior pawn structure, maintains good enough chances for counterplay due
to possibility of d6-d5,f6-f5 and b5-b4 advances and a certain advantage 
in development)} 16. Ne3 f5 ~ ) 15. ... Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Be6 ( 16. ... Bb7? 
17. Bxb5 ) 17. g3 ( 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. Qxd6 Rfd8 19. Qc5 b4!? 20. Be2 ( 
20. Qxa5? Qf4 -+ ) 20. ... Rdc8 21. Qxa5 bxc3 22. b4 ( 22. bxc3? Rb2 -/+ )
22. ... c2 ( 22. ... Bc4!? ) 23. O-O Qf4 24. Rac1 Qxe4 25. Rfe1 Qxh4 26. 
Qxe5 ~ ) 17. ... Qd7! {Preventing white bishop's moving to h3 and 
preparing the Bf6-d8-b6 maneuver } 18. Bg2 ( {(Once again, there is 
nothing much for White in} 18. Nxf6+ gxf6 19. Bg2 b4! { with counterplay} 
) 18. ... Bd8 19. O-O Bb6 20. Qd2 Rfc8 21. Rfd1 {White's only hope in his 
struggle for an advantage is pressurizing the d6-pawn that, in case of 
Bb6-c5, will be reinforced by b2-b4 advance } 21. ... Bxd5 22. Qxd5 b4! {A
typical counterplay resource} 23. axb4 axb4 24. Qxd6 Qg4! ( 24. ... Qxd6 
25. Rxd6 bxc3 26. bxc3 Rxc3?? 27. Rxb6 ) 25. Qd3 ( 25. Qxe5? bxc3 26. bxc3
Bxf2+! 27. Kxf2 Rb2+ 28. Kg1 Qe2 -+ ) 25. ... bxc3 26. bxc3 g6 {An extra 
white pawn is of no importance, as in the position with bishops of 
opposite color black pieces are active } 27. Rab1 Rd8 28. Qf3 Rxd1+ 29. 
Rxd1 Qxf3 30. Bxf3 Rc8 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 3"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Illescas Cordoba, Miguel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2705"]
[BlackElo "2590"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1994.02.??"]
[Annotator "Shirov"]

1. e4 {Chekhov Ftacnik Horvath,T} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 
e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. 
c3 O-O ( 11. ... Bb7 {Chekhov} 12. Bd3?! N ( 12. Nc2 ) 12. ... Nb8 13. Nc2
Nd7 14. a4 bxa4 15. Rxa4 Bg5 16. O-O O-O 17. Ra2 a5 18. Bc4 Nb6! = {
Beliavsky,A-Shirov,A/ Linares(1)/1994/0,5 (56)/} ) ( 11. ... Rb8 12. Nc2 
Bg5 13. a3 a5 14. Bd3 O-O 15. Qe2 Na7 16. h4 Bh6 17. g4 Bf4 18. Qf3 Nc6 
19. g5 Be6 20. Nxf4 exf4 21. Qxf4 b4 22. axb4 axb4 23. Nd4 Ne5 24. Be2 
bxc3 25. bxc3 Rb2 26. O-O Qc8 27. Qg3 Bc4 28. Bxc4 Qxc4 29. Rfd1 Rfb8 {
1/2-1/2(62) Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter (2420) - Rogozenco, Dorian (2440) / 
Ciocaltea Memorial (2), Bucharest ROU 1995} ) 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. a3!? ( 13. 
h4 {Ftacnik} 13. ... g6 ( 13. ... Ne7 14. Nce3 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Bb7 16. g3 b4
17. c4 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Qb6 19. Rd1 Bd8 20. Qxd6 b3 21. a3 Qa7 22. Rd5 Be7 
23. Qxe5 Bf6 ~ {Smagin,S-Gorelov,S/URS/ 1982/} ) 14. Qd2 Bg7 15. h5 Be6 
16. Nce3 Ne7 17. g3 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Rc8 19. Rd1 Rc5 20. Ne3 Rc6 21. b3 Qa8 
22. Bh3 {Shmuter,L-Beshukov,S/Sochi/1993/} ) 13. ... a5 ( 13. ... Ne7!? {
Horvath,T} 14. Nxf6+ gxf6 15. Ne3 f5 ~ ) ( 13. ... Be6 {Chekhov} 14. Ncb4!
Nxb4 15. axb4 +/- ) 14. h4! { Another white aggressive idea that has 
become a standard tactical method. The h2-h4 advance restricts the 
mobility of the opponent's dark-squared bishop } ( {In case of} 14. Bd3 {,
that has been examined in the previous party, the following continuation 
is also worth attention: } 14. ... Bg5!? 15. Qe2 Na7 16. h4 Bh6 17. g4 Bf4
18. Qf3 Nc6 19. g5 Be6 20. Nxf4 exf4 21. Qxf4 b4 22. axb4 axb4 23. Nd4 Ne5
24. Be2 bxc3 25. bxc3 Rb2 26. O-O Qc8 27. Qg3 Bc4 28. Bxc4 Qxc4 {and Black
has compensation for his sacrificed pawn, Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter 2465 - 
Rogozenko Dorian 2440 , Bucharest 1995 Memorial V.Ciocaltea)} ) 14. ... g6
{Preparing the Bf6-g7 and Nc6-e7 maneuver } ( 14. ... Ne7 15. Nce3 Nxd5 
16. Nxd5 Be6 ( 16. ... Bb7? 17. Bxb5 ) 17. g3 ( 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. Qxd6 
Rfd8 =/& ) 17. ... Qd7 18. Bg2 Bd8 19. O-O Bb6 = {
Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Moscow PCA 25'/1994/ (0,5)} ) ( 14. ... Be6 {Chekhov}
15. Nxf6+ Qxf6 16. Qxd6 ) ( 14. ... Kh8!? {Chekhov} ) 15. g3 ( 15. Nce3 {
Chekhov} 15. ... b4!? ) ( 15. h5 {Chekhov} 15. ... Bg5 ) 15. ... Bg7 ( {As
A.Shirov points out, in case of } 15. ... h5!? { White also has time to 
"catch hold" of the opponent's K-side } 16. Bh3 Be6 ( 16. ... Bxh3 17. 
Rxh3 Bg7 18. g4! += ) 17. Nce3 Bg7 18. g4! Qxh4 19. gxh5 Bxd5 ( 19. ... 
Qxe4?! 20. Bg2 Qa4 21. b3 +- ) ( 19. ... Bxh3 20. Qf3 ) 20. Bg2 Qg5 21. 
Qxd5 Ne7 22. Qd1 â†’ ) 16. h5!? { Exploiting the drawbacks of the g7-g6 
advance and utilizing the delay of his own castling, White creates a 
vulnerable space on the opponent's K-side } 16. ... Ne7 ( 16. ... Be6 {
Horvath,T} 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. Nce3 b4 19. cxb4 axb4 20. a4 Nd4 21. Bc4 += )
( 16. ... Qg5 {Ftacnik} 17. Bh3 Be6 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Nce3 Rb7 20. Qd3 
Rfb8 21. Rd1 Bf8 22. Qf1 f5 = {Borm, F-King,D/Amsterdam/1982/} ) 17. hxg6 
hxg6 ( 17. ... fxg6 18. Bh3 +/- ( 18. Nce3 {Chekhov} 18. ... Kh8 19. Bh3 
Bb7 ) ) 18. Nce3 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Be6 20. Bh3 Bxd5? { This exchange deprives 
Black of counterplay } ( {(In the continuation} 20. ... Qd7 {black chances
are better } 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Ne3 Qf7 ( 22. ... Rbd8 {Chekhov} 23. Qg4 
Qf7 ) 23. Qe2 d5 24. Rd1 += dxe4 â–³ 25. Rh4! +/- ) ( 20. ... Qg5!? {
Ftacnik} ) ( 20. ... f5 {Chekhov} 21. exf5 gxf5 22. Bg2 {/\Qh5|^/} ) 21. 
Qxd5 Qc7 ( 21. ... Qb6!? ) 22. O-O +/- {As a result White has obvious 
positional advantage due to considerable difference in the activity of the
bishops that are left on the boar, and to the opponent's vulnerable points
on the d-file } 22. ... Rfd8 23. Rfd1 Bh6 {A typical point. Black bishop 
has absolutely nothing to do on the free h6-c1diagonal } ( 23. ... Kf8 +/-
) ( 23. ... Qc5 {Ftacnik} 24. Bf1! {xb5} ) ( 23. ... Bf8 {Chekhov} 24. Bf1
Qb6 ) 24. Bf1 Qb7? ( {Even if queens are left on the board, White's 
advantage is beyond any doubt: } 24. ... Qd7 25. b4! axb4 26. axb4 +/- ) (
24. ... Qb6 25. Qb3 a4 26. Qc2 {/\ Rd5+/-} ) ( 24. ... Qc5 25. Rd3 +/- { 
Ra1-d1,b2-b4} ) 25. Qxb7 Rxb7 26. Rd5 b4 ( 26. ... Rdb8 {Ftacnik} 27. Rxd6
+/- ) ( {An active} 26. ... f5 {does not ease Black's lot as well } 27. 
exf5 gxf5 28. Bxb5 Kf7 29. a4! Ke6 30. Bc4 +- {b3} ) 27. cxb4 axb4 28. a4!
+- { Creating a passed pawn on the a-file decides the outcome of the 
battle } 28. ... Kf8 29. a5 Bg5?! ( 29. ... Ke7 {Chekhov} 30. a6 Ra7 31. 
Rb5 Bd2 32. Rd1 +- ) 30. a6 Rb6 ( 30. ... Ra7 {Ftacnik} 31. Ra4 b3 32. Rb4
+- ) 31. Rb5 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 3"]
[Site "France"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Bologan, Viktor"]
[Black "Redon, Bruno"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2585"]
[BlackElo "2235"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. a3!? {The 
idea belongs to Latvian GM Zigurds Lanka. Creating a potential threat of a
lunge Â¤c2-b4 (in this case the exchange Â¤c6:b4, a3:b4 will render black 
position on the Q-side dramatically worse) White provokes the a6-a5 
advance that makes the b5-pawn vulnerable } 13. ... a5 14. Bd3 Be6 15. Qe2
{White immediately takes sight at the b5-square } 15. ... Bxd5 16. exd5 
Ne7 17. O-O-O! {An original game plan. In a position with opposite 
castling White has a clear plan of developing the initiative on the K-side
that is associated with advancing the h2- and g2-pawns. At the same time 
black counterplay on the opposite flank appears equally real } 17. ... Qb6
( { In favor of White is} 17. ... Nxd5 18. Bxh7+ ( 18. Qe4 Bg5+ 19. Kb1 
Nf6 ) 18. ... Kxh7 19. Rxd5 +/- ) ( {(but it is worth attention } 17. ... 
Bg5+!? 18. Kb1 Qd7 19. h4 Bh6 20. g4 Bf4 21. Qe4 g6 22. g5 h5 23. gxh6 f5 
24. Qg2 Kh7 {Sharapov Evgeny 2433 - Pavlov Sergey 2368 , Alushta 8. 4.2005
Ch Ukraine (team)} ) 18. Kb1 g6 ( {(In case of } 18. ... Qc5!? {the 
rejoinder } 19. Qf3! { h4, g4+=â€š paralizes the g7-g6 advance} ( 19. Be4 
g6 20. g4 Bh4! ) ) 19. h4! ( 19. Be4 Bg7 20. g4 f5 21. gxf5 gxf5 22. Bg2 
Ng6 {b4} ) 19. ... Bg7 ( {(Black could have won a pawn by way of} 19. ... 
Nxd5!? 20. Qf3 ( 20. Bxg6? Nf4 ) 20. ... Nf4 ( 20. ... b4 21. cxb4 axb4 
22. Qxd5 bxa3 23. b4! ) 21. g3 Nxd3 22. Rxd3 Bg7 23. Rhd1 Rfd8 24. g4! += 
{but white control over light squares gives White an obvious positional 
compensation} ) 20. h5 f5 ( 20. ... Nxd5 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. Bxg6 Nxc3+ ( 
22. ... Nf4 23. Bh7+ ) 23. bxc3 fxg6 24. Qd3 +/- ) 21. hxg6 hxg6 ( {In 
case of} 21. ... e4 22. Rxh7! {White has a strong attack, for instance } 
22. ... Nxg6 23. Qh5 exd3 24. Qxg6 dxc2+ 25. Kxc2 Qxf2+ 26. Kb1 Rf7 27. 
Rdh1 Kf8 28. Rh8+ Bxh8 29. Rxh8+ Ke7 30. Qe6# ) 22. g4! +/- e4 23. gxf5 
exd3 ( 23. ... gxf5 24. Rdg1! exd3 25. Qe6+ Rf7 26. Rxg7+ Kxg7 27. Qh6+ 
Kg8 28. Qh8# ) 24. Qe6+ Rf7 25. Rxd3 {Rook joining in along the 3rd rank 
increases white offensive potential considerably} ( 25. Nd4 b4 26. Nc6 
bxc3 27. Nxe7+ Kf8 28. Nxg6+ Kg8 29. Ne7+ = ) 25. ... Kf8 ( 25. ... Nxf5 
26. Qxg6 Rf6 27. Qh7+ Kf7 28. Qh5+ Ke7 29. Nd4! ) 26. Rdh3! ( 26. fxg6 Rf6
) 26. ... gxf5 27. Nd4! +- b4 ( 27. ... Rf6 28. Rh8+ Bxh8 29. Rxh8+ Kg7 
30. Qxe7+ Rf7 31. Rh7+ Kxh7 32. Qxf7+ Kh8 33. Qf6+ +- ) 28. Nc6 bxc3 ( 
28. ... Nxc6 29. Rh8+ Bxh8 30. Rxh8+ Kg7 31. Qh6# ) 29. Rh8+ Bxh8 30. 
Rxh8+ Ng8 31. Qh6+! Rg7 32. Qxd6+ Kf7 33. Qe6+ Kf8 34. Rxg8+! 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 4"]
[Site "Sarajevo BIH"]
[Date "2005.05.23"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Timofeev, Artyom"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2714"]
[BlackElo "2622"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "2005.05.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. h4 {Still it
is difficult to believe that the h2-h4 advance can cast doubt on the 
conceptual move Ra8-b8 in such a cardinal manner. And recently quite a 
reliable defensive plan for Black has been found } 13. ... Be7!? {Black 
begins to gradually liberate his restricted position without offering to 
the opponent a target for creating a tension on the K-side in the form of 
the g6-pawn (13...g6) } 14. g3 ( {A.Shirov also used to try and struggle 
for an advantage in a different way: } 14. Qf3 Be6 15. Rd1 Qd7 16. Nce3 
Bd8 17. g4 Ne7 18. h5 Bxd5 19. exd5 f5 20. gxf5 Nxf5 21. Bh3 Nxe3 22. 
Qxf8+ Kxf8 23. Bxd7 Nxd1 24. Kxd1 b4! {The ensuing endgame with bishops of
opposite color turns out to be quite reliable for Black - } 25. Kc2 bxc3 
26. bxc3 Bg5 27. Bf5 h6 28. a4 a5 29. Rg1 Ke7 30. f3 Rf8 31. Be4 Rb8 32. 
Rg2 Kd7 33. Bf5+ Ke7 34. Kd3 Rb1 35. Kc4 Rb8 36. Re2 Bf4 37. Be4 Bc1 38. 
Rg2 Bg5 39. Re2 {1/2-1/2, Shirov Alexei 2714 - Volokitin Andrei 2679 , 
Sarajevo 27. 5.2005 It (cat.16)} ) ( 14. Nce3 Be6 15. a4 Qd7 16. Be2 Bd8 
17. axb5 axb5 18. h5 Bg5 19. O-O Rfd8 20. Ra6 h6 21. Qd3 Ne7 22. Rfa1 Bxe3
23. fxe3 Nxd5 24. exd5 Bg4 25. e4 Bxe2 26. Qxe2 f5 27. Qe3 fxe4 28. Qxe4 
Qf7 29. Qf3 Qd7 30. Qg3 Qf7 {1/2-1/2 Sorcinelli, Andrea (1791) - Vesely, 
Emanuel (1867) / SB-2011-0-00161 (-), Lechenicher SchachServer 2011} ) ( 
14. Nce3 Be6 15. Qf3 Qd7 16. Rd1 Bd8 17. Be2 Ne7 18. h5 h6 19. O-O Qc8 20.
 Nxe7+ Bxe7 21. b3 Qc5 22. Nf5 Bg5 23. Rxd6 Qa3 24. Rc6 Qxa2 25. c4 Bxf5 
26. exf5 e4 27. Qg4 Rfe8 28. f6 Qxb3 29. cxb5 axb5 30. g3 Qb2 31. fxg7 Re7
32. Rc5 b4 33. Bc4 Qd4 34. Rxg5 Qxc4 35. Rf5 Qe6 36. Qf4 Rb6 37. Ra1 e3 
38. Kh2 exf2 39. Qxf2 Rb8 40. Qf4 Rc8 41. Raa5 Qc6 42. Ra2 b3 43. Rf2 Re1 
44. Qf3 Qxf3 45. R5xf3 Rc2 46. Rxf7 Rxf2+ 47. Rxf2 Re8 48. Rb2 Rb8 49. Kg2
Kxg7 50. Kf3 Kf6 51. Ke2 Kg5 52. Kd2 Kxh5 {0-1 Stika, Václav (2113) - 
Vesely, Emanuel (2080) / Czech Championship Quarterfinal, section 37	 
(31), ICCF 2011} ) ( 14. Nce3 Be6 15. a4 Qd7 16. axb5 axb5 17. Be2 Bd8 18.
 h5 Bg5 19. O-O Rfd8 20. b4 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 Ne7 22. Qd3 d5 23. exd5 Nxd5 24.
 Nxd5 Bxd5 25. Rfd1 h6 26. Qe3 Qc6 27. Ra5 Bc4 28. Rxd8+ Rxd8 29. Qxe5 Re8
30. Bf3 Rxe5 31. Bxc6 Rxh5 32. f4 Kf8 33. Be4 g6 34. Ra6 Ke7 35. g3 Kf8 
36. Rb6 Ke7 37. Rb7+ Kf8 38. Rb6 Kg7 39. Rd6 Kf8 40. Rb6 {1/2-1/2 
Skalicky, Frantisek (2194) - Vesely, Emanuel (2133) / CZE/C/sf27 (CZE) 
(-), ICCF2012_corr02 2012} ) 14. ... Be6 15. Bg2 Qd7 16. O-O Bd8! {A 
standard idea. Black bishops cedes the e7-square to c6-knight and is ready
to move to the a7-g1 diagonal } 17. Qd3 a5 18. Nce3 Ne7 19. Nxe7+ Bxe7 20.
 a3 {Temporarily checking black counterplay associated with the b5-b4 
advance } 20. ... Rfc8 21. Rfd1 g6 22. Rd2 Rc6 23. Nd5 Bd8 { Black is in 
no hurry with the move Be6:d5, choosing the most appropriate time for this
exchange } 24. Rad1 Kg7 25. Kh2 Rc5 26. Qe3 Bxd5 27. Rxd5 Rxd5 28. Rxd5 b4
! {An important advance that allows Black to get rid of a potential 
weakness on the Q-side (the b5-pawn) and to obtain some "air to breathe" 
for his rook } 29. axb4 axb4 30. Qd2 bxc3 31. bxc3 { A position with 
bishops of opposite color is reached, that is typical for this variation 
and is somewhat preferable for White. However, Black manages to maintain 
an equality with confidence } 31. ... Rb6 32. c4 ( {In case of } 32. Rxe5 
Rb2! 33. Qxb2 dxe5 {White fails to cash on his extra pawn due to the 
drawing tendency of the bishops of opposite color)} ) 32. ... Be7 33. c5 (
33. Rxe5 Rc6 34. Rd5 Rxc4 35. e5 Rc6 += ) 33. ... Rc6 34. Rxe5 Qc7 35. 
cxd6 Rxd6 36. Qa2 Rc6 37. Ra5 Rc2 38. Qa1+ Kh6 39. Ra2 Rxa2 40. Qxa2 Bxh4 
1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 4"]
[Site "Leon ESP"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Polgar, Judit"]
[Black "Illescas Cordoba, Miguel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2675"]
[BlackElo "2635"]
[ECO "B33o"]
[EventDate "1996.06.??"]
[Annotator "Horvath,Ta"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. h4 {Baburin:
This move is designed not only to take away the g5-square from the bishop,
but also to prepare the following favourable exchange.} 13. ... g6 { 
Rejecting the binding 13...Ne7 continuation, Black attempts to solve the 
problem of f6-bishop by "therapeutic measures" 

Eine Alternative ist Ne7,=> Kasparov-Kramnik/CBM/43;Kasparov-LautierCBM/45

} 14. g3 Be6 ( 14. ... h5!? ) 15. Bh3 { A typical maneuver that creates a 
potential opportunity of exchanging the dark-squared bishops 

Baburin: The point of the previous play.} 15. ... Bg7 ( 15. ... Bxd5 16. 
Qxd5 Ne7 17. Qd3 d5 += ) 16. h5 a5 ( {(Worth attention is} 16. ... Qd7!? {
seeking to relieve the tension between the opposing light-squared bishops 
immediately. After that it is possible to move } 17. hxg6 ( {It is evident
that the exchange} 17. Bxe6 fxe6! {deprives white pieces of the strong 
point on d5)} ) 17. ... hxg6 ( 17. ... Bxh3?! 18. Qh5 fxg6 19. Qxh3 Qxh3 
20. Rxh3 +/- ) ( 17. ... fxg6?! 18. Bxe6+ Qxe6 19. Qe2 +/- ) 18. Bg2 ( 18.
 Bxe6!? fxe6 19. Nde3 ) 18. ... b4!? 19. Ndxb4 Nxb4 20. Nxb4 ( 20. cxb4 
Rfc8 21. Qd2 a5 ) 20. ... a5 21. Nd3 Rfc8 22. Qc2 f5 { Barlow John A - Van
Kempen Heinz Erich, 1997 corr)} ) 17. Nce3 Qg5?! ( 17. ... Ne7 18. hxg6 
hxg6 19. Bxe6?! ( 19. Qd3 Nxd5 20. Nxd5 Qd7 ~ ) ( 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Qd3 
+= ) 19. ... fxe6 20. Nxe7+ Qxe7 21. Qg4 Qf6 ~ ) ( {Now in case of } 
17. ... Qd7 { the effective knight sacrifice becomes possible } 18. hxg6 
hxg6 19. Nf5! gxf5 20. Qh5 fxe4 21. Qh7+ Kxh7 22. Bxe6+ Bh6 23. Bxd7 {with
white attack in the ending)} ) 18. Nc7! {Baburin: This manoeuvre forces 
the exchange of the light-squared bishops, which increases White's control
over the critical d5-square.

 An original white knight's maneuver forces the exchange of light-squared 
bishops that is favorable for White } 18. ... Bxh3 19. Rxh3 Rfd8 20. Kf1! 
{After setting off afoot to the K-side white king finds himself a secure 
shelter on g2 } 20. ... b4 21. Ncd5 Rdc8 22. Qa4! bxc3 23. bxc3 Qd8 24. 
Kg2 +/- {The position has stabilized. The undivided white control of the 
key d5-square and a "bad" g7-bishop determine White's great advantage } 
24. ... Ne7 25. hxg6 hxg6 26. Rhh1! Nxd5 27. Nxd5 {Baburin: White is 
strategically winning here, having a glorious knight on d5 vs an 
inefficient bishop.} 27. ... Rc5 ( 27. ... Rb2 28. Rab1 Rcb8 29. Rxb2 Rxb2
30. Qa3 Rd2 31. Rb1 +/- ) 28. Rab1 Rxb1 29. Rxb1 Qa8 30. c4 Bf8 31. Qd7 
Qc8 32. Qa7! +- Rxd5 {A desperate sacrifice} ( {(But even after} 32. ... 
Kg7 33. Rb7 ( 33. Rb8 Qe6 34. Qa8 Be7 35. Rh8 +- ) 33. ... Qe6 34. Ne3 {
black position is strategically hopeless} ) ( 32. ... Rxc4 33. Rb8 Qe6 34.
 Qa8 +- ) 33. cxd5 Qc2 34. Re1 Qxa2 35. Re3 Qa4 36. Rf3 Qe8 37. Qxa5 Qd7 
38. Qa8 Kg7 39. Qc6 Qe7 40. Qc8 Qa7 41. Rb3 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 4"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2006.01.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2792"]
[BlackElo "2647"]
[ECO "B33p"]
[EventDate "2006.01.14"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Ncb4 Bd7 15. Bxa6 Nxb4 16. cxb4! {Evidently, White's hopes for an 
improvement of the variation in tote have been associated with exactly 
this continuation. At the cost of doubling his pawns White promptly 
creates a passed pawn on the Q-side 


This move has been known for some time to offer White sufficient 
compensation for the exchange, but up to this game it has been considered 
that Black should have no problems to hold the position.} ( {The main} 16.
 Nxb4 {is analyzed very deeply. The verdict is that with accurate defence 
Black achieves a draw:} 16. ... Qa5 17. Qxd6 Rb6 18. Qd3 Be7 19. Nd5 Rxb2 
20. O-O Qc5 21. Rab1 Rxb1 22. Rxb1 O-O 23. Bb5 Be8 24. Bxe8 Rxe8 25. Rb7 
Bd6 26. Qa6 a3 {1/2-1/2 Motylev,A (2651)-Timofeev,A (2611)/Moscow 2004} ) 
16. ... O-O 17. O-O Bc6 18. Rxa4! {A sacrifice of an exchange aimed at 
depriving the opponent of the important light-squared bishop little by 
little becomes a typical white weapon in the Cheliabinsk Variation } 
18. ... Bxa4 19. Qxa4 Qe8 N {The endgame turns out to be in White's 
favour, therefore critical remain other moves: 19...f5, 19...g6 and 
19...Kh8.} ( 19. ... f5 20. exf5 ( 20. b5 Kh8 21. exf5 Qd7 22. Qc4? Qxf5 
23. f3 Bd8 24. Rc1 ( 24. Qc6 Qd3 â‡„â‡„ ) 24. ... Qd7 25. b4 Qa7+ 26. Kh1 
Qf2 27. Qd3 Bb6 28. Rf1 Qh4 29. Rd1 Bd4 -+ {0-1 Norgaard,J 
(2315)-Horvath,T (2440)/Copenhagen 1984 (38)} ) 20. ... Rxf5 21. Bd3 ( 21.
 b5!? ) 21. ... Rf8 22. b5 += {also leaves White with somewhat better 
chances)} 22. ... Qd7 23. Qe4 g6 24. g3 Bd8 25. f4 Bb6+ 26. Nxb6 Rxb6 27. 
fxe5 Rxf1+ 28. Bxf1 dxe5 29. Qxe5 h6 30. h4 h5 {1/2-1/2 L'Ami,E 
(2353)-Moser,E (2339)/Augsburg 2002} ) ( 19. ... g6 20. Qc6 Bd2 21. b5 Ba5
22. Bb7 f6! 23. b4 Bb6 24. Nxb6 Rf7 25. Rd1 ( 25. Nd5 Rfxb7 26. b6 Rxb6 
27. Nxb6 Qxb6 =, quiet ) 25. ... Rfxb7 26. Rxd6 Qxd6 27. Qxd6 Rxb6 28. 
Qd5+ Kf8 { and Black managed to hold his own, Barua Dibyendu 2540 - Lalic 
Bogdan 2560 , Ubeda 1998 It (open))} 29. h4 R8b7 30. g4 Rxb5 31. Qd6+ Kg7 
32. g5 fxg5 33. hxg5 h6 34. Qf6+ Kh7 35. gxh6 Rxb4 36. Qxe5 Rf7 37. Kg2 
Rb6 38. Qd4 Rbf6 39. e5 Rxf2+ 40. Qxf2 Rxf2+ {1/2-1/2 Barua,D 
(2520)-Lalic,B (2545)/Ubeda 1998} ) ( 19. ... Kh8 ~ ) 20. Qxe8 {Even being
an exchange down White is ready to transpose the game into an ending, 
which is indicative of his position's strategic power. A bad omen for 
Black in similar positions is lack of open lines for his rooks } ( 20. b5 
Bd8 ( 20. ... f5!? ) ( 20. ... Kh8!? ) 21. Rc1 Bb6 22. Rc6 Bd4 ~ ) 20. ...
 Rfxe8 ( {Deserves attention} 20. ... Rbxe8 21. b5 f5 {but this looks much
too artificial.} ) 21. b5 {Everything is simple - the pawn goes to b7 and 
it is clear that Black has a difficult defence. Maybe he can hold, but 
only White can play for a win.

White pawn rushes to b7, from where it will paralyze the enemy forces to 
the utmost } 21. ... f5! {Seeking to open the position for his rooks } ( 
21. ... Bd8 22. Rc1 +/- ) 22. b6! ( {Black pieces revive a bit after } 22.
 exf5 e4 23. b6 Re5 24. Bc4 Kf8 {leaves Black with more chances to escape.
} ) ( 22. h4 Bxh4! ) 22. ... fxe4 23. h4?! {Anand demonstrates resources 
of White's position, but this unexpectedly offers Black concrete 
possibilities for counterplay. The general idea is to distract the bishop 
either from c1 or from e7 (the knight can sometimes come to c6 via e7.

White wants to get to the c-file with his rook as quickly as possible } ( 
23. Re1!? Kf7 24. Rxe4 Red8 25. Rc4 Ke6 26. Nc7+ Kf5 { Black would have 
time enough for activating his king)} ) ( {The most precise move order 
seems to be} 23. b7! Kf7 24. h4! Bxh4 25. Rc1 {transposing into 23.h4 Bxh4
24.Rc1 Kf7 25.b7, see below.} ) 23. ... Bd2? {Understandable desire to 
control square c1. However, instead of this Black should have tried to 
create counterplay, since after the game move White's rook can be 
transferred on the c-file anyway.} ( 23. ... Bxh4! {was the only chance:} 
24. Rc1 Rf8! ( 24. ... Kf7? {is not enough:} 25. b7 Rf8 ( 25. ... Ke6 26. 
Nc7+ Ke7 27. Nxe8 Rxe8 28. Rc8 +- ) 26. g3 ( 26. Rc8 Ke6 27. Nb4 Bxf2+ 28.
 Kh2 d5 29. Nc6 Rfxc8 30. bxc8=Q+ Rxc8 31. Bxc8+ Kd6 -/+ ) 26. ... Bg5 27.
 Rc8 Ke6 ( 27. ... Bd2 28. Nb6 Ke7 29. Rxf8 Rxf8 30. Nc8+ +- ) 28. Nb6 ( 
28. Nb4 e3 29. fxe3 Bxe3+ 30. Kg2 d5 31. Nc6 Rxb7 32. Bxb7 Rf2+ 33. Kh3 
Rxb2 =, quiet ) 28. ... Rd8 ( 28. ... e3 29. Rxf8 +- ) 29. Bc4+ Kf5 30. 
Bd5 e3 31. Kf1 exf2 ( 31. ... e4 32. fxe3 Bxe3 33. Rxd8 Rxd8 34. Nc8 +- ) 
32. Kxf2 e4 33. Rxb8 Rxb8 34. Nd7 +- ) ( 24. ... Bg5!? 25. Rc7 e3 â‡„â‡„ )
25. g3 Bg5 26. Rc6! ( 26. Rc7? e3 27. fxe3 Rxb6! ) 26. ... Kf7 ( 26. ... 
Rfd8 27. b7 Kf7 28. Rc7+ Ke6 29. Bc4 +/- ) 27. Rxd6 ( 27. b7 Ke6 28. Nb6 
Bd8 ~ {with a sharp position - shown by S.Shipov} ( 28. ... Rfd8!? ) ) 
27. ... Rfd8 28. Rc6 e3! 29. fxe3 Rxd5 30. Bc4 Bxe3+ 31. Kg2 Rxb6 32. 
Bxd5+ Ke7 =, quiet ) 24. b7 Kf7 25. Rd1 Bh6 26. Nb4 Ke7 ( 26. ... e3 27. 
Nc6 exf2+ 28. Kxf2 Ke6 29. Bc4+ Kd7 30. Nxb8+ Rxb8 31. Bd5 ) 27. Nd5+ ( {
Things are not so clear after} 27. Nc6+ Kd7 28. Nxb8+ Rxb8 { in view of 
somewhat unfortunate position of the a6-bishop)} ) 27. ... Kf7 28. g4 Bf4 
29. Re1! {White rook invades the c-file } 29. ... g5 ( 29. ... Red8 âŒ“ 
30. Rxe4 g5 ( 30. ... Rd7 31. Rb4! ) ) ( 29. ... Ke6 30. Nc7+ Ke7 31. Nxe8
Kxe8 32. Bb5+ Ke7 33. Bc6 ) 30. Re2! {If not from c1, then from c2!} ( {
Taking pawn e4 means in some variations to help Black including his bishop
into defence:} 30. Rxe4 Red8 31. Nb4 d5 32. Re2 gxh4 33. Rc2 e4 ~ ) ( 30. 
h5 {looks also strong to me, preventing Black's 30...gxh4, possible in the
game.} ) 30. ... Red8 ( {There is no clear win for White after} 30. ... 
gxh4 31. Rc2 ( {White can play} 31. Kg2 {of course, but then it is clear 
that Black had to insert 30. ..gxh4.} ) 31. ... h3 32. Rc7+ ( {or} 32. Rc8
Bd2! { aiming at the f2-pawn)} ) 32. ... Kg6 33. Ne7+ Kg5 34. Nc6 e3 35. 
fxe3 Bxe3+ 36. Kh2 Kxg4 ) 31. Nb4! ( 31. Rc2 Rd7! ) 31. ... d5 ( 31. ... 
gxh4 32. Nc6 h3 33. Nxd8+ Rxd8 34. Rc2 +- ) ( {The idea of the previous 
move is:} 31. ... Rd7? 32. Nc6 Rdxb7 33. Bxb7 Rxb7 34. Nd8+ +- ) 32. Nc6 
Rg8 ( 32. ... gxh4 33. Nxd8+ Rxd8 34. Rc2 ) 33. Nxb8 Rxb8 34. h5! {Black 
cannot keep his h-pawn alive, which means that White will create the 
second passed pawn. Meaning he wins easily.} 34. ... Ke7 35. Kf1 d4 36. 
Rc2 e3 37. fxe3 dxe3 38. Rc7+ Kf6 39. Rxh7 e4 40. Bc4 Rd8 41. Rf7+ Ke5 42.
 Rd7 {In the present game Black missed several possibilities for 
counterplay, but White also could have played more accurate. Only the 
future practice will show if the endgame after 20.Qxe8 is defensible for 
Black.} 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 5"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.14"]
[Round "5"]
[White "ChessOK - 5.5"]
[Black "ChessOK - 5.5"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2264"]
[BlackElo "2335"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2012.08.14"]

{This game is a conceptual twin of the previous one. Its main idea is the 
e5-e4 advance, that is now associated with a pawn sacrifice followed by 
activation of the c6-knight} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 
8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14.
 Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nce3 Be6 {
Black bishop situated on e6 keeps under control the key d5-square } ( {
Also occurs} 19. ... Bg6 {which will be examined later} ) 20. Qd3 {A 
logical continuation. White queen moves to d3 at once, impeding at the the
same time the e5-e4 advance } 20. ... Qd7 21. Rd1 Qf7 22. Ra2 ( 22. f3!? )
22. ... Qh5 {As we have seen, the appearance of black queen on h5 creates 
tension on the K-side } 23. Re1 ( 23. Nf1 e4! ) 23. ... Bd8 24. Nf1 Qf7! {
White khight retreats from e3, and Black immediately intensifies his 
influence upon the key d5-square } 25. Re3?! {This move, containing a 
clever combinational idea, hands the initiative to the opponent } ( {To an
approximate dynamic equilibrium leads} 25. Ng3 Nd4! 26. cxd4 Bxd5 27. dxe5
Bxc4 28. bxc4 dxe5 ) 25. ... e4! {A thematic pawn sacrifice that leads to 
a dramatic activation of black pieces } ( {White plan becomes clear in the
variation} 25. ... Ne7? 26. Nxe7 Bxc4 27. Qxh7+! +- ) 26. Qxe4 ( {White 
would obtain a certain compensation for an exchange in case of } 26. Rxe4 
Bf5 27. Nde3 Bxe4 28. Qxe4 ) 26. ... Ne5 27. Kh1 ( {The idea of developing
the initiative across the board is illustrated by the variation} 27. h3 a4
! ) 27. ... Nxc4 ( 27. ... a4!? ) 28. Rf3 ( 28. bxc4 Bf5 29. Qf4 Rb1 30. 
Kg1 Qg6 ) 28. ... Bf6 29. bxc4 Bxd5! { This exchange guarantees the 
invasion of the 1st rank by black rooks } 30. cxd5 Rfe8 31. Qd3 Re1 32. 
Kg1 ( 32. Re3 Qxd5! -+ ) ( 32. Rxa5 Qg6 33. Kg1 Qxd3 34. Rxd3 h5 -/+ {Rbb1
} ) 32. ... Rbb1 33. Rxa5 Rxf1+ 34. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 35. Kxf1 h6 -+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 5"]
[Site "Tbilisi GEO"]
[Date "1978.12.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Geller, Efim P"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2565"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1978.12.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 Nf6 6. N1c3 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5!? {Black carries out the f7-f5 
advance in its most economical version. The drawback of this plan is that 
the opponent obtains control over the e4-square; Black hopes to compensate
this by piece counterplay in a more open position } 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Qe2 
Qd7 20. Nce3 Be6 21. Rd1 Bd8 {A typical retreat of the dark-squared 
bishop. In this particular case Black's idea is to strengthen the a5-pawn 
and to prepare the Â¤c6-e7 maneuver } 22. Ra2 Qf7 23. Qd3! { A subtle 
prophylactic move that restricts black counterplay } ( 23. Nf1 Ne7! =+ ) (
23. Rad2 e4! =+ ) 23. ... Qh5 {By putting his queen on the h5 Black 
creates potential tension on the K-side } ( 23. ... Rb7!? ) 24. Nf1 {White
fortifies his kingside and prepares strategic withdrawal Â¤d5-e3, vacating
the d5-square for the maneuver Â¥c4-d5 and directly hitting the d6-pawn } 
24. ... e4!? {Carrying out this thematic advance in the center, Black 
exploits the drawbacks of the opponent's last move. Surely the e4-pawn can
find itself in jeopardy, but then the black knight now has prospects to 
enter the play via e5 } ( 24. ... Bf5 25. Qd2 Bg5 26. Nde3 +/- ) 25. Qc2 (
25. Qxe4?! Qxd1 26. Qxe6 Ne5 27. Qxd6 Bf6 28. Rd2 Qc1 29. Nxf6 Nxc4! ) 
25. ... Bh4! 26. Ng3 Bxg3 27. hxg3 Ne5 ( 27. ... Bg4!? 28. Re1 Ne5 ) 28. 
Nf4 Rxf4! {An introduction to a combinational skirmish } 29. gxf4 ( 29. 
Bxe6 Rf6 30. Rxd6 ( 30. Bh3 Nf3+ 31. gxf3 exf3 32. Bg2 Rh6 -+ ) 30. ... 
Qg6 -/+ ) 29. ... Nf3+ ( 29. ... Bxc4 30. fxe5 Bd3 ( 30. ... Bxb3? 31. Rb2
+- ) 31. Qd2 +/- ) ( 29. ... Nxc4 30. bxc4 Bxc4 31. Raa1 +/- ) 30. gxf3 ( 
{To a draw leads} 30. Kf1 Bg4! 31. gxf3 Qh1+ 32. Ke2 Qxf3+ 33. Kd2 ( 33. 
Ke1 e3 34. fxe3 Qxe3+ 35. Be2 Qg3+ 36. Kd2 Qxf4+ = ) 33. ... Qxf4+ 34. Ke1
e3 35. fxe3 = ( 35. Rd4? exf2+ 36. Qxf2 Qc1+ -+ ) ) 30. ... Bxc4 31. Qxe4 
( 31. bxc4? exf3 32. Qe4 Qh3 -+ ) 31. ... Bxb3 32. Rb1 Re8 33. Rxa5 d5 34.
 Re1?? { A blunder under time pressure that causes White's defeat } ( {A 
logical crowning of this fine duel would be} 34. Qxe8+ Qxe8 35. Rxb3 Qg6+ 
36. Kf1 Qd3+ 37. Kg2 Qg6+ = ) 34. ... Qg6+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 5"]
[Site "Elista RUS"]
[Date "1998.10.04"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Ye, Jiangchuan"]
[Black "Filippov, Valerij"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2595"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1998.09.29"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Bg5 14. 
a4 bxa4 15. Rxa4 a5 16. Bc4 Rb8 17. b3 Kh8 18. O-O g6 19. Qd3 {The 
appearance of the queen on d3 looks more aggressive than 19.Â£e2 from the 
previous game as it allows White to take the d6-pawn under his control } 
19. ... f5 20. Rd1 Bd7 ( {The immediate relief of tension in the center is
favorable for White} 20. ... fxe4 21. Qxe4 Bf5 22. Qe2 e4 23. Nde3 Ne5 24.
 Bd5 +/- ) ( 20. ... Bh4!? 21. g3 ( 21. f3!? ) 21. ... Bg5 22. b4 {and 
now, in V.Bologan's opinion, Black should have continued } 22. ... fxe4 ( 
{In the game there followed} 22. ... Bd7 23. Ra2 fxe4 24. Qxe4 Bf5 25. Qe1
Bxc2 26. Rxc2 axb4 27. Nxb4 Nxb4 28. cxb4 Qb6 29. b5 Rbc8 30. Qe4 Rc5 31. 
h4 Bh6 32. Ra2 Bg7 33. Kg2 {with obvious white advantage, Bologan Viktor 
2585 - Belikov Vladimir 2510 , Sevastopol 1997 Ch Armed Forces} ) 23. Qxe4
Bf5 24. Qe2 Qc8! 25. Nde3 Bxe3 ( 25. ... axb4 26. Nxf5 Qxf5 27. Nxb4 +/- )
26. Nxe3 axb4 27. Nxf5 Qxf5 ( 27. ... gxf5 28. Rxd6 bxc3 29. Bd5 ) 28. 
Rxd6 bxc3 29. Bd3 Rb2 30. Qxb2 cxb2 31. Bxf5 gxf5 32. Rd1 Nd4 33. Rb4 Ne2+
34. Kf1 Nc3 35. Re1 b1=Q 36. Rbxb1 Nxb1 37. Rxb1 = ) 21. Raa1 { The rook 
escapes the d7-bishop's glare in good time } 21. ... Bh6 {A modest retreat
that improves the coordination between black pieces. Black queen gets an 
opportunity to make lunges to g5 or h4, and the dark-squared bishop is 
ready to return, in case of need, to the long diagonal via g7} 22. f3! {A 
conceptual continuation. White fortifies the central e4-square, 
restricting his opponent's counterplay as much as possible, and only then 
prepares his attack on the Q-side} ( 22. Nde3 Rf6 23. f3 Ne7 24. Kh1 Bf4 
25. b4 a4 26. Nd5 Nxd5 27. Bxd5 Qf8 28. g3 Bg5 29. c4 f4 30. g4 h5 31. 
gxh5 Qh6 32. b5 Qxh5 33. Rxa4 Bh4 34. Rda1 Bg3 35. Qe2 g5 36. Ra8 Rbf8 37.
 Rxf8+ Rxf8 38. b6 g4 39. Ne1 gxf3 40. Nxf3 Bg4 41. Ra3 Kg7 42. Kg1 Rh8 
43. b7 { and in the sharp struggle White's chances look preferable } 
43. ... Kf6 44. c5 Bxf3 45. Rxf3 Bxh2+ 46. Kf1 Qe8 47. Qa6 Kg5 48. Rb3 Qh5
49. Qe2 f3 50. Rxf3 Bf4 51. Rg3+ Bxg3 52. Qxh5+ Kxh5 53. c6 Kg4 54. Ke2 
Rh2+ 55. Kd3 {1-0, Shirov Alexei 2695 - Kramnik Vladimir 2730 , Monte 
Carlo 1995 It "Melody Amber" (blindfold))} ) 22. ... Qh4 23. Nde3! += {
Stressing the vulnerability of the d6-pawn } 23. ... fxe4 ( 23. ... Rf6 
24. Bd5! ) 24. fxe4! { White consistently plays for checking the 
opponent's piece activity, retaining his pawn outpost on the e4-square } 
24. ... Rf6 ( 24. ... Bf4 25. g3 Bxg3 26. hxg3 Qxg3+ { is parried in a 
tactical way } 27. Ng2 Qf2+ 28. Kh1! Rf3 29. Rf1 +- ) 25. Rf1 Rbf8 26. 
Rxf6 Rxf6 ( 26. ... Qxf6 27. Rf1! Qe7 28. Rd1 +- ) 27. g3 Qg5 28. Qd5 Ne7 
29. Qxa5 Bc6 30. Bd3 d5 31. Rf1! {The exchange of the enemy active pieces 
stresses white advantage } ( 31. exd5 Nxd5 32. Nxd5 Qd2! ) 31. ... dxe4 
32. Bc4 Rxf1+ 33. Bxf1 Bf8 34. b4 +- {Black's attack on the K-side has 
taken him nowhere, and now white passed pawns on the queenside decide the 
outcome } 34. ... h5 35. Qd8 Qf6 36. b5 Bb7 37. Qc7 Ba8 38. b6 Qc6 39. Ba6
! Nf5 40. Qb8 Nxe3 41. Qxf8+ Kh7 42. b7! Bxb7 43. Bxb7 Qb6 44. Qb4 Qa7 45.
 Qe7+ Kh6 46. Qf8+ Kh7 47. Qf7+ Kh8 48. Qf2 Qxb7 49. Nxe3 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 5"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Lutz, Christopher"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2560"]
[BlackElo "2715"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1994.10.08"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 {Black opts for 
the most natural way of deploying his forces, but White carries out the 
undermining a2-a4 unimpeded at that. } 13. a4 bxa4 14. Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 ( {
Another popular continuation} 15. Bb5 {will be examined later} ) ( 15. h4 
Bh6 16. g4 Bf4 17. Na3 Rb8 18. Nb5 Ne7 19. Nxf4 exf4 20. Rd4 Nc6 21. Rxd6 
Qe7 22. f3 Ne5 23. Rd2 Nxg4 24. Nd4 Bd7 25. Qe2 Ne5 26. Qh2 f5 27. Qxf4 
fxe4 28. Qg5 Qxg5 29. hxg5 exf3 30. Kf2 Rf4 31. b3 Rbf8 32. Bd3 Rg4 33. 
Bxh7+ Kf7 34. Bd3 Ke7 35. Bf1 Rxg5 36. c4 Rf6 37. Rg1 Ng4+ 38. Rxg4 Bxg4 
39. Nb5 Rh5 40. Rd3 Rh2+ 41. Kg3 Rh1 42. Kf2 Bh3 43. Bxh3 Rxh3 44. Nc3 
Rh2+ 45. Kf1 Rf8 46. Re3+ Kd7 47. Rd3+ Kc8 48. Ne4 Ra2 49. Ng5 f2 50. Rf3 
Rxf3 51. Nxf3 Rb2 52. Nd4 g5 {0-1 Urban, Milos (1840) - Vesely, Emanuel 
(2080) / Czech Championship Quarterfinal, section 37	 (-), ICCF 2012} ) 
15. ... Rb8 ( 15. ... Bd7 16. O-O Ne7 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Ra3 Bc6 19. Qd3 
Rfb8 20. b4 axb4 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Nxb4 Bd7 23. Rb1 g6 24. Nd5 Qd8 25. Qf3
Ra7 26. g3 h5 27. h4 Bg4 28. Qd3 Bh6 29. Kg2 Kg7 30. Ne3 {1/2-1/2 
Schenning, Albert (2056) - Vesely, Emanuel (2114) / RA-2012-0-00212 (-), 
Lechenicher SchachServer 2012} ) 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O {White has fortified 
his light-squared positions in the center and on the queenside. Black 
counterplay can be associated only with the f7-f5 advance, and this may 
lead to activation of the black bishops pair. } ( 17. Nce3 Ne7 18. Nxe7 
Qxe7 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. O-O f5 21. exf5 Bxf5 22. Qe2 Bd7 23. Ra2 Be6 24. Rd1 
Rc8 25. g3 Bf7 26. h4 Bh6 27. b4 axb4 28. cxb4 Rb8 29. b5 Qc8 30. Ra7 Bh5 
31. Qxh5 Qxc4 32. b6 Kg8 33. Ra3 Qe4 34. Ra2 Rf3 35. Rb2 Kf8 36. b7 Rf7 
37. Nc3 Qg6 38. Qxg6 hxg6 39. Rdb1 Rc7 40. Rb6 Rxc3 41. Ra6 Ke7 42. Ra8 
Rc1+ 43. Rxc1 Rxb7 44. Rd1 Rd7 45. Kg2 d5 46. Re1 e4 47. f4 Rc7 48. Rd1 
Rc2+ 49. Kh3 Rc5 50. Ra6 {* Vesely, Emanuel (2133) - Thoma, Otomar (2172) 
/ CZE/C/sf27 (CZE) (-), ICCF2012_corr07 2012} ) ( 17. Qe2 f5 18. h4 Bf6 
19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Nce3 Bd7 21. g3 Nd4 22. cxd4 exd4 23. Nxf6 Rxf6 24. Ra2 
dxe3 25. Qxe3 d5 26. Bxd5 Bb5 27. Rd2 Rd6 28. Be4 Rc8 29. Rxd6 Qxd6 30. f4
Qf6 31. Kf2 Qb2+ 32. Kf3 Rc3 33. Re1 Qxb3 {0-1 Stadler, Pavel (1219) - 
Vesely, Emanuel (2083) / BI-2012-P-00020 (-), ICCF2012_cor29 2012} ) 
17. ... g6!? {Preparing f7-f5} ( {another popular line of play, that will 
be examined below, is} 17. ... f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 {but in this case the 
e4-square is still liable to get under the white pieces' control} ) 18. 
Qe2 Bd7 19. Rfa1 {White prepares the b3-b4 advance with a breakthrough on 
the Q-side } 19. ... Bh6 { f5, Qh4} ( {In case of } 19. ... f5 { Black has
to reckon with} 20. exf5 gxf5 21. f4 ) 20. g3?! {A not quite well-founded 
weakening of the K-side } ( {More logical looks} 20. b4 axb4 21. Ncxb4 ( 
21. cxb4 Nd4 22. Nxd4 Bxa4 23. Rxa4 exd4 24. b5 = ) 21. ... Nxb4 22. Rxb4 
Ra8 ) 20. ... f5 21. exf5?! {This exchange leads to activation of black 
pawn phalanx on the kingside } ( {More reliable is} 21. b4 axb4 22. Ncxb4 
( 22. cxb4 fxe4 23. Qxe4 Bf5 24. Qe2 Bxc2 25. Qxc2 Nd4 26. Qe4 Nf3+ 27. 
Kg2 Nd2 ) 22. ... Nxb4 23. Rxb4 Ra8 ) 21. ... gxf5 22. b4 e4! {Sacrificing
a Q-side pawn Black begins his swift attack against white king } ( 22. ...
 axb4 23. Ncxb4 ) 23. bxa5? ( {A positional sacrifice of an exchange} 23. 
Rxa5! Nxa5 24. Rxa5 { allows to render the Nc6-e5-f3 maneuver harmless and
leads to an unclear position)} ) 23. ... Ne5 24. Rb4 Rxb4 25. cxb4 ( 25. 
Ncxb4 Nf3+ 26. Kg2 Qe8 ) 25. ... f4! -/+ {is extremely difficult to 
repulse the attack of the superior black forces on the K-side } 26. Nd4 ( 
26. Nxf4 Bxf4 27. gxf4 Nf3+ 28. Kg2 ( 28. Kf1 Bh3# ) 28. ... Qh4 -+ ) ( 
26. Qxe4 Bf5 27. Qe2 f3 28. Qf1 Bxc2 -/+ ) 26. ... e3! 27. fxe3 ( {The 
following variations cited by V.Kramnik demonstrate the power of black 
attack } 27. f3 fxg3 28. hxg3 Qg5 29. Kg2 Kg8 -+ ) ( 27. gxf4 exf2+ 28. 
Qxf2 ( 28. Kh1 Nxc4 29. Qxc4 Bh3 -+ ) ( 28. Kxf2 Qh4+ 29. Kg1 Bxf4!? 30. 
Nxf4 Qxf4 31. Rd1 Bg4 ) 28. ... Nxc4 -/+ 29. Qc2 ( 29. Rc1 Ne5 ) 29. ... 
Rg8+ 30. Kh1 Qe8 ) 27. ... f3! ( 27. ... fxg3 28. hxg3 Qg5 ) 28. Qa2 f2+ 
29. Kg2 ( 29. Kh1 Nxc4 30. Qxc4 Bh3 31. Nf4 Qa8+ -+ ) 29. ... Qe8! {Black 
queen joins in the attack with a decisive effect } 30. Be2 ( 30. Rf1 Nxc4 
31. Qxc4 Qe4+ -+ ) ( 30. Nf4 Nxc4 31. Qxc4 Qxe3 -/+ ) ( 30. Bf1 Ng4 31. 
Qc2 Qh5 ) 30. ... Ng4 31. Bf3 ( 31. Bxg4 Bxg4 32. Nf4 Qxe3 33. Qxf2 Bh3+ 
34. Kg1 Bxf4 -+ 35. gxf4 Rg8+ ) ( 31. Qb2 Bg7 ) 31. ... Nxe3+ 32. Nxe3 
Qxe3! 33. Qxf2 Bh3+ 34. Kg1 Qc3 35. Re1 Bd2! 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk - 6.1"]
[Site "Tallinn EST"]
[Date "1998.06.16"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Bologan, Viktor"]
[Black "Zjukin, Sergei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2580"]
[BlackElo "2425"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1998.06.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nce3 Be6 20. 
Qd3 Qd7 21. Rd1 Bf7!? {Another attempt to obtain active piece counterplay.
Black light-sqared bishop makes for g6, from where it can "shoot through" 
the h7-b1 diagonal and support the e5-e4 advance } ( {The continuation } 
21. ... Qf7 { that we have examined in the previous game, undoubtedly does
not solve every positional problem, for example: } 22. Ra2 Bd8 23. f3 g6 
24. Kh1! Ne7 25. Nxe7 Qxe7 26. Bxe6 Qxe6 27. c4 +/- {Popovic P - Filipovic
Br, 1985 Jugoslavija (ch)} ) 22. Nf1! {We can see that this flexible 
knight retreat is a typical white resource in this particular kind of a 
position. The e3-knight makes for g3, shielding the K-side and taking 
under control the e4-,f5- and h5-squares. In addition, second white knight
is ready to withdraw to the now vacant e3-square, which gives White an 
opportunity of a frontal attack against the d6-pawn } 22. ... Bg6 23. Qe2 
Bh4 ( {In case of } 23. ... e4 24. Ng3 {Black might have problems with 
defence of the e4-pawn, and, for the time being, there is nothing to be 
gained from a Nc6-e5 maneuver} ) 24. Ng3 Bxg3 25. hxg3 {Black succeeds in 
exchanging his passive bishop for the knight that has been aiming at e4. 
Nevertheless, White manages to fortify his king's position even more and 
to retain better chances due to his opponent's organic weaknesses along 
the d-file } 25. ... Bf7 26. Ra2 {White rook proceeds to the d-file and 
fortifies the f2-square} 26. ... Be6 27. Rad2 += Bg4!? 28. f3 Be6 29. Qe3 
Qb7 ( 29. ... Ne7? 30. Nb6 ) 30. g4! {White double pawn takes part in the 
offence } 30. ... Ne7?! {Blacks seeks to exchange the opponent's active 
piece, but the ensuing major piece ending is dangerous for him } ( {There 
is more suspence in the game after} 30. ... Bg8!? += ) 31. Nxe7 Bxc4 32. 
bxc4 Qxe7 33. Rxd6 {White advantage is obvious. It is not the matter of an
extra double pawn, but of the more aggressive deployment on his pawns and 
pieces } 33. ... a4 34. Rd7 Qe6 35. R1d6 Qxc4 36. Qxe5 ( 36. Rxg7?! Kxg7 
37. Qg5+ Kh8 38. Qxe5+ Kg8 39. Qg5+ = ) 36. ... Rg8 37. Ra7 ( 37. Rd4? 
Qxc3 38. Rxg7 Qc1+ 39. Kf2 Qb2+ 40. Kg3 Rxg7 41. Rd8+ Rxd8 42. Qxb2 Ra8 =+
) 37. ... Qa2 ( 37. ... Rbc8!? 38. Rdd7 Qxc3 39. Qxc3 Rxc3 40. g5!? ( 40. 
Rxa4 +/- ) 40. ... a3 41. Kh2 Rf8 42. Kg3 +/- ) 38. Kh2 Qf2 ( 38. ... Rb2 
39. Rxg7 Rxg2+ 40. Kh3 Rh2+ 41. Kg3 Qf2+ 42. Kf4 +- ) 39. Rh6!! +- Qd2 ( 
39. ... Qxa7 40. Rxh7+ Kxh7 41. Qh5# ) 40. g5 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 6.2"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2005.01.23"]
[Round "6.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2786"]
[BlackElo "2754"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2005.01.15"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nce3 Bg6 
=, quiet {A popular idea nowadays. In the previous game we have seen the 
black bishop moving via the f5-e6-f7-g6 route. A logical question emerges 
- is it possible to place this piece on the h7-b1diagonal at once? } 20. 
Re1!? {Introduced by IM Savanovic, with the previously known idea for such
positions Nf1-g3.} ( 20. Qe2 e4 =, quiet ) ( 20. Be2 Bf7 =, quiet ) ( {
There also occured an immediate} 20. Bd3 Bxd3 21. Qxd3 Bxe3 22. fxe3 ( 22.
 Nxe3? Rxb3 23. Qc4 Qb6 -/+ ) 22. ... Rxf1+ 23. Qxf1 Rxb3 24. Rc4 Rb5 25. 
e4 ( 25. Qf7 Rb1+ 26. Kf2 e4! 27. Rxe4 ( 27. Rxc6? Qh4+ -+ ) ) 25. ... Rc5
26. Rxc5 dxc5 27. Qa6 Qe8 28. Nc7 Qd7 29. Qa8+ Nd8 30. Nd5 h6 31. Qxa5 Qd6
32. Qb6 Nf7 33. h4 Qxb6 34. Nxb6 Nd6 35. Nd7 c4 {1/2-1/2(36) Sokolov, 
Andrei (2550) - Gurgenidze, Bukhuti (2445) / URS-ch52 (12), Riga LAT 1985}
) 20. ... Rb7 { A useful move. In certain cases black rook is ready to 
move for f7 or d7, and the b8-square can come in handy for the queen in 
order to increase the pressure on the b3-pawn } ( 20. ... Bxe3 21. Nxe3 +=
) ( 20. ... Qd7 {with the idea ...Bd8 is also a playable alternative} ) ( 
20. ... e4!? 21. Nf1 Ne5 22. Ng3 Bh4 23. Nxe4 Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Bxf2+ 25. Kh1 
Qg5 26. Be2 Bc5 27. Rf4 Ng6 ( 27. ... Rxf4 28. Rxf4 Re8 29. b4 axb4 30. 
cxb4 Ng6 31. Rf1 Ba7 32. b5 Bc5 ( 32. ... Rxe2 33. Qxe2 Qxd5 34. Qe8+ Qg8 
35. Qxg8+ Kxg8 36. Ra1 Bc5 37. Ra6 Ne5 38. b6 Nd7 39. b7 +/- ) 33. Bf3 Nh4
34. Nc7 Re5 35. Be4 g6 36. Qa1 +- {1-0 Wiersma,E-Sill,T/Bad Wiessee 2003 
(38)} ) 28. Rf3 Rbe8 ( 28. ... Nh4 29. Rg3 +/- ) 29. Rxf8+ Rxf8 30. Rxa5 
Nh4 31. Bf3? ( 31. g3 Nf5 =/& {Black has sufficient compensation for a 
draw. For instance:} 32. Ra2 Nxg3+ 33. hxg3 Qxg3 34. Bg4 Bf2 35. Qf1 Qxg4 
36. Rxf2 Qh4+ {and White can't escape perpetual:} 37. Kg2 Qg4+ 38. Kh2 
Qh4+ 39. Kg1 Qg5+ 40. Qg2 Qc1+ 41. Kh2 Qh6+ 42. Kg3 Qg5+ 43. Kh2 Qh6+ 44. 
Kg1 Qc1+ 45. Rf1 Rxf1+ 46. Qxf1 Qg5+ 47. Qg2 Qc1+ =, quiet ) 31. ... h6 
-/+ ( 31. ... Nxf3? 32. gxf3 h6 33. Ra1 +/- {1-0 Dominguez,L-Ramirez 
Alvarez,A/Buenos Aires 2003 (44)} ) ( 31. ... h5!? ) 32. Ra2 ( 32. Ra1? 
Rxf3 -+ ) 32. ... Nxf3 33. gxf3 Rxf3 -/+ ) 21. Bd3 N {A novelty that fails
to impress, since it leads to a forced draw.

White implements an important exchange of light-squared bishops, but the 
vulnerability of the b3-pawn restricts his active possibilities } ( 21. 
Nf1 Rbf7 22. Ra2 Bh4 23. Ng3 e4!? â‡„â‡„ {1/2-1/2 Wiersma,E-Ris,R/Dieren 
2003 (27)} ) 21. ... Bxd3 22. Qxd3 Bxe3 ( 22. ... Rxb3 23. Qc4 Bxe3 24. 
fxe3 {is the same as the game} ) 23. fxe3 ( 23. Qxe3 Rxb3 ) 23. ... Rxb3 
24. Qc4 Rb2! {A tactical subtlety that allows Black to retain the balance}
25. Qxc6 Qg5 ( 25. ... Rff2? 26. Rg4 ) 26. Nf4 {The only move, which means
that after 21.Bd3 everything is forced.} ( 26. g3? Qh5 27. Rh4 Qf3 -+ ) 
26. ... exf4 27. Rxf4 ( 27. exf4 Qg4 =, quiet ) 27. ... Rfb8 {It looks 
like all moves were known by both opponents from their home preparation. 
Here is probably where the preparation ended, so why playing any further? 
Typical case for the modern chess.} ( 27. ... Rfb8 28. Ref1 Rb1 29. Qxd6 
Rxf1+ 30. Rxf1 Qxe3+ 31. Kh1 Qe8 =, quiet ) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 6.3"]
[Site "Bad Lauterberg GER"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Huebner, Robert"]
[Black "Adorjan, Andras"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1980.03.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. Nc2 Bg5 14. 
a4 bxa4 15. Rxa4 a5 16. Bc4 Rb8 17. b3 Kh8 18. O-O f5 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. 
Nce3 Bg6 21. Be2!? {An interesting strategic retreat. White consolidates 
his K-side, amortizing the maneuver e5-e4 and Â¤c6-e5, and opens up the 
4th rank for his rook. The c4-square is now accessible for the e3-knight 
that can attack the d6- and a5-pawns from here } 21. ... e4 {Black carries
out his most ambitious counterattacking plan, but the e5-e4 advance has 
its seamy side too } 22. b4! axb4 23. cxb4 {Exploiting the drawback of the
e5-e4 advance White has created a passed pawn on the Q-side. Were there a 
pawn on e5, Black knight would have an opportunity to gain a foothold on 
the central d4-square } 23. ... Rb7 24. b5 +/- Ne5?! ( {Black should have 
sought to exchange the opponent's centralized pieces by way of} 24. ... 
Ne7 ) 25. Qd4! Qd7 26. b6 h6 27. Ra2! {With a threat of intensifying his 
attack on the Q-side by way of Ra2-c2-c7 } 27. ... Qe6 28. Rc2 Nd3 ( {
Passive play cannot help now as well} 28. ... Bd8 29. Ba6! +/- ) 29. Rc7 
+- Rf7 30. h3 Nf4 31. Nxf4! ( 31. Bg4? Qxg4! -+ ) 31. ... Bxf4 32. Bc4 d5 
33. Bxd5 Qxb6 34. Qxb6 Rxb6 35. Rxf7 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 6.4"]
[Site "Polanica Zdroj POL"]
[Date "1998.08.19"]
[Round "6.4"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2665"]
[BlackElo "2675"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1998.08.17"]
[Annotator "Gelfand/Huzman"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nce3 Bg6 20. 
Be2 Bf7! {Light-squared bishop's pendulous maneuvers allow Black to 
maintain the dynamic tension in the position. With his last move White has
relaxed his control over the crucial d5-square, and Black immediately 
takes sight at it } 21. Nc4 e4! N {This dynamic continuation was suggested
by V.Kramnik } ( {Previously the Russian Grand Master has tested the lunge
} 21. ... Nd4?! 22. cxd4 Bxd5 23. dxe5 Bxc4 24. Bxc4 dxe5 25. Qe2?! ( {To 
the gain of a pawn and to certain winning chances in the position with 
bishops of opposite color leads} 25. Qe1!? += ) 25. ... Qc7 26. Rfa1 Be7 
=, quiet {1/2-1/2 Shirov, Alexei-Kramnik,Vladimir/Amber Rapid Monte Carlo 
rapid (6) ;EXP 63 1998 (35)} 27. f3 Bb4 28. Rd1 Rf4 29. Raa1 Rbf8 30. Bd5 
Rd4 31. Kh1 Rd8 32. Be4 Qc3 33. Rab1 Rxd1+ 34. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 35. Qxd1 Qe1+ { 
1/2-1/2, Shirov Alexei 2720 - Kramnik Vladimir 2780 , Monaco 1998 It 
"Melody Amber" (active)} ) 22. Kh1 ( 22. f4 exf3 23. Bxf3 Ne5 24. Nxe5 ( 
24. Nxa5? Rb5 -+ ) 24. ... dxe5 =+ 25. Be4 Bxd5 ( 25. ... Rxb3 {Adorian,A}
26. Qxb3 ( 26. Rxf7 Rxf7 27. Qxb3 Qxd5 ) 26. ... Bxd5 27. Rxf8+ Qxf8 28. 
Qb1 ) 26. Rxf8+ Qxf8 27. Bxd5 Qc5+ 28. Kh1 Qxc3 -/+ ) ( 22. Ra3 Bg8 23. f4
exf3 24. Bxf3 Ne5 ) ( {Now the advance b3-b4 turns out to be not dangerous
for Black} 22. b4 axb4 23. Ra6 Be8 24. cxb4 Nxb4 25. Rxd6 Qc8 26. Qd4 Nxd5
27. Rxd5 Bf6 28. Qd1 Bc6 29. Rc5 Rd8 {1/2-1/2 Govedarica, Radovan (2466) -
Zakic, Srdjan (2364) / Belgrade schev (3), Belgrade SRB 1999} ) 22. ... 
Bg8! {An unpretentious move that increases the coordination between black 
figures to the limit. Hiding in the corner, black bishop maintains the 
pressure upon the d5-, c4-, b3-squares and clears the f-file for his rooks
} ( {Also worth attention is} 22. ... Be6!? { with similar idea} 23. Bg4 
Bg8 ) 23. Ra3 ( 23. f4 exf3 ( 23. ... Bxd5 24. Qxd5 Bxf4 25. g3 Ne7 26. 
Qxa5 ) 24. Rxf3 ( 24. Bxf3 Ne5 25. Nxe5 dxe5 26. c4 e4 ) 24. ... Re8 ( 
24. ... Rxf3 25. Bxf3 Ne5 26. Nxe5 dxe5 27. c4 =, quiet ) 25. Rd3 Rb5 â†‘ 
) 23. ... Ne7! {Black sets about the "uprooting" of white figures from 
their centralized positions } ( 23. ... Rf5 24. Nce3 Bxe3 25. Nxe3 Rc5 26.
 c4 Qf6 27. Qd2 =, quiet ) ( 23. ... Rb7 24. f4 exf3 25. Bxf3 Ne5 26. Nxe5
dxe5 27. c4 =, quiet ) 24. Nce3 ( 24. Nxe7 Qxe7 ( 24. ... Bxe7 25. Nxa5 
Qc7 26. b4 d5 =/& {Leko,P} ) 25. Nxa5 ( 25. Rxa5 d5 26. Ne3 Qc7 27. Rxd5 
Bxd5 28. Nxd5 Qe5 =+ ) 25. ... d5 26. b4 ( 26. Ra4 Qc5 ( 26. ... Rb6 27. 
c4 ~ ) 27. Qd4 Qc7 28. c4 Ra8 ) 26. ... Rb6 ( 26. ... Qc7 ) 27. Nb3 Rbf6 
28. Qe1 Bf4 =/& { Black has a serious initiative for his sacrificed pawn} 
) 24. ... Nxd5 ( 24. ... Bxe3!? 25. Nxe3 d5 26. Qd4 ( 26. f3 Qd6 27. Nc2 
Nf5 â†‘ ) ( 26. Nc2 Qc7 =+ ) 26. ... Nc6 27. Qc5 Qb6 =+ ) 25. Nxd5 Rf5 26.
 c4 ( {Dynamic potential of black position is well illustrated by the 
following variation} 26. Bc4 Qf8 27. Ra2 ( 27. Qd4 e3! ) 27. ... a4! ( 
27. ... e3 ) 28. bxa4 Qc8 -+ ) 26. ... Bxd5 27. cxd5 Qb6 ( 27. ... Qf6 28.
 Ra4 ( 28. f3!? Bf4 â–³ 29. fxe4 Qh4 30. Rxf4 ) 28. ... Rxf2 29. Rxe4 
=, quiet ) 28. f3? ( {As B.Gelfand points out, the most precise 
continuation i} 28. Ra4 Rxf2 29. Rxe4 Rbf8 30. Qe1!? =, quiet {maintaining
equality} ( 30. Rxf2 Qxf2 =+ ) ) 28. ... Qc5 29. Qa1 Bd2? ( {To black 
advantage leads } 29. ... Bf6 30. Qa2 exf3 ( 30. ... Qxd5 31. fxe4 ( 31. 
Rd1 Bd4 32. Ra4 exf3 33. Raxd4 fxg2+ 34. Kg1 Rf1+ 35. Bxf1 gxf1=Q+ 36. 
Kxf1 Qh1+ -+ ) ( 31. Bc4 Qc5 32. fxe4 Qxc4 ) 31. ... Rxf1+ 32. Bxf1 Qxe4 
33. Rxa5 Rf8 ( 33. ... Be5 34. Qf2 ) ( 33. ... Bd4 34. Qe2 Rf8 35. Qd1 ) 
34. Qf2 Be7 ( 34. ... d5 35. Ra4 ) 35. Qe2 Qb1 36. Kg1 Qxb3 =+ 37. Rb5 Qc3
( 37. ... Qa4 38. Rb1 =+ ) 38. Rd5 Qc1 39. g3 Bg5 40. Rd1 =+ ) 31. Bxf3 
Qxd5 32. Qe2 Qc5 -/+ ) 30. Ra4? ( 30. fxe4 Rxf1+ 31. Bxf1 Rf8 32. Ra2 Qe3 
=/& ) 30. ... e3?! ( 30. ... exf3 31. Bxf3 Rxb3 -/+ ) 31. Rg4 Rf6? ( 
31. ... Re5! 32. Bc4 ( 32. f4 Bc3! -/+ ( 32. ... Re7 33. f5 Bc3 34. Qd1 ) 
) 32. ... Rbe8 33. Re4 Qb4 =+ ( 33. ... h6!? ) ) 32. Bc4 Re8 33. Qd1 Qc8 (
33. ... h5 34. Re4 ( 34. Rh4 Qxc4 -+ ) ) 34. Qe2 =, quiet Qf5 35. g3 Rh6 
36. Kg2 Rf8 37. h4 Rhf6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 6.5"]
[Site "Pardubice CZE"]
[Date "2002.07.26"]
[Round "6.5"]
[White "Klovans, Janis"]
[Black "Nataf, Igor-Alexandre"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2431"]
[BlackElo "2560"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2002.07.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 
8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14.
 Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. b3 Kh8 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nce3 Bg6 20. 
Be2 Bf7 21. Nc4 Bg8!? {First of all, Black withdraws his light-squared 
bishop to a flexible position without deciding on the aggresive but 
binding continuation e5-e4 for the present } 22. Bf3 {White, in his turn, 
takes the opportunity to fortify the position of his light-squared bishop 
} 22. ... Rb5! {The main idea of black counterplay consists in the 
transfer of his rook to the 5th rank. Now the solid-looking white piece 
construction in the center starts tottering in view of the threat Rf8:f3! 
} 23. Be4 Rc5!? {Creating more comfortable conditions for the maneuver 
Nc6-e7 } ( {White chances are more preferable in case of the immediate} 
23. ... Ne7 24. Nxe7 Bxe7 25. Na3 Rc5 26. c4 += {followed by Na3-c2-e3)} )
24. Ncb6 ( 24. Re1!? Ne7!? 25. Nxe7 Bxe7 26. Bc2 e4! =+ ) 24. ... Rb5 25. 
Nc4 Rc5 26. Qd3?! {Struggling for an advantage and rejecting the move 
repetition, White overlooks an unexpected opportunity of his opponent's} (
{Rough dynamic equality is stressed by} 26. Ncb6 ) 26. ... Bxd5 27. Bxd5 
e4!! {An effective liberating pawn sacrifice} 28. Qxe4 ( 28. Bxe4? d5 -/+ 
) ( {In I. Nataf's opinion, the best continuation is} 28. Qd1 Ne7 29. Be6 
Bf4 30. g3 Rf6! 31. Bh3 Bh6 32. Qa1 Nc6 =+ ) 28. ... Ne7! +/- {Suddenly it
turns out that those nice, centralized white pieces are intertwined in a 
deadly tangle} 29. Bb7 ( 29. Rd1? Nxd5 30. Rxd5 Re8 -+ ) ( 29. Be6!? d5! 
30. Qd4 ( 30. Qe5 Bf4! 31. Qd4 Qc7 -+ ) 30. ... Rc6! 31. Re1 ( 31. Bxd5 
Bf6! -+ ) 31. ... Bf6 -+ ) 29. ... d5! 30. Qd4 Qc7 31. Ne5 Nf5! ( 31. ... 
Bf6 32. f4 ) 32. Qg4 {With the only moves White tries to maintain material
equality, but in vain... } 32. ... Bh6! 33. Nd3 Rxc3 34. Ba6 Qb6 35. Re1 
g6! 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 7"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2005.01.22"]
[Round "7.1"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2754"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2005.01.15"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. Ra2!? {This modest rook retreat is a prologue to 
an original plan of an attack on the K-side } ( 16. b3 ) 16. ... Kh8 17. 
Nce3 {This move has been always concidered harmless, but in this 
impressive game Ponomariov shows that White has plenty of hidden ideas.

Delaying his castling, White holds back the f7-f5 advance for a time and 
provokes the move g7-g6. What does he need all this cunnung tricks for? It
will become clear on the next move } ( 17. O-O f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 =, quiet )
( 17. h4 Bh6 18. Nce3 Bxe3 19. Nxe3 Ne7 =, quiet 20. b3 f5 21. exf5 Nxf5 
22. Nxf5 Bxf5 23. O-O Be4 24. Bd5 Bxd5 25. Qxd5 Qxh4 26. Rxa5 Qf6 27. Ra6 
e4 28. Rxd6 Qxc3 29. Qxe4 Qxb3 {1/2-1/2 Asrian,K-Khalifman,A/Bled 2002} ) 
17. ... g6 ( {In order to avoid the game continuation Black can play} 
17. ... Bxe3 18. Nxe3 Ne7 19. O-O f5 += {/=} ) 18. h4! {White takes full 
advantage of the rook on h1. 

A positional sacrifice of the h-pawn allows White to open up the border 
file for the attack against black king } ( 18. O-O f5 =, quiet ) 18. ... 
Bxh4 {Black is practically forced to accept the pawn offer, as otherwise 
it will advance to h5, and a "target" on g6 makes the opening of the files
on the K-side unavoidable anyway } ( 18. ... Bh6?! 19. h5 +/- ) ( 18. ... 
Bxe3?! 19. Nxe3 +/- ) 19. g3 Bf6 ( {Better is} 19. ... Bg5 {with 
complicated position:} 20. f4 ( 20. b3 {#} 20. ... Bxe3 21. Nxe3 Be6 ( 
21. ... f5 ) ) ( 20. b4!? ) 20. ... exf4 21. gxf4 Bh4+ 22. Kf1 f5 ~ 23. b3
( 23. b4 fxe4 24. Rah2 g5 25. b5 Ne5 26. Qd4 Rb7 ~ {0-1 
Holmsten,A-Filippov,V/ Polanica Zdroj 1999 (36)} ) 23. ... fxe4 24. Rah2 
g5 25. Ng2 Rb7 26. Nxh4 gxh4 27. Rxh4 Rg7 ( 27. ... Qe8 28. Bb5 Bf5 29. 
Bxc6 Qxc6 30. Qd4+ Rg7 31. Ne7 Qb5+ 32. Ke1 e3 33. Rh5 +- {1-0 
Maus,S-Birnboim,N/Tel Aviv 1987 (54)} ) 28. Qh5 Bf5 29. Qh6 e3 ~ {1/2-1/2 
Stangl,M-Kindermann,S/Altensteig 1987 (53)} ) 20. b3! {All of a sudden it 
turns out that it is enough for White to move the f2-pawn, and the way to 
the h-file for the a2-rook is open! } 20. ... Bg7 21. f4! {White is 
prepared to attack even if his own king is uncastled and his center is 
open! This brave strategy is possible because his pieces are centralized }
21. ... exf4 22. gxf4 Re8 ( 22. ... Ne7? 23. Rah2 h6? 24. Rxh6+ Bxh6 25. 
Qd4+ f6 26. Nxf6 Nc6 27. Rxh6+ {1-0 Saheli,N-Raghavi,N/Bikaner 2004} ) ( 
22. ... f5 23. Rah2 h6 24. Qf3 fxe4 25. Qg2 +- ) 23. Qf3 ( 23. Rah2!? h6 (
23. ... h5? 24. Rxh5+ gxh5 25. Qxh5+ Kg8 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Rg1 +- ) ( 
23. ... Rxe4 24. Rxh7+ Kg8 25. Qc2 +- ) 24. Qf3 Kg8 25. Qg2 â†’ ) 23. ... 
Kg8 {Black king tries to escape the dangerous zone while the going is good
} ( {This situation had occured in the previous practice, and black 
defence was unsuccessful:} 23. ... h6? 24. Rah2 Ne7? 25. Rxh6+ Bxh6 26. 
Rxh6+ Kg7 27. Qh1! Rh8 28. Rxh8 Qxh8 29. Qxh8+ Kxh8 30. Nxe7 +- {1-0 
Maki,V-Holmsten,A/Vammala 1999/EXT 2000 (58)} ) 24. Rah2 h5 {Now in order 
to open up the h-file White has to sacrifice not just an exchange, but a 
full rook! } 25. Rxh5!? ( {After the simple} 25. Qg2! {planning f4-f5 
White has a strong attack.} ) 25. ... gxh5 26. Qxh5 Re6 {The analysis 
below shows that this complicated poition is equal. Most likely it must 
end with perpetual check.} 27. Qh7+ {To perpertual check leads} ( 27. Rg1 
Kf8 28. Rxg7! Kxg7 29. Nf5+ Kg8 30. Nh6+ Kg7 ( 30. ... Rxh6? 31. Qxh6 +- )
31. Nf5+ =, quiet {(Kramnik)} ) ( 27. Nf5 Rxe4+ 28. Kd1 Bxf5 29. Qxf5 Re6 
30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. Rg1 Rg6 32. Rxg6 fxg6 33. Nc7 Qxc7 34. Qg8+ Ke7 35. Qxg7+
Kd8 36. Qg8+ Ke7 37. Qf7+ =, quiet {(Shipov)} ) 27. ... Kf8 28. Rg1 ( 28. 
Kf2 Rg6 29. Nf5 Ne5! ( 29. ... Rb7? 30. Nxg7 Rxg7 31. Qh8+ Rg8 32. Qh6+ 
Ke8 33. Nf6+ Ke7 34. Nxg8+ Qxg8 35. Rg1 Qd8 36. Rg7 +- ) 30. fxe5 Qg5 31. 
Nf6 Qd2+ 32. Kf1 Qf4+ 33. Ke1 Qc1+ 34. Kf2 Qc2+ 35. Kf1 {is also a draw} )
28. ... Rg6 29. Rxg6 fxg6 30. f5! {Having sacrificed his rook, White 
attacks with "quiet" moves. Black, in his turn, is hard put to bring his 
Q-side pieces into play, but in the course of the following struggle he 
still manages to repel the opponent's attack } ( 30. Nc7 d5! ( 30. ... Ne7
31. Ned5! Nxd5 32. Bxd5 Qxc7 33. Qg8+ Ke7 34. Qxg7+ Kd8 35. Qg8+ =, quiet 
) 31. Nexd5 Ne7 32. e5! ( {Black wins after} 32. f5? gxf5 33. Nxe7 Bxc3+! 
34. Ke2 Qd2+ -+ ) 32. ... Bg4 33. f5! Bxf5 34. Nxe7 Qxc7 35. Qg8+ Kxe7 36.
 Qxg7+ Kd8 37. Qg8+ Kd7 38. Qd5+ {and again Black cannot avoid the draw:} 
38. ... Kc8 39. Ba6+ Rb7 40. Qg8+ Kd7 41. Qd5+ Ke7 42. Qxb7 Qxb7 43. Bxb7 
Ke6 =, quiet ) ( 30. Nf6 Ne7! ) 30. ... Qg5 ( 30. ... Rb7 31. Ne7 Kxe7! ( 
31. ... Nxe7 32. f6 Nd5! 33. fxg7+ Rxg7 34. Qh8+ Rg8 35. Qh6+ Ke8 36. Bxd5
Rf8 37. Qxg6+ Kd7 =, quiet ) 32. Qxg7+ Ke8 33. Qxg6+ Kd7 34. Qg7+ Ke8 
=, quiet ) 31. Nf4 â–¡ =, quiet Ne7 ( 31. ... Qxf4?? 32. Qg8+ Ke7 33. Nd5+
) ( 31. ... Bxc3+ 32. Ke2 Nd4+? ( 32. ... Ke8 33. Qg8+ Kd7 34. Qe6+ Kc7 
35. Nfd5+ Kb7 ) 33. Kd3 +- ) 32. Nxg6+ Ke8 ( 32. ... Nxg6? 33. Qg8+ Ke7 
34. Nd5+ +- ) 33. Nd5 Qg1+ 34. Kd2 Qg5+ 35. Ke1 Bf6 36. Ngxe7 Bxe7 ( 
36. ... Qh4+ 37. Kf1 Bxe7 ( 37. ... Qxh7 38. Nxf6+! Kxe7 39. Nxh7 +/- ) 
38. Qg6+ Kd8 39. Qg8+ Kd7 40. Qe6+ Kd8 41. Qg8+ =, quiet ) 37. Qh8+ Kd7 ( 
37. ... Bf8 38. Nf6+ Ke7 39. Nd5+ Ke8 40. Nf6+ =, quiet ) 38. f6 Qg3+ ( 
38. ... Bd8? 39. Bb5+! ( 39. Qg7+ Qxg7 40. fxg7 Bb7 41. Ke2 Bg5 42. Kf3 
=, quiet ) 39. ... Rxb5 40. Qg7+ Qxg7 41. fxg7 +- {(Ponomariov)} ) 39. Ke2
Qg2+ 40. Ke3 Qg3+ 41. Ke2 Qg4+ 42. Kf2 {In spite of players combativity 
the draw is inevitable.} 42. ... Bd8 43. Bf1 ( 43. Be2 Qxe4 44. Bf3 Qg6 {
is a draw as well.} ) 43. ... Kc6 44. Qxd8 Qh4+ 45. Kg1 ( {White loses 
after} 45. Ke3? Qe1+ 46. Be2 Qxe2+! {This wins, everything else loses.} 
47. Kxe2 Bg4+ ) 45. ... Qg3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 7.2"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2005.02.28"]
[Round "7.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2786"]
[BlackElo "2804"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2005.02.23"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. Ra2 Kh8 17. Nce3 g6 18. O-O { In this game White 
rejects a sharp move 18.h4!? and tests a novel way of struggling for the 
initiative that is associated with accessibility of the a4- and b5-squares
both for queen and light-squared rook } ( 18. h4 ) 18. ... f5 19. Qa4!? {
The idea of Sankt Petersburg GM M.Novik. White uses the fact that he 
hasn't played b2-b3 yet.} 19. ... Bd7 20. Bb5 Rxb5?! {This tempting 
exchange operation gets Black into trouble } ( 20. ... Qc8 21. Nc4!? ( 21.
 exf5 gxf5 22. f4 exf4 23. Bxc6 Bxc6 24. Qd4+ Kg8 25. Nxf4 += ) ) ( {or a 
double-edged} 20. ... Nb4! {Indicated first by Cifuentes. are worth 
subsequent testing} 21. Bxd7 Nxa2 {The concrete variations show that Black
is doing okay here. Probably it's about equal:} 22. Bb5 ( 22. exf5 Rxb2 
23. Nc4 Nxc3! 24. Nxc3 Rb4 25. Qc6 Rxc4 26. Qxc4 Qxd7 27. fxg6 hxg6 {In 
the final position of this line White has compensation for a pawn, but his
chances are hardly better} ) 22. ... Bxe3 ( 22. ... fxe4 23. Bc4 ( 23. Ra1
? Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qh4 25. g3 Qh5 -/+ ) 23. ... Bxe3 ( 23. ... Rxb2 24. Nd1 
Rd2 25. Bxa2 += ) 24. Nxe3 Rxb2 {is the same as 22...Bxe3} ) ( 22. ... f4 
23. Nc4 f3 24. g3 Nc1 25. Nxa5 Ne2+ 26. Bxe2 ( 26. Kh1 Rf7! {Cifuentes} ) 
26. ... fxe2 27. Re1 Rxb2 28. Nc4 Rb8 29. Qa6 Be7 30. Rxe2 Qc8 31. Qxc8 
Rfxc8 32. Nb2! =/& ) 23. Nxe3 ( 23. fxe3 Qh4 â†‘ ) 23. ... fxe4! ( 23. ...
 f4 24. Nd5 f3 25. g3 Qg5 26. Ne3 +/- ) 24. Bc4 Rxb2 25. Bxa2 Qf6 26. Nd1 
( 26. f3? Qf4 27. Nd1 Rxg2+ 28. Kxg2 exf3+ -+ ) ( 26. Bd5 Rxf2 -+ ) 
26. ... Rd2 {followed by ...d5, with initiative for Black} 27. h3 ( 27. 
Qxa5? Rxd1 -+ ) 27. ... d5 28. Qxa5 Qd8!? =, quiet ( 28. ... e3 29. Nxe3 
Rxf2 30. Re1! ( 30. Rd1? Qf4 -+ ) 30. ... d4 31. cxd4 exd4 32. Ng4 Rxg2+ 
33. Kxg2 Qf3+ 34. Kh2 Qf4+ =, quiet ) ) 21. Qxb5 Nb4 22. Qxa5 Nxa2 23. 
Qxa2 fxe4 ( {Probably there are more counterchances for Black in the 
continuation} 23. ... f4 24. Nc2 f3 25. g3 Bc6 26. Rd1 Qd7 27. Ne1 h5 28. 
Qa3 Bh6 29. c4 +/- {1-0 Novik,M-Filippov,V/Sankt_Peterburg 1994 (48)} ) 
24. b4 {It is amazing that all this was known since 1994, when G.Nesis and
M.Novik evaluated the position with advantage for White. They were right: 
the first player has plans to advance the b-pawn or/and attack pawn e4, 
while for Black it is difficult to create counterplay.

White positional advantage is undoubtful. His knights, having successfully
consolidated their positions on the central squares, paralyze the activity
of black bishops. At the same time, White has at his disposal a clear plan
of utilizing a passed pawn on the Q-side } 24. ... Be6 25. c4 Qc8! {Black 
resists stubbornly, making life as hard as possible for his opponent. Now 
the b4-b5 advance would result in appearance of black queen on c5 } 26. 
Qb3 ( 26. Qc2 {looks very attractive, but it remains unclear if White can 
win the following endgame:} 26. ... Bxe3 {Forced} 27. Nxe3 d5 ( 27. ... 
Bf5 28. Rd1 +/- ) 28. cxd5 Qxc2 29. Nxc2 Bxd5 30. Ne3 Be6! ( 30. ... Bc6 
31. Rc1 +/- ) 31. Rb1 ( 31. b5 Rb8 32. Rb1 Rb6 33. Nd1 Bc4 34. Nc3 Bd3 35.
 Rb2 Kg7 =, quiet ) ( 31. Rc1 Rb8 ) 31. ... Rb8 32. Kf1 Kg7 ) ( 26. Rd1 
âŒ“ Rf7 ( 26. ... Kg7 27. Qc2 Qa8 28. Nc7 +/- ) 27. Qc2 Qa8 28. b5 +/- ( 
28. Qxe4 Bxe3 29. Qxe3 Bxd5 30. cxd5 Qa4 â‡„â‡„ ) ) ( 26. Qb1? Bxd5 ) ( 
26. b5 Qc5 ) 26. ... Kg7 27. Rb1 ( 27. Rd1 âŒ“ ) ( 27. b5!? Qc5! 28. b6 ) 
27. ... Rf7 { Black waits, and White looks for an opportunity to carry out
a breakthrough } ( 27. ... Bxe3 28. Nxe3! +/- ) 28. Rd1 {Anand obviously 
cannot make up his mind: either to advance the b-pawn, or prepare Qc2.} ( 
28. b5 Qc5 += ) 28. ... h5 29. Qc2 Qa8! 30. h3?! ( 30. Qxe4?! Bxe3 31. 
Qxe3 Bxd5 32. cxd5 Qa4 33. Rb1 Qa2 â‡„â‡„ ) ( 30. b5 Bh4 31. g3 +/- ) 
30. ... Bh4! {Using the weaknesses created by White's previous move. 

Black intends to paralyze the opponent pieces' activity by catching hold 
of the f2-square} 31. Rf1 ( 31. Rd2 Bxd5 32. Nxd5 Qa1+ 33. Kh2 Qe1 â‡„â‡„ 
) ( 31. g3!? Bg5 32. h4 ) 31. ... Qf8 32. b5 Bc8 33. Nc3 Bb7 {Due to 
dynamic pecularities of the position the e4-pawn is still alive } 34. Ned5
! {Another regroupment of white pieces in order to eliminate the e4-pawn }
34. ... Qc8 35. Qe2 {Threatening 31.Nxe4} ( 35. Qxe4 Rf4! 36. Qe2 Rd4 37. 
Ra1 Qc5 =/& ) 35. ... Bxd5 36. Nxd5 Qc5 37. b6? {Amazingly enough, as a 
result of this natural-looking advance White loses his great advantage } (
37. Nc3 {would have kept good winning chances. For instance:} 37. ... Rc7 
( 37. ... Qd4 38. Nxe4 Rf4 39. Nd2 +/- ) 38. b6 ( 38. Nxe4 Qxc4 39. Qxc4 
Rxc4 40. Nxd6 Rc2 â‡„â‡„ ) ( 38. Rb1!? Qxc4 ( {Best chances for resistance
ensue from} 38. ... Qd4! ) 39. Qxc4 Rxc4 40. b6 Bd8 41. Nd5 Rc8 42. b7 Rb8
43. Rb5! { followed by Nd5-b4-c6 (shown by S.Shipov)} ) 38. ... Rf7 39. b7
!? Rxb7 40. Qxe4 Rb3 41. Qxh4 Rxc3 42. Qe7+ Kh6 43. Qf8+ Kh7 44. Ra1 Ra3 (
44. ... Qc7 45. Qa8 +- ) 45. Rb1 Qc7 46. Rb8 Qg7 47. Qxd6 ) 37. ... Qd4! 
38. Qc2 ( 38. Kh2 Rxf2 39. Rxf2 Bxf2 40. b7 Bg1+ 41. Kg3 ( 41. Kh1? Qa1 ) 
41. ... Bf2+ 42. Qxf2 h4+ 43. Kh2 Qxf2 44. b8=Q Qg3+ 45. Kg1 Qe1+ =, quiet
) 38. ... Kh7 ( 38. ... Bg3 {is also good enough} ) 39. Kh2 Rxf2 40. Rxf2 
Bxf2 41. Qc1 ( 41. b7? Bg1+ 42. Kg3 ( 42. Kh1 Qa1! 43. b8=Q Bb6+ 44. Kh2 
Qg1+ 45. Kg3 Qe1+ 46. Kh2 Bg1+ 47. Kh1 Bf2+ 48. Kh2 Bg3# ) 42. ... Bf2+ 
=, quiet ) 41. ... e3 42. b7 Qa7 ( 42. ... e2? 43. b8=Q e1=Q 44. Qc7+ Kg8 
45. Nf6+ Kf8 46. Qh6# ) 43. Qb1 e2 44. Ne7 Bg3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 7.3"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2006.01.24"]
[Round "7.3"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2660"]
[BlackElo "2801"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2006.01.14"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. Ra2 ( 16. b3 Kh8 17. Nce3 g6 ( {Here after} 
17. ... Bxe3 18. Nxe3 Ne7 19. O-O f5 ( 19. ... Bb7 20. Qc2!? += ) 20. exf5
Nxf5 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 22. Qd5 {White keeps an edge} ) 18. h4 Bxh4 19. g3 ~ ) 
16. ... Kh8 17. Nce3 Bxe3!? {The simplest way to equalize. A logical and 
very likely a most reliable decision. As soon as white knight appears on 
e3, it is sensible to exchange it for the dark-squared bishop - such is 
one of the principal tactical methods in the Cheliabinsk Variation } ( 
17. ... g6 18. h4 Bxh4 19. g3 {leads to a much more complicated play. It 
is important for White here that he can play b2-b4 (in opposite to a 
similar position after 16.b3, see above).} ) ( 17. ... Ne7 18. O-O Nxd5?! 
19. Nxd5 f5 20. exf5 Bxf5 21. Qe2 Be6 22. Rd1 Rc8 23. Ra3 Rc6 24. Ba2 Rc8
?! ( 24. ... Rc5! ) 25. Ne3 Bxa2 26. Rxa2 Bxe3 27. Qxe3 Rc5 28. Qxc5! dxc5
29. Rxd8 Rxd8 {1-0(49) Tseshkovsky, Vitaly (2530) - Vukic, Milan (2505) / 
Banja Luka (?), Banja Luka BIH 1981} ) 18. Nxe3 Ne7 19. b3!? N {
Interesting novelty, which, however, can hardly change much. White's edge 
is insignificant. 

At the moment the game was played this move had been a novelty. White 
immediately transfers the b2-pawn to a stronger position} ( 19. O-O f5 20.
 exf5 Nxf5 21. Nd5 ( 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 =, quiet 22. Qd2 ) ( 21. Bd5 Qc7 22. 
Nxf5 Bxf5 23. Qd2 Rb5 24. Re1 Rfb8 25. h3 a4 26. g4 Bd7 27. c4 Rb4 28. Re3
Bc6 29. Rc3 Qc8 {1/2-1/2 Heyn,U-Fritsche,F (1975)/DESC email 2001} ) 
21. ... Ne7 =, quiet ) 19. ... f5 20. exf5 Nxf5 21. Nd5 Bb7 ( {The meaning
of White's 19th move becomes clear from the variation  The idea of 19.b3 
is that Black cannot exchange the knights at once:} 21. ... Ne7 {in view 
of} 22. Nxe7 Qxe7 23. Rxa5 {winning a pawn.} ) 22. O-O Rc8 {A good idea, 
keeping the pressure. The rook can often go to a good square c5.} 23. Qd3 
Nh4 {Active deployment of black pieces that watch the g2-square closely 
fully compensates strategic benefits of the opponent's position.} ( 
23. ... Rc5!? 24. b4 axb4 25. cxb4 Rc8 {nd black knight has the d4-square 
at its disposal} ) 24. Rd1 h6 {Time to evaluate the position. Thanks to 
the tricky 19.b3 White succeeded to avoid a quick simplification of the 
position. On the other hand Black has little to complain about - his 
pieces are active, which should be enough to compensate a slightly 
inferior pawn structure.} ( 24. ... Qg5?! {brings nothing in view of} 25. 
Qg3 {and in case of the exchange the weakness of the a5-pawn starts to 
tell} ) 25. Qg3 ( 25. Rad2 {allows} 25. ... a4! {with the idea} 26. bxa4 
Qg5 {and Black takes over the initiative. 27.Qg3 is not possible because 
the queen must protect the bishop on c4.} ) 25. ... Nf5 26. Qg4 Rc5 27. 
Rad2 {White also nicely centralized his pieces, but on the other hand now 
he will have to keep bishop c4 under queen protection in order to prevent 
...a4.} ( 27. b4!? axb4 28. cxb4 Rc8 29. Ra7 Bxd5 30. Bxd5 Qf6 31. Ra2 Nd4
32. h3 += ) 27. ... Bc8 {Threatening Ne3} 28. Qe4 {An introduction to 
creating a battery Q+B on the b1-h7 diagonal} ( 28. Qe2 Qg5 â†‘ ) 28. ... 
Bb7 ( {After} 28. ... Qg5 {White has} 29. f4! exf4 30. Rf2! {and the 
position opens in White's favour} ( 30. Nxf4? Re5 ) ) 29. h3?! ( 29. Qg4 
âŒ“ =, quiet Bc8 ) 29. ... Nh4 30. Bd3?! {White overestimates his 
position. Black is not worse and attempts to play for a win are not 
justified. Karjakin should have tried to wait and hold the balance.} 
30. ... Rf5! 31. Bb1? {This is already a blunder.} ( 31. Bc4 âŒ“ ) ( 31. 
c4 Bxd5 32. cxd5 Qg5 ( 32. ... Kg8 =+ ) 33. Rc2 Rxc2 34. Bxc2 Kg8 {with 
approximately even chances} ) 31. ... Rxc3! 32. Qg4 h5 33. Qe2? { Leads to
a defeat} ( 33. Qa4! Bc6 ( 33. ... Qg5? 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Bxf5+ +- ) 34. 
Nxc3 Bxa4 35. Bxf5 Nxf5 36. bxa4 -/+ ) 33. ... Qg5! -+ {Now black threats 
on the K-side are much too dangerous } 34. f4 ( 34. Be4 Rcf3! 35. Bxf3 
Rxf3 36. g3 Rxb3 -+ ) 34. ... Rxf4 35. Kh1 Nxg2 36. Qxg2 ( {After} 36. 
Nxc3 {many moves win. The strongest is} 36. ... Qh4 37. Kh2 Ne3 38. Qxe3 
Rf3 39. Qxf3 Bxf3 -+ ) 36. ... Rg3 ( {Again} 36. ... Qh4 {is the quickest 
win.  simpler way to win is} 37. Bd3 ( 37. Nxf4 Bxg2+ -+ ) 37. ... Rd4 ) 
37. Nxf4 Bxg2+ ( 37. ... exf4?? 38. Qxb7 Rxh3+ 39. Rh2 +- ) 38. Nxg2 Rxh3+
39. Kg1 Rg3 40. Rf2 {With a threat of mate in one move} 40. ... Kg8 41. 
Rxd6 ( {After} 41. Kh2 {Black has the interesting possibility} 41. ... 
Rh3+ 42. Kxh3 Qg4+ 43. Kh2 Qxd1 44. Be4 Qxb3 {and with so many pawns the 
position should be winning rather easy.} ) 41. ... h4! {White is helpless 
against the further advance of the h-pawn.} 42. Rc6 Qg4 {Accuracy is 
required, of course.} ( 42. ... h3?? 43. Rc8+ +- ) 43. Bf5 ( 43. Rd6 e4 
44. Rd4 h3 45. Bxe4 Qg5 46. Rd5 Qe7 47. Re2 Qa7+ 48. Kh2 hxg2 49. Rxg2 
Rxg2+ 50. Kxg2 Qe3 -+ ) 43. ... Rxg2+! 44. Rxg2 Qxf5 45. Rcg6 Qf7 46. R6g4
Qf6 47. Kh2 Kf7 48. Kh3 e4 49. Rg5 ( 49. Rxh4 g5 50. Rhg4 e3 51. Kg3 Qf1 
52. Rxg5 ( 52. Re4 Qd3 53. Rg4 e2+ 54. Kf2 Qd2 ) 52. ... e2 53. Rf2+ Ke6 )
49. ... e3 50. Kxh4 g6 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 7.4"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee 61"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "7.4"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2810"]
[BlackElo "2635"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Annotator "JvR"]
[PlyCount "87"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bb5!? {Another attempt to struggle for advantage in the 
opening. By attacking the c6-pawn White intends to cause disharmony in the
opponent pieces' setup } 15. ... Bb7 16. Nce3 ( {Usual is} 16. O-O ) 
16. ... Bxe3 17. Nxe3 Ne7 18. O-O Rb8?! ( {No time loses} 18. ... Qb6 19. 
Qd3 Rfd8 20. Bc4 Bc6 21. Ra2 Qb7 {Black controls square d5.} ) 19. Qd3 Qb6
20. Bc4! {Consolidating position on the Q-side in time } ( 20. c4 Bc6! 21.
 b4 axb4 22. Qxd6 Bxb5 23. Qxb6 Rxb6 24. Rxb4 Bxc4 = ) 20. ... Bc6 ( 
20. ... Qxb2? 21. Rb1 Bxe4 22. Rxb2 Bxd3 23. Rxb8 Rxb8 24. Bxd3 ) 21. Ra2 
Rfd8 22. b3 += {White manages to fix a small but enduring advantage due to
his superior pawn structure } 22. ... Qc5 ( {Now} 22. ... Qb7 23. Nd5! 
Nxd5 ( 23. ... Bb5 24. Rxa5 {costs a pawn.} ) 24. exd5 Bb5 25. Rxa5 Bxc4 
26. bxc4 +/- ) 23. Rfa1 Ra8 24. h4! {Having bound the opponent with 
defence of his weaknesses on the Q-side, White opens a "second front" on 
the opposite area of the board } 24. ... h6?! ( {In G.Kasparov opinion, a 
pawn structure that is more favorable for Black on the K-side ensues after
} 24. ... h5! += ) 25. h5! { Seizing the space on the kingside and turning
the f7-, g7- and h6-squares into potential targets for his attacks} 
25. ... Bb7 26. Rd1 Bc6 27. Rda1 Bb7 28. Bd5! Bxd5 ( 28. ... Nxd5 29. exd5
Re8 30. Qd2 +/- {Black is in imminent danger of c3-c4 with the win of the 
a5-pawn} ) 29. exd5 Rdc8 30. b4 Qxc3 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. Rxa5 Rb8 ( 32. ... 
Rxa5 33. bxa5 +/- ) 33. Ra7 {Invasion of the rooks to the 7th rank ensures
White's decisive advantage in the endgame } 33. ... Kf8 34. Rd7 Nc8 ( 
34. ... Ke8 35. Rxd6 Rxb4 36. Rda6 +/- ) 35. Rd8+ Ke7 36. Rg8 Rxb4 37. Ra8
! Kd7 ( 37. ... Rc1+ 38. Kh2 Kd7 39. g3! +/- ) 38. Rxg7? ( 38. g3! +- ) 
38. ... Rc1+ 39. Kh2 Rf4 40. Ng4 Ne7 ( 40. ... Rf5!? 41. Kg3 Ne7 42. Nxh6 
Rxh5 43. Rxf7 Rxh6 44. Ra7+ Rc7 45. Rxc7+ Kxc7 46. Rxe7+ Kd8 47. Ra7 Rh1 
+/- ) 41. Ra7+ Ke8?? ( 41. ... Rc7 42. Rxc7+ Kxc7 43. Nxh6 Rh4+ 44. Kg1 
Rxh5 45. Nxf7 Kd7 {continues the fight.} 46. g4 Rh3 ( 46. ... Rh4 47. Kg2 
) 47. Ng5 Rd3 48. Ne4 Kd8 49. Nxd6 Rxd5 50. Ne4 +/- ) 42. g3 Rf5 43. Rh7 
Kf8 44. Ra8+ 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 7.5"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "2004.04.25"]
[Round "7.5"]
[White "Landa, Konstantin"]
[Black "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2587"]
[BlackElo "2654"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2003.11.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bb5 Ne7 { A conceptual continuation. Hiding the knight from an
attack, Black exerts an immediate influence on the opponent's central 
outpost } 16. Nxe7+ ( {The continuation} 16. Ncb4 {will be dealt with in 
the next game} ) ( 16. Ncb4 Be6 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Bc6 Ra7 19. Nd5 Bxd5 
20. Bxd5 Rb8 21. Qa1 Qd7 22. O-O Qb5 23. b4 Bd8 24. c4 Qb6 25. Rd1 g6 26. 
g3 Kg7 27. Kg2 f6 28. Rd2 h5 29. Rda2 h4 30. bxa5 Qc5 {1-0(42) Tiviakov, 
Sergei (2567) - Hendriks, Richard (2098) / Zwolle KPMG Open (2), Zwolle 
NED 2000} ) 16. ... Qxe7 17. Nb4 { White knight still manages to thread 
its tactical way to d5. In such positions practically the only chance to 
struggle for an advantage for White is to establish the piece outpost on 
d5 } 17. ... Bg4! {n introduction to a tactical shootout that, in the end,
will neutralize White's strategic plans } ( 17. ... Be6 {Black is faced 
with an unpleasant defence in the middle game with bishops of opposite 
color } ) 18. Qa1 ( 18. Nd5 Bxd1 19. Nxe7+ Bxe7 20. Kxd1 Rfb8 21. c4 Bd8 )
18. ... Qb7! { A positional sacrifice of an exchange allows to exploit the
white king's central position and to display the activity of black bishops
} 19. Bc6 Qb6 20. Bxa8 Qb5! ( {Less precise is the effective} 20. ... Bd2+
21. Kf1 Qb5+ 22. Kg1 Rxa8 23. Nd5 {
and after h2-h3 white king makes itself quite comfortable on h2} ) 21. f3 
axb4 22. fxg4 Qd3 23. Qd1 Qe3+ 24. Qe2 ( 24. Kf1 Qf4+ 25. Kg1 Qe3+ ) 
24. ... Qc1+ 25. Qd1 Qe3+ 26. Qe2 Qc1+ 27. Qd1 Qe3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 8"]
[Site "Pamplona ESP"]
[Date "2006.12.22"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Korneev, Oleg"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2657"]
[BlackElo "2720"]
[ECO "B33r"]
[EventDate "2006.12.22"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. 
Rxa4 a5 15. Bb5 {The Smyslov variation is out of fashion these days. Black
has found clear ways to achieve a good play.} 15. ... Ne7 16. Ncb4 {White 
strives to hold the d5-square for himself } 16. ... Bh3! {Adorjan's idea 
to protect Ra8 with tempo was implemented for the first time in practice 
by Leko in 2001. It represents one of the continuations which offers Black
sufficient counterplay. 

An interesting resource suggested by the Hungarian GM A. Adorjan } ( {The 
continuation} 16. ... Bd7 =, quiet { has also acquired a reputation for 
being reliable enough } 17. Nxe7+ Bxe7 18. Nc6 ( 18. Bxd7 axb4 19. Bc6 
Rxa4 20. Qxa4 bxc3 21. bxc3 Qb8 22. O-O Bd8 { 1/2-1/2, Svidler P 2685 - 
Ivanchuk V 2715 , 2000 Polanica Zdroj} ) 18. ... Qe8! ( 18. ... Bxc6 19. 
Bxc6 Rb8 20. Ra2 Qb6 21. Bd5 += ) 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. O-O {
1/2-1/2, Tiviakov S 2605 - Cifuentes Parada R 2490 , 2000 Hoogeveen (open)
} ) 17. Nxe7+ ( {As indicated by Leko, in case of} 17. gxh3 {the position 
of white king is rather alarming } 17. ... axb4 18. Nxb4 {Black achieves 
wonderful compensation for the pawn with} 18. ... Rxa4 19. Bxa4 f5 =/& ) 
17. ... Qxe7 18. Bc6 {The present game shows that ambitious play brings 
White only troubles.} ( {In the original game there followed } 18. Nd5 âŒ“
Qb7 19. Bc4 ( 19. c4 Be6 =, quiet ) 19. ... Bd7 ( 19. ... Be6 20. b3 += ) 
( 19. ... Bxg2?? 20. Rg1 ) 20. Ra2 =, quiet Kh8 21. O-O { with quite an 
adequate black play, Dominguez, L. 2596 - Leko, P. 2739 , 2001 Yerevan)} )
( 18. gxh3 axb4 19. Rxb4 Bf4 =/& ( 19. ... Qe6 =/& ) ) 18. ... Rac8 ( {
Another move order is also possible} 18. ... Bxg2 19. Rg1 Rac8 20. Rxa5 
Bh3 {is the same as 18...Rac8.} 21. Qh5 Bh4 ) 19. Rxa5 ( {Perhaps White 
should consider} 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. gxh3 Rxc6 21. Qg4 ~ {when the strong 
knight on d5 compensates for the poor pawn structure on the kingside. The 
king will go to g2. Comparing to the game it is more important for White 
here to exchange the light-squared bishops than to take the pawn on a5.} )
19. ... Bxg2 20. Rg1 Bh3 21. Qh5 ( 21. Ra6 Qf6! â†‘ 22. Qh5 â–³ Bh4 -/+ ) 
( 21. Nd5 Qd8 22. Ra6 g6 ( 22. ... Bh4!? ) 23. b4 f5 24. Qb3 Kh8 25. c4 
Bg4 26. b5 Bh4 27. Ra2 Qg5 28. Qc3 Qh5 29. h3 Bf3 ( 29. ... Bxh3? 30. Nf4 
+- {1-0 Zinchenko,Y (2352)-Viliavin,R/ Alushta 2004 (40)} ) 30. Nf4 Qh6 
31. Qxf3 ( 31. Ne6? fxe4! 32. Nxf8 Rxf8 =/& 33. Ra8 â–³ Rxa8 34. Bxa8 Bd8 
-+ ) 31. ... fxe4 32. Qe3 Rxf4 33. Rg4 ~ {/=} ) 21. ... Bh4 22. Qh6 ( 22. 
Nd5 Qd8 23. Qh6 g6 24. Ra6 Be6 =+ ) 22. ... g6 23. Qe3 {Although played 
several times before, this is a rather strange retreat. On h6 the queen 
was at least exerting some pressure on Black's position. The maneuver 
Qd1-h5-h6-e3 turns out to be a waste of time now.} ( 23. Ra6 âŒ“ Be6 24. 
Nd5 Qd8 25. Ke2 ~ {1/2-1/2 Moeller,R-Gross,K/ DESC email 2001 (40)} ) 
23. ... Be6 24. Ra7 Qf6! N {After this novelty it becomes clear that White
is worse due to the difficulty to find a safe place for his king.} ( {
Previously Black played} 24. ... Rc7 25. Nd5! Bxd5 26. Rxc7 Qxc7 27. Bxd5 
{which is about equal.} 27. ... Rb8 28. b4 += Rc8 29. c4 Qb8 30. b5 Bd8 
31. Ke2 Bb6 32. Qh3 Rc7 33. Rg3 Ra7 34. Qg4 Qd8 35. h4 h5 36. Qh3 Bc5 37. 
Kf1 Bb6 38. Kg2 Bc5 { 1/2-1/2, Romanov Evgeny (RUS) 2329 - Zhygalka 
Siarhei (BLR) 2302, Peniscola (Spain) 2002)} ) 25. Bd5 ( {After} 25. Nd5 
Qd8 {White's pieces lack coordination, while Black can choose the right 
moment for active play with ...f5.} ) 25. ... Rb8! {An outwardly 
inconspicious but multi-purpose move. Black vacates the c8-square for 
bringing his king rook into play, and also creates potential oppotunities 
for sacrifice of an exchange on b4 and for transfer of his dark-squared 
bishop via d8 to b6 } 26. Ra6 ( 26. Bxe6 fxe6 -/+ ) 26. ... Rfc8 27. Rc6 {
By exchanging a pair of rooks White seeks to reduce the danger of an 
exchange sacrifice on b4 } ( 27. Bxe6 fxe6 -/+ 28. Rxd6 â–³ Rxb4 29. cxb4 
Bxf2+ 30. Qxf2 Rc1+ -+ ) ( 27. Rxd6? Rxb4 28. cxb4 Bxf2+! 29. Qxf2 Rc1+ ) 
27. ... Rxc6 28. Bxc6 h5 -/+ {Gaining more space on the kingside (square 
g4). White's position is difficult: with the bishop pair, active pieces 
and plenty of targets for attack in opponent's weak pawn structure secures
Black a very easy play.} 29. Bd5 ( 29. h3 {runs into} 29. ... Bxh3 ( {it 
is also not clear what to do after a move like} 29. ... Kh7 -/+ ) 30. Nd5 
( 30. Qxh3 Qxf2+ -+ ) 30. ... Qe6 ) 29. ... Bg4! {Once again we see a 
typical tactical method: White completely cedes the d5-square to his 
opponent and tries to bypass white centralized pieces from flanks } 30. 
Kf1 Kg7 31. Ke1 {The rest is a massacre.} ( 31. Kg2 Bxf2 32. Qxf2 Bh3+ 33.
 Kg3 h4+ ) ( 31. Bc6 Qf3! 32. Qxf3 Bxf3 33. Ke1 g5 34. Kd2 g4 35. Nd3 f5! 
-/+ ) 31. ... Bg5 -+ 32. Qg3 ( 32. Qd3 Qf4 -+ ) 32. ... Bf4 {The outcome 
of the game is decided in favor of Black by the activity of black bishops,
white king's unstable position and the g1-rook's lack of prospects } 33. 
Qd3 Bxh2 34. Rh1 Qg5 ( {The direct} 34. ... Bf4 {is of course completely 
winning too.} ) 35. Kf1 Bf4 36. f3 Bd7 37. Qc2 Rxb4! {Ending White's 
nightmare. A sacrifce of an exchange allows black knight to deliver a 
decisive blow along the a6-f1 diagonal } 38. cxb4 Qg3 39. Qe2 Be3! {
Threatening 40...Bb5 followed by the mate on f2.} 40. b3 ( 40. Qxe3 Bb5+ )
40. ... Bh3+ ( 40. ... Bh3+ 41. Rxh3 Qg1# ) 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 14.5"]
[Site "Vrsac SRB"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "14.5"]
[White "Bronstein, David I"]
[Black "Vukic, Milan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "1979.09.07"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 {As a conclusion of our journey 
along the labyrinths of the Cheliabinsk Variation we will get acquainted 
with an original double-edged interpretation of the position associated 
with white minor piece sacrifice on the b5-square} 11. ... f5 12. Nxb5!? 
axb5 13. Bxb5 Bd7 14. exf5 { For the moment White has for his piece 3 
pawns and a favorable endgame with dangerous passed pawns on the Q-side in
prospect. However, it should be kept in mind that in the middle game a 
piece can carry more weight than pawns } 14. ... Rb8 ( {In the following 
game the development was somewhat peculiar:} 14. ... Bg7 15. a4 Nd4 16. 
Bxd7+ Qxd7 17. c3 Qb7 18. Ne3 Bh6! {and, having won back a piece, Black 
organizes efficient counterplay against white king } 19. cxd4 Bxe3 20. 
fxe3 Qxg2 21. Rf1 Qxb2 {1/2-1/2 Nunn, John D M (2515) - Adorjan, Andras 
(2550) / EU Team Ch (Men) 07th (7.3), Skara SWE 1980} ) 15. a4 Qg5 16. g4!
{Played in the spirit of the King's Gambit variations! White fortifies the
f5-pawn that hinders the opponent's pieces and prepares seizing of the 
space on the K-side by way of h2-h4 } ( 16. Ne3 Nd4 17. Bxd7+ Kxd7 { There
ensued a complicated situation, although later thr luck on the side of 
Black's: } 18. Qd3 Bg7 19. O-O Rhc8 20. a5 Rb4 21. Kh1 e4 22. Qa3 Nc6 23. 
c3 Rb5 24. b4 Be5 += { 0-1, Bronstein David I (RUS) 2560 - Kim V (RUS) 
2200, Daugavpils (Latvia) 1978)} ) 16. ... Qh4 { Impeding the h2-h4 
advance} ( 16. ... h5?! 17. h4 Qd8 ( 17. ... hxg4? 18. hxg5 Rxh1+ 19. Bf1 
) 18. g5 +/- ) 17. Qd3 Bh6 ( {Black used also to try and leave his king in
the center} 17. ... Kd8!? { Further one of the GM games continued in the 
following way: } 18. Qc4 Rg8 19. h3 Bh6 20. Bxc6 Rc8 21. Nb4 Be3 22. Qe2 
Bxc6 23. Nxc6+ Rxc6 24. Qxe3 Rxg4 25. O-O-O Rxa4 26. b3 Ra2 27. Kb1 Raxc2 
28. Rxd6+ Rxd6 29. Kxc2 Qf6 30. Qe4 Rc6+ 31. Kb1 Qd6 {1/2-1/2(41) Byrne, 
Robert E (2530) - Vasiukov, Evgeni (2545) / Reykjavik (?), Reykjavik ISL 
1980} ) 18. c3 { Restricting the c6-knight mobility} 18. ... O-O 19. Qg3! 
{ With this maneuver White stresses the weight of his positional trumps 
for an endgame exactly } 19. ... Bg5 20. b4 ( 20. Qxh4!? Bxh4 21. g5 Kh8! 
22. Nf6 Bxf5 23. Bxc6 Rxb2 {black pieces would have broken free} ) 20. ...
 Kh8 21. Qxh4 Bxh4 22. O-O-O Rfc8?! ( {D.Bronstein recommends the 
continuation} 22. ... Rfe8 { with an idea of obtaining counterplay by 
means of the e5-e4 advance} ) 23. Kb2 Kg7 ( 23. ... Nxb4 24. cxb4 Bxb5 25.
 axb5 Rxb5 26. Kb3 +/- ) ( 23. ... e4!? ) 24. f3 Be8? ( 24. ... h6 ) 25. 
g5! { Suddenly White manages to get an attack against the opponent's king 
} 25. ... Bxg5 ( 25. ... h6 26. Nf6 ) 26. Rhg1 Kh6 ( 26. ... h6 27. h4 ) 
27. h4 Bd8 ( 27. ... Bxh4 28. Rg4 ) 28. Ne3! Kh5 ( 28. ... Be7 29. Rxd6+! 
f6 ( 29. ... Bxd6 30. Rg5 +- ) 30. Re6 Rb7 31. Ng4+ Kh5 32. Rxf6 Bxf6 33. 
Nxf6+ Kxh4 34. Rg4+ Kh3 35. Bf1+ Kh2 36. Rg2+ Kh3 37. Ne4 Nxb4 38. Rf2+ 
Kh4 39. Rh2# ) ( 28. ... f6 29. Rxd6 Kh5 30. Ng4 +- ) 29. f6 h6 ( 29. ... 
Bxf6 30. Rxd6 Bxh4 31. Nf5 Bg5 32. f4 exf4 33. Be2+ +-- ) 30. Nf5 ( 30. 
Be2 Nd4 31. Rxd4 exd4 32. f4+ Kxh4 33. Nf5+ Kh3 34. Bf3 dxc3+ 35. Kc2 +- )
30. ... Bd7 31. Ng7+ Kxh4 32. Rd2 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 15.1"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2004.02.19"]
[Round "15.1"]
[White "Sulskis, Sarunas"]
[Black "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2582"]
[BlackElo "2617"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2004.02.17"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 f5 11. Nxb5?! ( 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c3 Bg7 13. 
Nxb5 {is the correct move order, if White wishes to sacrifice the knight 
on b5.} 13. ... axb5 14. Bxb5 Bd7 ) 11. ... axb5 12. Bxb5 Bb7! {The old 
recommendation of E. Sveshnikov practically made the line 11.Nxb5 
disappear from the practice. } ( 12. ... Bd7 13. exf5 Bg7 14. c3 =/& ) 13.
 exf5 Bg7 {Black seeks to mobilize on the K-side as quickly as possible } 
( {E. Sveshnikov recommended} 13. ... Ra5 14. a4 Rxb5 15. axb5 Nd4 â†‘ ) (
13. ... Rc8 {There also occured } 14. O-O Bg7 15. Qf3 Bf6 16. Rad1 O-O 17.
 Rd3 Kh8 18. Qh5 Rg8 19. Qxf7 Rg7 20. Qxf6 Qxf6 21. Nxf6 Nd4 22. Rg3 Nxb5 
23. c3 Ra8 24. a3 Rf7 25. Ng4 Rxf5 26. Rd1 Rf4 27. Ne3 Raf8 {with dynamic 
equilibrium} 28. f3 R8f6 29. Ng4 Re6 30. Nf2 d5 {1/2-1/2(44) Mnatsakanian,
Eduard A (2450) - Majorovas, Vitalijus (2450) / URS Spartakiad (?), Moscow
RUS 1981} ) ( 13. ... Qa5+ 14. c3 ) 14. O-O? ( 14. f6! {is the only 
principled move, which can eventually underline drawbacks of 13...Bg7.} 
14. ... Bxf6 15. Qf3 Kf8!? ( 15. ... Bg7 16. Nb4! O-O 17. Bxc6 ( 17. Nxc6 
Qc7 -/+ ) 17. ... e4 18. Qb3! +/- {and not clear if Black has sufficient 
compensation for two pawns.} ) 16. Bxc6 ( 16. Qxf6 Qxf6 17. Nxf6 Nd4 -/+ )
( 16. Nxf6 Qa5+ -/+ ) 16. ... Bxc6 17. Qxf6 Qxf6 18. Nxf6 Ke7 19. Ng4 Bxg2
( 19. ... Rhg8 20. b3 Bxg2 ) ( 19. ... Rhb8 20. b3 Bxg2 21. Rg1 Be4 22. 
Ne3 d5 ) 20. Rg1 Be4 =/& ) 14. ... O-O 15. Bc4?! { Too sluggish, and Black
manages to eliminate the important f5-pawn } ( {Tension could be 
maintained by } 15. Qg4 Kh8 16. Bd3!? ( 16. c3 Rg8 17. Bxc6 Bxc6 18. Qc4 
Qd7 19. Rfe1 Qb7 20. Rad1 Bf8 21. b4 Bd7 -/+ ) 16. ... Rg8 17. Qh5 =+ ) 
15. ... Qg5 16. a4 Kh8! {A fine prophylactic move. Black king escapes 
possible forks on e7 and redds the way to the g-file for a rook } ( 
16. ... Qxf5 -/+ { White would have good chances on the Q-side } 17. a5 
Ba6 ( 17. ... Ra7 18. a6 Ba8 19. c3 ) 18. Bxa6 Rxa6 19. b4 e4 20. c3 ) 17.
 Ra3 ( 17. b4? Nxb4 -+ ) ( 17. c3 Qxf5 -/+ ( 17. ... Rg8 18. Ne3 Ne7 =+ ) 
) ( 17. Ne3 Nd4 -/+ ) 17. ... Qxf5 18. Ne3 Qg6 -+ {White has just two 
pawns for the bishop, which is certainly not enough.} 19. Bd5 {White has 
gained a firm foothold on the d5-square and relieved the pressure against 
the b7-bishop. However, in the course of the game black initiative on the 
K-side builds up dramatically, to a large extent because of the fact that 
the number of his pieces is greater} 19. ... Rab8 ( {Black could prevent 
the march of the a-pawn with} 19. ... Rfb8 20. Qf3 Nd4 -+ ) 20. a5 f5 21. 
a6 Ba8 22. a7 Rb5! {By "pulling out" the white pawn to c4 Black gets the 
d4-square for his pawn } ( 22. ... Rxb2 23. Bxc6 Bxc6 24. Qa1 Rxc2 25. 
a8=Q f4!? â†‘ ) 23. c4 Rb6 24. b4 Rxb4 ( 24. ... Nxb4 25. Bxa8 Rxa8 26. 
Qf3 Nc6 -+ ) 25. Ra6 ( 25. Qd2 Rb6 -+ ) ( 25. Bxc6! {This could offer 
White some chances to complicate matters:} 25. ... Bxc6 26. Qd2 Rb6 ( 
26. ... Rxc4 27. Qa2 Rg4 28. f3 ) 27. Qa5 Rb2 28. a8=Q Bxa8 29. Qxa8 f4!? 
30. Nd1 Rd2 31. Qa5 Qc2 32. Qa4 e4 -/+ ) 25. ... Nd4 26. c5 {White aims at
obtaining counterplay on the queenside, but black threats are more 
dangerous, as he attacks the king! } 26. ... f4 27. Rxd6 Qg5 28. Nc2 f3 
29. Ne1 ( 29. g3 Ne2+ 30. Kh1 Rh4! -+ 31. Be6 Nxg3+ 32. fxg3 Qxg3 33. Bh3 
Rxh3 34. Rf2 Qxf2 ) ( 29. Ne3 Ne2+ 30. Kh1 Rh4! ) 29. ... e4 30. Bxa8 Rxa8
31. Rb6 Rxb6 32. cxb6 fxg2 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 15.2"]
[Site "Buenos Aires ARG"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "15.2"]
[White "Nunn, John D M"]
[Black "Bhend, Edwin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2440"]
[BlackElo "2345"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "1978.10.25"]
[Annotator "Milic"]

{Inf.26/381} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 { This version of
a piece sacrifice on b5 is more popular in the modern practice. The point 
is that with white knights being situated on b5 and d5, the check at the 
c7-square is practically unavoidable, and black king gets delayed in the 
center } 12. ... Rb8 ( {There also occured} 12. ... Qg5?! 13. Ndc7+ Kd8 
14. Qd5! Bb7 15. Qxf7 Qe7 16. Qxe7+ Bxe7 17. Nxa8 Bxa8 18. exf5 {with 
white advantage in the endgame} ) 13. Nbc7+ Kd7 14. Qh5 Nd4 {Black aims at
combining defence with counterattack } ( {But the retreat } 14. ... Ne7!? 
{looks more promising; the idea is to exchange one of the opponent's 
active knights} 15. Qxf7 Kc6 16. b4!? ( 16. a4!? ) ) 15. O-O +/- Kc6 ( 
15. ... Rxb2? 16. Rab1! Rxc2 17. Qxf7+ Be7 18. Na8 +- ) ( 15. ... Rb7 16. 
c3 Rxc7 17. Nxc7 Qxc7 18. Qxf7+ +/- ) 16. b4! { The b2-pawn's pitching in 
the attack is a typical tactical method in this variation } 16. ... fxe4 (
16. ... Be6 17. b5+! Nxb5 18. Nxb5 Rxb5 19. c4 Rb2 20. exf5 +/- ) 17. c3 
Ne6 ( 17. ... Nb5 18. Nxb5 Rxb5 19. c4 +/- ) 18. b5+! {White attack 
becomes killing } 18. ... Kb7 ( 18. ... Rxb5 19. Nxb5 Kxd5 20. Rab1! {/\ 
21. Qxf7, 21.Rfd1++-} ) 19. b6 +- Kc6 ( 19. ... Qg5 20. Qxf7 Qg7 21. Nxe6+
!! Qxf7 22. Nd8+ Ka6 23. Nxf7 Rg8 24. Rfb1 ) 20. Rab1 Qg5 21. Qe2 Nc5 ( 
21. ... Rg8 22. Qb5+ Kb7 23. Qa6+ Kc6 24. b7+ Kd7 25. Qb5+ Kd8 26. Qe8# ) 
22. b7! Nd3 ( 22. ... Rxb7 23. Rxb7 Kxb7 24. Qb5+ Ka7 25. Qb6# ) 23. Qxe4 
Nc5 24. Qc4 Rxb7 25. Rxb7 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 15.3"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "15.3"]
[White "Matwiejszyn, Aleksander"]
[Black "Marks, Jacek"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "1979.05.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra7!? {Black is 
ready to sacrifice his rook for the b5-knight in order to avoid a check at
the c7-square that would send black king roaming in the center of the 
board } 13. Nxa7 Nxa7 14. exf5 {Here and later White acts in a very 
natural way, gaining time for mobilization of his forces by attacking 
enemy pieces } ( {There also occured an immediate } 14. Qf3 Nc6 15. O-O-O 
( {Worth attention is} 15. c3 {depriving the black knight of the d4-square
} 15. ... fxe4 16. Qxe4 Bg7 ( 16. ... f5?! 17. Qc4 Bd7 18. f4 ) 17. O-O 
Ne7 18. Rfd1 Be6 19. Qa4+ Bd7 20. Qa6 Be6 21. Qb5+ Bd7 22. Qb7 ) ) ( 14. 
Qf3 Nc6 15. O-O-O Bh6+ 16. Kb1 fxe4 17. Qxe4 O-O! -/+ {but in this case 
Black finishes his development successfully and pretends on seizing the 
initiative due to the open files opposite white king's position. There may
follow } 18. g4 Kh8 19. Rhg1 f5 20. gxf5 Bxf5 21. Qc4 Qe8 22. Ne3 Be6 23. 
Qh4 Bf4 24. Rxd6 Nd4 {0-1(40) Peresipkin, Vladimir (2370) - Sveshnikov, 
Evgeny / URS Ch sf (?), Kiev UKR 1973} ) 14. ... Bxf5 15. Qf3 Be6 16. Nf6+
Ke7 17. Nd5+ {With this "shuttle" maneuver of his knight White deprives 
the enemy king of castling } 17. ... Bxd5 { Black loses his pair of 
bishops which decreases potential of his position } 18. Qxd5 Bg7 ( 18. ...
 Bh6 19. O-O +/- {White monarch will find a more safe shelter on the 
K-side. The obvious positional advantage of White's is determined by his 
passed pawns on the Q-side and insecure position of the black king } 
19. ... Qb6 20. Rad1 Rc8 21. c3 Nb5 22. Qe4 Rg8 23. Rd3! ( 23. Qxh7 Rg6 ) 
23. ... Rg6 24. Rg3! { Exchange of one pair of rooks is favorable for 
White. Black is deprived of his illusions concerning counterplay against 
the king, and White's pawn advantage on the Q-side begins to play a 
decisive part } 24. ... Bf4 25. Rxg6 hxg6 26. g3 Bg5 27. a4 Nc7 28. b4 f5 
29. Qe2 e4 30. a5 Qc6 31. c4 +/- ) 19. O-O-O Qb6 20. Rd3 Rb8 21. Rb3 Qc6 
22. Qxc6 Nxc6 23. Rxb8 Nxb8 24. b4 d5 25. f3 f5 26. Rd1 Kd6 27. c4 d4 28. 
Re1 Nc6 29. a3 Bh6+ 30. Kc2 Be3 31. c5+ Kd5 32. b5 Na7 33. Rb1 e4 34. 
fxe4+ fxe4 35. b6 Nc6 36. g3 d3+ 37. Kc3 Bxc5 38. b7 Bd4+ 39. Kd2 Ba7 40. 
Kc3 Bd4+ 41. Kd2 Be5 42. Ke3 Bd6 43. Rb5+ Bc5+ 44. Kd2 Kc4 45. b8=Q e3+ 
46. Kd1 Nxb8 47. Rxb8 Bxa3 48. Re8 Kd4 49. Re6 Bc5 50. g4 Kd5 51. Re8 Bd4 
1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 15.4"]
[Site "France"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "15.4"]
[White "Mitkov, Nikola"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2470"]
[BlackElo "2705"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bxb5 axb5 13. Nxb5 Ra7 
14. Nxa7 Nxa7 15. c3 ( {In case of the immediate} 15. exf5 {as it has 
happened in the previous game, Black should also play } 15. ... Nb5 ) 
15. ... Nb5! {Black redeploys his knight on c7 intending to exchange the 
opponent's centralized knight. It is highly important for Black in case of
the exchange on d5 to be left with a pair of bishops, as it will surely 
give him counterplay} ( 15. ... fxe4?? 16. Qa4+ ) 16. exf5 Nc7 17. Ne3! { 
White is in no hurry to agree to an exchange, as his knight looks more 
promosing than its black counterpart for now and fortifies the f5- and 
g2-squares } ( {(In one of the correspondence games there followed} 17. 
O-O Bxf5 ( {Also possible is } 17. ... Nxd5 18. Qxd5 Bxf5 {retaining 
bishops pair on the board} ) 18. Qf3 Nxd5 ( 18. ... Be6 19. Nf6+ Ke7 ) 19.
 Qxd5 ( {White's refusal to eliminate one of the opponent's bishops looks 
strange} 19. Qxf5 ) 19. ... Be6 { Now Black succeeds in demonstrating the 
potential energy of the bishops pair in such a position } 20. Qb5+ Bd7 21.
 Qe2 Rg8 22. Kh1 Bc6 23. f3 Bh6 24. Qa6 Kd7! 25. Rad1 Rg6 26. b4 Qb8 27. 
a4 Bf4 28. b5 Bb7 29. Qb6? ( 29. Qa5 ) 29. ... Bxf3! -/+ 30. Qxb8 ( 30. 
Rxd6+ Qxd6 31. Qa7+ Qc7 32. Qxc7+ Kxc7 33. Rxf3 Rf6 34. g3 Bg5 -+ ) 
30. ... Bxg2+ 31. Kg1 Be3+ 32. Rf2 Bd5+! 33. Kf1 { 0-1, Engelhardt G - 
Asaturian S, 1980 corr} ) 17. ... Bb7 {It was necessary to prevent the 
Qd1-f3 lunge } 18. Qa4+?! ( {In A.Shirov's opinion, the strongest 
continuation is} 18. Qb3! Qa8 19. O-O-O Bxg2 20. Nxg2 Qxg2 21. Kb1! {with 
white initiative} ) 18. ... Qd7 19. Qb3 ( {In case of} 19. Qxd7+ Kxd7 20. 
Rd1 d5! {Bc5  - a pair of bishops lets White feel comfortable in the 
endgame} ) 19. ... Na6! {Black agrees to white knight's invasion to d5, 
but by transferring his own knight to c5 reveals the seamy side of white 
queen's position on b3} ( 19. ... Qc6 20. O-O-O += ) 20. Nd5 Nc5 21. Nf6+ 
Ke7 ( 21. ... Kd8? 22. Nxd7 Nxb3 23. Nxe5!! +/- ) 22. Nd5+ Ke8 ( 22. ... 
Kd8? 23. Qb6+ Kc8 24. O-O-O! +/- ) 23. Nf6+ Ke7 24. Nd5+ Bxd5!? {In 
principle, by exchanging his light-squared bishop Black makes a positional
concession, but maintains chances to keep on fighting } ( {A logical 
conclusion of the opening duel is a move repetition after } 24. ... Ke8 = 
) 25. Qxd5 Qxf5 26. O-O Rg8 ( 26. ... Ne6?! {Of course, Black aims at 
counterplay on the K-side and directs his knight to the vicinity of the 
f4-square } 27. Rad1 Kf6 28. Rfe1 Rg8 29. Qe4! Nf4! {An objective 
evaluation of this position requires that Black should transpose the game 
into ending } ( 29. ... Qh5?! 30. Rd3! += Ng5 31. Qc6! ) 30. Qxf5+ Kxf5 { 
Despite passed pawns on the Q-side, Black still has his chances in the 
endgame due to his centeralized pieces } 31. g3 e4 32. Rd4?! {With this 
move White opts for variation that transposes the game into a rook ending 
and thus makes life for White easier } 32. ... d5 33. Kf1 ) ( 26. ... Qe4 
27. Qxe4 Nxe4 {aiming at the quickest possible centralization by way of 
d5, Ke6, Bc5} ) 27. Rad1 Kf6 28. Rfe1 Ne6 29. Qe4 Nf4 30. Qxf5+ Kxf5 {
Despite passed pawns on the Q-side, Black still has his chances in the 
endgame due to his centeralized pieces } 31. g3 e4 32. Rd4?! {With this 
move White opts for variation that transposes the game into a rook ending 
and thus makes life for White easier } 32. ... d5 33. Kf1 Bc5! 34. gxf4 
Bxd4 35. cxd4 Ra8 {The main point in the rook endgames is the activity of 
the pieces, and so White's small material advantage is of no consequence }
36. a3 ( {Now it is already White who has to think about maintaining 
equality, which once again could be achieved by maximum activity} 36. Rb1!
Rxa2 37. b4 Kxf4 38. b5 e3 39. b6 Ra8 40. b7 Rb8 41. Rb5! exf2 42. Rxd5 
Rxb7 43. Kxf2 = ) 36. ... Ra4 37. Rd1?! ( {To equality still lead} 37. b4!
Rxa3 38. Rb1 = ) 37. ... Kxf4 =+ {White is a pawn up, but his position is 
far from being pleasant. White rook is passive, and the opponent now has a
powerful pawn grouping on the K-side, which is supported by black king } 
38. Ke2 f5 39. Rd2 ( 39. h3? h6 ) 39. ... h6 ( 39. ... h5 40. b4! Rxa3 41.
 Rb2 Kg4! ( 41. ... Rh3? 42. b5 Rxh2? 43. b6 e3 44. Rb1!! exf2 45. Rb3! +-
) 42. b5 Ra7 43. b6 Rb7 =+ ) 40. Rd1 h5 41. Rd2 h4 42. h3 Rc4 43. Rd1 Rc2+
44. Rd2 Rxd2+ 45. Kxd2 Kf3 46. Ke1 Kg2 47. b4 f4 48. Ke2 f3+ 49. Ke3 Kxh3 
50. b5 Kg2 51. b6 h3 52. b7 h2 53. b8=Q h1=Q 54. Qg8+ Kf1 55. Qxd5 Qh6+ 
56. Kxe4 Qh4+! {In the queen ending Black should win due to his 
far-advanced passed f3-pawn } 57. Kd3 ( 57. Kxf3? Qh1+ ) 57. ... Kxf2? ( 
57. ... Qxf2 58. Qg5 ) 58. a4 Qg3 59. Qe4 Kg1 60. Qe3+ Qf2 61. Qf4 Qf1+ 
62. Kc2 Qg2+ 63. Kb1 f2 --+ 64. Qe3 Kh2 65. Qf4+ Qg3 66. Qh6+ Kg1 -+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 15.5"]
[Site "Alushta UKR"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "15.5"]
[White "Soloviov, Sergei N"]
[Black "Malakhatko, Vadim"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2417"]
[BlackElo "2513"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2001.04.17"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bxb5 axb5 13. Nxb5 Ra7 
14. Nxa7 Nxa7 15. c3 Bg7!? {A promising attempt at improving the variation
for Black. Leaving the maneuver Â¤a7-b5-c7 in reserve, Black intends to 
finish the K-side mobilization first of all } 16. Qa4+! { This check is 
the only move that can question the black plan. White forces the exchange 
of the queens} 16. ... Qd7 17. Qxd7+ ( 17. Qa5?! { has also been tested, 
but after} 17. ... fxe4! 18. Nc7+ Ke7 19. Qxa7 Kd8 20. O-O-O Qxc7 21. 
Rxd6+ Qxd6 22. Rd1 Qxd1+ 23. Kxd1 Bd7 24. b4 Ke7 25. b5 Rc8 26. Qa3+ Ke8 
27. b6 Bf8 28. Qa6 Rd8 29. Ke2 Bd6 30. c4 Bc6 31. c5 Ra8 {0-1(52) 
Fontaine, Robert (2452) - Nunn, John D M (2584) / Bundesliga 0102 (8.4), 
GER 2002} ) 17. ... Bxd7 18. exf5 ( {In case of} 18. f3 {Black gives his 
pieces "air to breathe" by way of } 18. ... fxe4 19. fxe4 f5 ) 18. ... 
Bxf5 19. O-O Kd7 20. a4 Rb8 21. b4 { In the endgame white passed pawns on 
the Q-side look menacing, but active black bishops prove to be able to 
ensure adequate counterplay for Black } 21. ... Bd3! 22. Rfc1 ( {In 
S.Solovjov's opinion, worth attention is } 22. Rfd1!? e4 23. f3 f5 24. Kf2
+= ) 22. ... Kc6 23. c4 e4 24. Ra2 Bh6 25. Rc3 ( 25. b5+ Kb7! ( 25. ... 
Kc5?! 26. Ne3 Bxe3 27. fxe3 Bxc4 28. Rac2! d5 29. Rf2 Rb7 30. Rf6! +/- ) 
26. Rc3 ( 26. Ne3 Rc8! =+ ) 26. ... Bg7 {shown by S.Solovjov} ) 25. ... 
Bg7 26. Rc1 Bh6 27. Rc3 Bg7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 16.1"]
[Site "USSR"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "16.1"]
[White "Vitolinsh, Alvis"]
[Black "Sturua, Zurab"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2415"]
[BlackElo "2395"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4! {For the 
present this is the most popular black weapon in this variation. Black 
suddenly brings his queen rook into a fight along the 4th rank } 13. O-O 
Rxe4 14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. Qh5 {White knights with the help of their queen 
have encircled the enemy king tightly, but Black's defensive resources are
great enough } 15. ... Ne7! { Trying to cut the Gordian knot of white 
knights } ( 15. ... Nd4 16. f3 Ne2+ 17. Kf2 Qh4+ 18. Qxh4 Rxh4 19. Kxe2 
Rc4 20. Na8 Rxc2+ 21. Kd1 Rxb2 22. Nab6+ Kd8 23. Nxc8 Kxc8 24. Rc1+ Kd7 
25. Rc2 Rb5 26. Rd2 Bh6 27. f4 exf4 28. Rf3 Rhb8 29. Nc3 Rb2 30. Rxb2 Rxb2
31. Ne2 Rxa2 32. Rh3 Ra1+ 33. Kc2 Bg7 34. Nxf4 Ra2+ 35. Kb3 Rb2+ 36. Kc4 
h6 37. Rh5 Rc2+ 38. Kd3 Rc5 {* Kesl, Ervin (2166) - Vesely, Emanuel (2133)
/ CZE/C/sf27 (CZE) (-), ICCF2012_corr01 2012} ) 16. Qxf7 Kc6! { Coming out
to the center of the board bravely, black king is ready to defend himself 
on his own! } 17. c4 Rg8 {Combining defence with counterattack. Black 
intends to drive the white queen away by means of Â¦g8-g7 and looks 
closely at the g2-square } ( {An immediate exchange of the d5-knight led 
to a strong white attack in the following game:} 17. ... Nxd5 18. cxd5+ 
Kb6 19. Rfc1! Qd7 20. Rc6+ Ka5 ( 20. ... Kb7 21. Qh5 Kb8 22. Rac1 +- ) 21.
 Ra6+! Kb4 22. a3+ Kb3 23. Rb6+ Ka4 ( 23. ... Kc2 24. Qh5 ) 24. b3+ Ka5 
25. Qxd7 Kxb6 ( 25. ... Bxd7 26. Ra6# ) 26. Qc6+ Ka7 27. Nb5+ {1-0, 
Horvath T - Joksic S, 1978 Jugoslavija)} ) 18. Nb5?! {This retreat hands 
over the initiative to the opponent } ( 18. Rfc1! Rg7 19. Ne6! Bxe6 20. 
Qxe6 Reg4 21. g3 R4g5 22. Nb4+ Kb7 23. c5 R5g6 24. c6+ Ka8 25. Qb3! ( 25. 
Qd7! Qxd7 26. cxd7 Nc6 27. Rxc6 Rxd7 28. Rc8+ ) 25. ... Qb6 26. c7 Kb7 ( 
26. ... Nc8 27. Rc6 Qb5 28. a4 +- ) 27. Qd5+! {1-0, Honfi Karoly - 
Piasetski L, 1978 Subotica} ) 18. ... Rg7! 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Qd5+ Kb6 {It
turns out now that it is not easy at all to attack the black king, even if
this monarch is deprived of his pawn cover, and black counterthreats along
the a8-h1 diagonal and the g-file have become real } 21. Qd3 ( 21. Nc3 Bb7
22. Qb5+ ( 22. Qd3 Rxg2+ 23. Kxg2 Rg4+ -+ ) 22. ... Ka7 23. Nxe4 fxe4! -/+
) 21. ... Bb7 22. f3 d5!! {Opening the a7-g1 diagonal for the attack 
against white king } 23. fxe4 ( 23. cxd5 Qc5+ 24. Kh1 Rh4! -+ ) 23. ... 
dxc4! 24. Qe2 ( 24. Qxc4 Qc5+ -+ ) 24. ... Bxe4 25. Rf2 ( 25. Nc3 Bxg2! 
26. Qxg2 Rxg2+ ( 26. ... Qb7 -+ 27. Rf2 Rxg2+ 28. Rxg2 Bc5+ 29. Kh1 Bd4 ) 
27. Kxg2 Qg7+ 28. Kf3 Qg4+ 29. Kf2 Bc5+ 30. Ke1 Qh4+ 31. Ke2 Qxh2+ 32. Ke1
Qg3+ 33. Kd1 Qd3+ 34. Ke1 Be7 ) 25. ... Kxb5 -+ 26. a4+ Kb6 27. Qxc4 Qc5 
28. Qe6+ Ka7 29. g3 Qd4 30. Kf1 Bc5 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 16.2"]
[Site "Batumi GEO"]
[Date "2002.06.15"]
[Round "16.2"]
[White "Sulskis, Sarunas"]
[Black "Gagunashvili, Merab"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2577"]
[BlackElo "2472"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2002.06.12"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4 13. O-O Rxe4 
14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. Qh5 Ne7 16. Qxf7 Kc6 17. c4 Qd7 {This defence is 
admittedly the most reliable one for Black. Subsequently he may operate 
with a threat of the queen exchange on the 7th rank } ( {As we have 
already observed in the previous example, after} 17. ... Rg8 {White faces 
his opponents with some problems by means of} 18. Rfc1! Rg7 ( 18. ... Reg4
19. g3 R4g6 20. c5!! Nxd5 ( 20. ... dxc5 21. Rxc5+ Kxc5 22. Rc1+ Kd6 23. 
Nxe7 Be6 24. Nxf5+ +- ) 21. cxd6+ +- ) 19. Ne6! Bxe6 20. Qxe6 Reg4 21. g3 
R4g5? ( 21. ... R4g6 22. Nxe7+ Bxe7 23. Qxf5 Qd7 24. Qe4+ Kc7 25. c5 dxc5 
26. Qxe5+ Bd6 27. Qc3 Kb8 28. Re1 Rf7 29. Qb3+ Kc7 30. Rad1 Rgf6 31. Re2 
Qc6 32. Qc4 = ) 22. Nb4+ Kb7 23. c5 R5g6 24. c6+ Ka8 25. Qb3 Qb6 26. c7 
Kb7 27. Qd5+ {1-0 Honfi, Karoly (2420) - Piasetski, Leon (2410) / Subotica
(?), Subotica SRB 1978} ) 18. Na8! {An original and unexpected knight 
maneuver allows White to establish coordination between his pieces that 
take part in the attack } ( {Other continuations are favorable for Black:}
18. b4? Nxd5 -+ ) ( 18. Rfc1 Ng6 19. Qf6 Be7 20. Qf7 Bg5 -+ ) ( 18. Nb5 
Ng6 19. Nb4+ Kb6 20. Qd5 Nf4! -/+ ( 20. ... Bb7? 21. c5+ +- ) ( 20. ... 
Qb7? 21. c5+! dxc5 22. Qd8+! Kxb5 23. a4+ Kxb4 24. Qd2+ +- ) 21. Qd2 Rg8 
22. a4 ( 22. g3 Bb7 -+ ) ( 22. Nd5+ Nxd5 23. Qxd5 Rxg2+! 24. Kxg2 Rg4+ 25.
 Kh3 ( 25. Kh1 Bb7 -+ ) 25. ... Qe8 -+ ) 22. ... Rxg2+ 23. Kh1 Qg7 24. a5+
Kc5! {0-1, Kirsch B - Fleck J, 1979 BRD} ) 18. ... Ng6! ( 18. ... Nxd5?? 
19. Qxd5# ) ( 18. ... Kb7? 19. Nab6 Qe6 20. Nxc8! +- ) ( 18. ... Qe6 19. 
Qe8+ Qd7 ( 19. ... Bd7? 20. Qb8 +- ) 20. Nxe7+ Bxe7 21. Qxh8 Kb7 +/- ) 19.
 Nb4+ Kb7 20. Qd5+ Kb8 21. Nb6!? { In this sharpest position White decides
to keep on fighting } ( 21. Nc6+! Kxa8 22. Qb5 Qb7 ( 22. ... Qc7 23. Qa4+ 
Kb7 24. Na5+ Kb8 25. Nc6+ Qxc6? ( 25. ... Kb7 = ) 26. Qxc6 Bb7 27. Qb6! 
Be7 28. a4 Nf4 29. a5 Bd8 30. Qxd6+ Bc7 31. Qf6 Rg8 32. a6!! Nh5 33. Qe7!!
( 33. Qf7? Rxg2+ 34. Kh1 Rxh2+ 35. Kg1 Rh1+ -+ ) 33. ... Rxg2+ 34. Kh1 Ba8
35. f3 +- ) 23. Qa5+ Qa6 24. Qc7 Qb7 25. Qa5+ { 1/2-1/2, Gruenfeld Y - 
Fleck J, 1980 Lugano} ) 21. ... Qb7 22. Qb5 ( 22. Nc6+? Kc7 -+ ) 22. ... 
Nf4 {Black begins his counterplay on the K-side. White, in his turn, hopes
to step up his pressure on the opposite flank, combining this with 
parrying the opponent's threats } 23. f3 ( 23. N4d5 Be7! 24. a4 ( 24. Nxe7
Qxe7 -/+ ) 24. ... Bd8 25. a5 Nxd5 26. cxd5 Rd4 27. Rfc1 Bxb6 28. axb6 
Qxd5 -/+ ) 23. ... Re2 ( {In S.Sulskis' opinion, worth attention is} 
23. ... Rxc4!? 24. Qxc4 ( 24. Rac1 Rc5! -/+ ) 24. ... Qxb6+ 25. Kh1 Be6 
26. Qc3 Ne2 27. Qd2 Nd4 =+ ) 24. g3 h5 ( {The cavalry could have rushed to
the dangerous charge in case of the straightforward} 24. ... Nh3+? 25. Kh1
Nf2+ 26. Rxf2 Rxf2 27. Nc6+ Kc7 28. Nd5+ {that's where black knight's 
retreat from f4 and the weakening of the d5-square tell!} 28. ... Kd7 29. 
Nxe5+ Kd8 ( 29. ... Ke6 30. Qe8+ Be7 31. Qf7+ Kxe5 32. Qg7+ Ke6 33. Re1+ 
+- ) 30. Qa5+ Ke8 31. Qa4+! Bd7 32. Nxd7 Kf7 +/- ) ( {but worth attention 
is } 24. ... Rg8!? {with an idea of Rg8-g6-h6} ) 25. Kh1 ( 25. gxf4?? Qg7+
) 25. ... Rg8 ( 25. ... h4? 26. g4 +/- ) 26. c5! {Opening the approaches 
to black king } ( 26. gxf4?? Rg1+! 27. Kxg1 Qg7+ -+ ) 26. ... dxc5 27. 
Nc6+ Kc7 28. gxf4 Rgg2 {The heat of the struggle reaches its very climax. 
Both kings are under fire of enemy pieces } ( 28. ... Qxc6!? 29. Qxe2 Kxb6
30. Qe3 ( 30. b4? cxb4 -+ 31. Rfc1 Bc5 32. Rab1 Qb5 33. Qxe5 Bb7 34. Qe6+ 
Ka7 35. Rb3 -+ ) 30. ... Kc7 31. fxe5 c4 32. Qf4 Be6 33. Rad1 ( 33. h3 -/+
) 33. ... Bc5 -/+ ) 29. Nd5+ Kd6 ( 29. ... Kd7? 30. Nf6+!? Ke6 31. Nd8+ 
Kxf6 32. Qxe2 Rxe2 33. Nxb7 Bxb7 -+ ) 30. fxe5+ Kxd5 ( 30. ... Ke6 31. 
Nf4+ +- ) 31. Rad1+ Rd2 ( 31. ... Ke6?? 32. Qc4# ) 32. Nb4+ Ke6 33. Qe8+ 
Be7?? ( 33. ... Qe7 34. Qxc8+ Qd7 35. Qa6+ Kf7 36. Qf6+ Kg8 37. Rg1 Rxd1 
38. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 39. Kxg2 Qe2+ 40. Kg1 cxb4 41. Qg6+ = ) 34. Rxd2 Rxd2 35. 
Nc6 Qc7 36. Nxe7?! ( 36. Rg1 +-- Kd5 37. Nxe7+ Kd4 38. Qa4+ c4 39. Nc6+ 
Ke3 40. Qxc4 Ba6 41. Re1+ Kxf3 42. Rf1+ Rf2 43. Qd5+ Kf4 44. Qd2+ Kg4 45. 
Rg1+ Rg2 46. Rxg2+ Kh3 47. Rg3+ Kh4 48. Qg5# ) 36. ... Qd8 37. Qxd8 Rxd8 
38. Nxc8 +/- Rxc8 39. f4 Rb8 40. Rf2 Kd5 41. Kg2 Ra8 42. b3 Ra3 43. Rd2+ 
Ke6 44. Kg3 c4 45. Kh4 cxb3 46. axb3 Rxb3 47. Kxh5 Rb8 48. Rd6+ 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 16.3"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "2000.03.16"]
[Round "16.3"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Lautier, Joel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2751"]
[BlackElo "2632"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2000.03.16"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 {A sharp continuation which 
requires from Black a very precise play. The final conclusion of the 
11.Bxb5 line is still to be made.} 11. ... axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4 13. b4!? {
Another white attempt to "blow up the fire" of the attack } ( 13. c4 {is 
another interesting pawn advance.} 13. ... Qa5+ 14. b4 Rxb4 15. O-O Rxb5 
16. cxb5 Nd4 17. Qh5 Be6 18. Nf6+ Kd8 19. Rab1 ( 19. b6 Qxb6 20. Rfb1 Qa7 
{and Black defends.} ) 19. ... Be7 20. Qh6 Kc7 -/+ {0-1 
Rajlich,V-Gara,A/Budapest (44)} ) ( 13. Nbc7+ {considered the main move.} 
13. ... Kd7 14. O-O Rxe4 ( 14. ... Qg5 {is the second option.} ) 15. Qh5 ~
) 13. ... Rxb4 {Otherwise the black rook is offside} 14. Nbc7+ ( 14. Nxb4
?! {This move is not in the spirit of the line 11. Bxb5.} 14. ... Nxb4 15.
 O-O ( 15. c3 Nc6 16. Rb1 Be7 17. Qd5 Na5 18. Na7?! Be6 -/+ {0-1 Vavra, 
P-Divis,J/CSR 1992 (44)} ) 15. ... Be7 -/+ ) 14. ... Kd7 15. O-O { White 
plan becomes clear. Having included the move b2-b4, he opens up the b-file
for his attack at the cost of a pawn } 15. ... Rb7?! ( 15. ... Qg5 16. 
Nxb4 Nxb4 17. Qb1 Rg8 18. g3 Kxc7 19. Qxb4 Kd7 ( 19. ... fxe4! ) 20. c4 ~ 
{0-1 Vitolinsh, A-Cherniaev,A/Kherson 1990 (43)} ) ( {Playing by analogy 
with the previous game} 15. ... Rxe4?! 16. Qh5 Ne7 17. Qxf7 { is dangerous
for Black in view of opening the b-file, for example: } 17. ... Kc6 18. c4
Qd7 19. Rab1! +- ) 16. Qh5! {Now White gets a very strong attack.} 16. ...
 Ne7 ( 16. ... Rxc7 17. Qxf7+ ( 17. Qxf5+ Ke8 18. Nf6+ Ke7 19. Nd5+ Ke8 
=, quiet ) 17. ... Ne7 ( 17. ... Be7?? ) 18. Nb6+ {see the next variation.
} 18. ... Kc6 19. Rab1 ) 17. Qxf7 Kc6 ( 17. ... Rxc7 18. Nb6+ Kc6 19. Rab1
d5 ( 19. ... Ba6 20. Qb3 +/- {White obtains a smashing attack for his two 
sacrificed pawns; nevertheless, this continuation is the strongest one} 
20. ... Rg8 ( 20. ... Bxf1 21. Qa4+ Kb7 22. Nd7+ +- ) ( 20. ... Ra7 21. 
Qc3+ Kb7 22. Rfd1 Kb8 23. Rxd6! Qxd6 24. Nc8+ +- ) 21. Rfd1 â†’ ( 21. Qa4+
Kb7 22. Nc4+ Ka7 23. Rb6 Qc8 24. Nxd6 Kxb6 25. Nxc8+ Rxc8 26. Rb1+ Ka7 27.
 Qd7+ Ka8 28. exf5 +- ( 28. Rb6 Rg6 ) ) ) 20. Qf6+ Qd6 21. Qxh8 Ng6 22. 
Qg8 fxe4 23. c4 d4 24. Nxc8 Rxc8 25. c5 {1-0 Berendsen, R-Van 
Beek,L/Nijmegen 1993 (25)} ) 18. Rab1! {As we can see, the open b-file 
allows White to instil a second wind into his attack } 18. ... fxe4 19. 
Rxb7 Kxb7 ( 19. ... Bxb7 20. Ne6 ( 20. Rb1 +- ) 20. ... Qc8 21. Rb1! ) 20.
 Rb1+ Kc6 ( 20. ... Ka7 21. Nxe7 Bxe7 22. Qc4 Qd7 23. Qc3 +- ) 21. Rb6+ 
Kc5 22. Rb3! Kc6 23. Rc3+ Kb7 24. Nxe7 Bxe7 25. Qd5+ Ka7 26. Qa8+ ( 26. 
Qa8+ Kb6 27. Rc6# ) 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 16.4"]
[Site "Leon ESP"]
[Date "2001.06.08"]
[Round "16.4"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]
[BlackElo "2707"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2001.06.08"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 {This position 
seems to suit Shirov perfectly. The second time he plays it and achieves a
very nice win again.} 12. ... Ra4 {Winants: 'La réplique consacrée :'} ( {
Apr s} 12. ... Rb8? {Winants} 13. Nbc7+ Kd7 14. Qh5 {L'attaque des Blancs 
deviendrait tr s rapidement irrésistible.} ) 13. b4 {Winants: 'L'idée ne 
consiste pas seulement intercepter l'action de la Tour sur la quatri me 
traverse, mais aussi dégager une colonne ouverte vers b6.'} ( {Les 
ouvrages théoriques envisagent aussi le petit roque et} 13. c4 {Winants} )
13. ... Rxb4 {Winants: 'La Tour continue son chemin, pour distraire le 
Cavalier avancé (d5). Cependant les Blancs restent imperturbables.'} ( 
13. ... Qh4!? {Nobody yet repeated the novelty made by McShane.} 14. O-O (
14. Nbc7+ Kd8 ) 14. ... Rg8 15. c3 f4 16. Qxa4 Rxg2+ 17. Kxg2 Qg4+ {
1/2-1/2 Luther,T-McShane,L/ Lippstadt 2000} ) 14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. O-O {
Winants: 'Les Noirs ont pris une pi ce, mais leur Roi est entouré de 
fantômes qui hurlent autour de lui.'} 15. ... Qxc7!? {Amazing: for the 
centralized knight on d5 Black is ready to give the queen! Shirov's answer
is even more amusing - who cares about the queen? 

By sacrificing his queen Black solves the problem of white cavalry that 
has encircled the black king tightly, in a radical manner } ( 15. ... Qg5 
{In my opinion the critical move.} 16. Nxb4 ( 16. f4 exf4 17. Rxf4 Rg8 18.
 Qf1 Kd8 19. Nxb4 Nxb4 20. Rb1 Kxc7 21. Rxb4 d5 22. Rb3 Bc5+ 23. Kh1 Ba6 
24. Rd3 fxe4 25. Rxf7+ Kc8? ( 25. ... Be7 ) 26. Ra3!! {1-0 
Wege,J-Pluemer,D/Aschach 2000} ) 16. ... Nxb4 17. c3 ( 17. Qb1 Rg8 ~ {0-1 
Vitolinsh,A-Cherniaev,A/Kherson 1990/ (43)} ) 17. ... Kxc7 ( 17. ... Nc6 
18. Nd5 fxe4 19. Qa4 +/- ) 18. cxb4 fxe4 19. Qa4 â†‘ {1-0 
Luther,T-Reinderman,D/Venlo 2000 (30)} ) ( 15. ... Rb7? 16. Qh5 Ne7 17. 
Qxf7 {Winants: '(Menace 18.Ne6)'} 17. ... Kc6 ( {Si} 17. ... Rxc7 {Winants
} 18. Nb6+ Kc6 19. Rab1 Ba6 20. Qb3! {Et l'attaque perce.} ) 18. Rab1 +- {
1-0 Shirov, A-Lautier,J/Monte Carlo 2000 (26)} 18. ... fxe4 ( {Si} 18. ...
 Nxd5 {Winants} 19. exd5+ Kc5 20. Rxb7 Bxb7 21. Ne6+ {Et prend la Dame} ) 
( {ou} 18. ... Rxc7 {Winants} 19. Rb6+ Kc5 20. Rfb1 {etc.} ) 19. Rxb7 Kxb7
( 19. ... Bxb7 {Winants} 20. Rb1 ) 20. Rb1+ Kc6 21. Rb6+ Kc5 22. Rb3 {Vers
c3 pour asséner le mat du Cavalier sur b5} 22. ... Kc6 23. Rc3+ Kb7 24. 
Nxe7 Bxe7 25. Qd5+ Ka7 26. Qa8+ {abandon, Shirov-Lautier, Monaco 2000.} ) 
16. c3!? {A considerable improvement of the variation for White} ( {White 
was doing fine in the practice after the pragmatical 16.Nxc7 as well:} 16.
 Nxc7 Kxc7 17. Qh5 Rxe4 18. Qxf7+ Be7 19. Rfb1 ( 19. Rfe1 {1-0 
Vorobiov,E-Bogachkov,I/St Petersburg 2000 (56)} ) ( {ou} 19. a4 {Winants} 
19. ... Rf8 20. Qb3 Rb4 {Baljon-Dolmatov, Amsterdam 1979} 21. Qd5 Ba6 22. 
c3 Re4 23. Rfb1 Bc4 =+ ) 19. ... Rf8 20. Qb3 Rb4 21. Qd5 Rxb1+ 22. Rxb1 
Bd7 23. a4 Ra8 24. Qc4 h5 25. g3 Ra5 26. Rb5 d5 27. Rxd5 Be6 28. Qxc6+ 
Kxc6 29. Rxa5 Bc5 30. Ra6+ Kd5 31. c4+ {1-0 Rytshagov, M-Ripari,M/Saint 
Vincent 2001. I must add that M. Rytshagov is Shirov's second.} ) 16. ... 
Rxe4 ( 16. ... Qb7 17. cxb4 fxe4 18. Rc1 ( 18. Qa4 Ke6 ) ( 18. Qh5 Ke6 ) 
18. ... f5 ( 18. ... Bh6 19. Qh5 Bxc1 20. Qxf7+ Kd8 21. Qf6+ Kd7 22. Qg7+ 
Ke6 23. Nc7+ Kf5 24. Rxc1 +- ) 19. Qa4 â†’ ) ( {Supposons} 16. ... Qa5 {
Winants autrement les pions liés, appuyés par une Tour en c1, ne 
tarderaient pas avancer.} 17. cxb4 Nxb4 18. Qd2 Nc6 19. Qg5 {Le loup entre
dans la bergerie.} ) ( ) 17. Qh5! Kd8 {Of course not easy to advise best 
way for Black. Let's not forget that this is advanced chess and even with 
the help of a computer Black's position could not be saved, which says 
quite a lot about the evaluation of the entire line. Winants: 'Un choix 
raisonnable'} ( {Apr s} 17. ... Qa5 {Winants} 18. Qxf5+ Kd8 19. Qxe4 Ne7 {
Les Noirs obtiennent deux pi ces mineures contre Tour et pion, mais les 
chances respectives restent tr s difficiles évaluer.} ) 18. Nxc7 Kxc7 19. 
Qxf7+ Be7 20. Rab1 {Black has an adequate material compensation of three 
minor pieces for his queen, but the open position of his king makes white 
chances more preferable } 20. ... Ba6 21. Rfd1 {Now it is most certain 
that White has an advantage. All his pieces are very active.} 21. ... Rf8 
{Winants: 'Pour défendre f5.'} ( 21. ... Rb8? 22. Rxb8 Kxb8 23. Qxf5 +- ) 
22. Qb3! {Winants: 'Apr s dix bonnes minutes de réflexion !'} ( {A greedy}
22. Qxh7 { would have allowed Black to activate his pieces: } 22. ... Rh4 
23. Qg6 Rg4 24. Qh6 Be2! ~ 25. Re1 ( 25. Rdc1 Rxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Rg8+ 27. Kh3 
Bg4+ 28. Kg2 Be2+ =, quiet ) ( 25. h3 Rh4 26. Qc1 Bxd1 27. Qxd1 Ra8 28. 
Rb2 Ra3 29. g3 Rxh3 = ) 25. ... Rxg2+! 26. Kxg2 Rg8+ 27. Kh3 Bg4+ 28. Kg2 
Be2+ 29. Kh3 Bg4+ ) 22. ... Rb8 23. Qe6! Rxb1 ( {Later the move} 23. ... 
Bc4!? {have been practically tested} ) ( 23. ... Bc4 24. Qxf5 Rxb1 25. 
Rxb1 Bd3 26. Rf1 d5 27. Qe6 Bxf1 28. Kxf1 d4 29. cxd4 Rxd4 30. g3 Rd6 31. 
Qc4 h6 32. Qc3 Rd4 33. h4 Bb4 34. Qc2 Kb6 35. Kg2 Bc5 {1/2-1/2(52) 
Naiditsch, Arkadij (2532) - Jakubiec, Artur (2518) / Griesheim GM (4), 
Griesheim 2002} ) 24. Rxb1 {Black played very precise and the position is 
far from clear. From practical point of view it is easier to play with 
White for the simple reason that having just 2 pieces one has less 
possibilities and must not spend a lot of time finding the right move...} 
24. ... Bd3 {Winants: 'Pour chasser la Tour de la colonne ouverte.'} ( {
Stronger is} 24. ... Bc4!? { that, with a different move order, leads to a
position from the previous comment} 25. Qh6 ( 25. Qxf5 Bd3 26. Rf1 â–¡ ( 
26. Rd1?? Re1+ -+ ) 26. ... d5 27. Qxh7 Bxf1 28. Kxf1 += ) 25. ... f4 26. 
Ra1 Bd3 27. Qh3 +/- Bc2 28. Rc1 d5 29. Kf1 Ba4 30. Qd3 +/- ) 25. Rd1! +/- 
f4 {'?' Winants. Winants: 'La faute décisive : elle permet l'intervention 
du pion passé.'} ( {Il fallait donc jouer} 25. ... Bc2 {Winants} 26. Rc1 
Bd3 {et garder ainsi le contrôle du point a4.} ) 26. Qd5! {'!' Winants.} 
26. ... Bc2 27. Rc1 {Winants: 'Menace 28. Kf1 ! : Les Noirs n'ont d'autres
ressources que de disperser leurs forces.'} 27. ... Re2 28. a4! {Trying to
retain the f5-pawn black pieces have taken up poor positions, and now the 
a2-pawn advance throws his defence into complete confusion } 28. ... e4 {
Looking for counterplay, but White is quicker.} ( 28. ... Bxa4? 29. Qc4 {
Winants: '-attaque double-'} 29. ... Rc2 30. Rb1 +- ( 30. Ra1 +- ) ( 30. 
Re1 +- ) ) ( 28. ... Be4 29. Qb5 Rd2 30. a5 +- d5 31. f3 Ba3 32. fxe4 Bxc1
33. exd5 Ne7 34. Qb6+ Kd7 35. Qe6+ Kd8 36. c4 Rd1+ 37. Kf2 Be3+ 38. Kf3 
Bc5 39. Qxe5 +- ) 29. a5 Bd3 {Winants: 'Surveille a6, mais en vain.'} 30. 
Ra1! +- {Winants: 'Selon le principe qui préconise de poster les Tours 
derri re les pions passés.'} 30. ... Rb2 ( 30. ... Ba6 31. Qb3 +- ) ( 
30. ... Bh4 31. g3 fxg3 32. hxg3 +- ) 31. c4 {Winants: 'Ferme la porte !'}
( 31. a6 Bxa6 32. Qxe4 +/- ) 31. ... Rb7 ( {Ou plus joli :} 31. ... Rb4 {
Winants} 32. a6 Bxc4 ( 32. ... Na7 {Winants} 33. Qa8 ) 33. Qxc6+!! Kxc6 
34. a7 +- {Et le pion fait Dame.} ) 32. a6 Ra7 33. f3 +- {Now is over. 
Black has no coordination at all. Winants: 'Tout s'écroule...'} 33. ... 
Ne5 34. fxe4 Bxc4 35. Rc1 Rxa6 36. Rxc4+ Nxc4 37. Qxc4+ Rc6 38. Qf7 {
Winants: 'Les pions isolés ne permettent aucune résistance.'} 38. ... Kd8 
39. Qg8+ Kd7 40. Qxh7 Rc5 41. Qf7 Rc1+ 42. Kf2 Rc8 43. Qf5+ Kc7 44. Qe6 
1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 16.5"]
[Site "Essen GER"]
[Date "2002.05.20"]
[Round "16.5"]
[White "Luther, Thomas"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2566"]
[BlackElo "2707"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2002.05.16"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 {One can't help admiring Thomas
courage to sac a piece against one of the strongest theoreticians in the 
world. White's decision seems like an experiment: probably Thomas was 
willing to check Leko's analysis in this sharpest line of Sveshnikov 
Sicilian. Well, Peter confirmed his status once again...} 11. ... axb5 12.
 Nxb5 Ra4 13. b4 {After Shirov's loss against Kasparov earlier this year I
thought 13.b4 will take a rest for a while. On the other hand this was 
based rather on subjective thinking, since the result of that game wasn't 
necessary a direct consequence of the opening outcome.} 13. ... Rxb4 {
Luther must have had an improvement over Shirov-Kasparov. Unless he was 
willing to force a draw, which frankly speaking, I doubt.} ( 13. ... Qh4 
14. O-O Rg8 15. f4 ( 15. c3 f4 16. Qxa4 Rxg2+ {was a draw in 
Luther-McShane, Lippstadt 2000. I guess Thomas would have rather go for 15
f4, trying to improve Shirov's play.} ) 15. ... Kd8 16. c3 ( 16. Nb6!? {
The most serious attempt to improve on Shirov's play.} 16. ... Rxb4 17. 
Nxc8 Kxc8 18. Qd5 ~ ) 16. ... Ra6 17. a4?! fxe4 18. f5?! {After this Black
is certainly much better. However, it makes sense to give the whole game, 
as in the end the cause for White's loss was same as in our main game: the
diagonal a8-h1.} ( 18. Ndc7 {and the fight is far from being over yet.} 
18. ... Qh3 19. Qc2 Rb6 20. Kh1! Qh4 ( 20. ... Qd3 21. Qa2! ) ( 20. ... 
Qg4 21. Nd5 ) 21. a5 Rb7 22. a6 Rxc7 23. Nxc7 Kxc7 24. a7 Bb7 25. a8=Q 
Bxa8 26. Rxa8 ~ ) 18. ... Bb7 19. Ra2 e3 20. Nxe3 Qe4 21. Re1 Nxb4 22. 
cxb4 Bh6 23. Kh1 Bxe3 24. Qe2 Rc6 25. a5 Qxb4 26. Nxd6 Rxd6 27. Qxe3 Qd4 
28. Qc1 Qd5 {0-1 Shirov,A-Kasparov,G/Linares 2002} ) 14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. O-O
Rg8! {A strong flexible continuation, which is not a novelty though. 
...Rg8 can be considered an universal move in 11.Bxb5 line. As we'll see, 
Black would better keep the queen on d8 for a while (unlike in 
Luther-Reinderman).

This is one of the best continuations for Black in this particular 
position. He tries to create counterthreats along the g-file immediately }
( {With the same purpose the move} 15. ... Qg5 {has been tested. In Th. 
Luther's practice there subsequently occured } 16. Nxb4 Nxb4 17. c3! {The 
absence of the queen from the queenside make Black's king vulnerable. 

opening the d1-a4 diagonal for bringing white queen into attack} 17. ... 
Kxc7 18. cxb4 fxe4 19. Qa4 {with attack, Luther,T-Reinderman,D/Venlo 2000.
Note that white queen went to the side opposite to Black's queen.} 19. ...
 Bh3 20. Rac1+ Kd8 21. Qa8+ Ke7 22. Rc7+ Bd7 23. Qb7 Qf5 24. Rfc1 Rg8 25. 
Rxd7+ Ke6 26. Qc8 Rxg2+ 27. Kxg2 Qf3+ 28. Kg1 Qg4+ 29. Kf1 Qh3+ 30. Ke1 {
1-0, Luther Thomas (GER) 2547 - Reinderman Dimitri (NED) 2551, Venlo 
(Netherlands) 2000} ) ( 15. ... Rb7 16. Qh5! {Again black queen is not 
able to take countermeasures against her white colleague.} 16. ... Ne7 17.
 Qxf7 Kc6 18. Rab1 fxe4 19. Rxb7 Kxb7 20. Rb1+ Kc6 21. Rb6+ Kc5 22. Rb3 {
and White won, Shirov,A-Lautier,J/Monte Carlo 2000.} ) 16. g3!? ( 16. Nxb4
Nxb4 17. Nd5 ( 17. c3 {comparing to Luther-Reinderman, this fails to 
impress with black queen on d8.} 17. ... Qxc7 18. cxb4 fxe4 {is also good 
for Black.} ) 17. ... Qg5 ( 17. ... Nxd5 18. Qxd5 Ke7 19. Rab1 Be6 20. 
Qb7+ Kf6 21. exf5 Bxf5 22. f4 e4 23. Qd5 Qc8 24. Rb5 Qe6 25. Qd4+ Kg6 26. 
Qe3 ( 26. g4 Kh6! ) 26. ... h6 -/+ {Baer,H-Berriot,B/Latin Am-Cup4 corr 
1987} ) 18. g3 Nxd5 19. Qxd5 Ke7 20. a4 {with unclear play, Solovjov 
Sergey I 2496 - Yudin Sergei 
2417 , St.Petersburg 22.10.2005 Memorial M.Chigorin} ) ( 16. Qh5 Qg5! 17. 
Qxf7+ Be7 18. g3 Rb7 { leads, with a different move order, to a position 
that will arise in the game later} ) 16. ... Rb7! {Now Black plays like in
the game Shirov-Lautier. The inclusion of the moves g3 and ...Rg8 favours 
Black.} 17. Qh5 Qg5! {That's the difference to Shirov-Lautier. The queen 
gets out. The next part of the game proves that White is unable to create 
anything real.

Inclusion of the moves Rh8-g8 and g2-g3 proves to be favorable for Black 
in comparison with the game A.Shirov - J.Lautier } 18. Qxf7+ Be7 {It turns
out that queen on f7 is stuck in the enemy camp, and white attack gets 
bogged down } 19. Nxe7 Nxe7 20. Ne6 ( {After} 20. Nd5 {Black has a 
pleasant choice between 20...Kd8 or 20...Qg7, in both cases with a 
position close to winning for Black.} 20. ... Qg7 -+ ) 20. ... Qg6 21. 
Nf8+ Rxf8 22. Qxf8 fxe4 {White retains a rough material balance, but now 
Black is fully ready to launch a counterattack against white king } 23. 
Rfb1 ( 23. a4 Rc7 24. a5 Ba6 -+ 25. Qa8 Bxf1 26. Kxf1 e3 27. Qf3 ) 23. ...
 Rc7 -+ 24. a4 e3! { The threats along the a8-h1 diagonal prove to be 
deadly for white king } 25. fxe3 Qe4 {Just like in Shirov-Kasparov, the 
weakness of the long diagonal is fatal for White. Another serious blow in 
this variation.} 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 17"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2002.03.10"]
[Round "17"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2715"]
[BlackElo "2838"]
[ECO "B33u"]
[EventDate "2002.02.22"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4 13. b4 {Up to
the present game the piece sac in connection with this pawn advance 
brought Shirov two nice victories. Actually the move 13.b4 was lately the 
reason for popularity of the whole bishop sacrifice line. Probably it is 
time to have a closer look to 13.b4. White obviously wants to open files 
on the queenside and it also defends pawn e4 in a very original and active
manner. The move is not new at all and was first played in 1979, but never
considered dangerous because of the answer 13. ... Rxb4. However, the 
things proved far from clear after 14.Nbc7 Kd7 15.0-0, when Black must 
play very precise in order to avoid a quick disaster. Black tried several 
different ways after that, but it became more or less obvious that White 
has a good compensation for the piece. In the former Soviet Union the 
inventor of the b4 idea was considered Latvian Master Alvis Vitolinsh. It 
is not possible to say now if he played it before the first officially 
recorded game with 13.b4 ( Tringov,G-Cvetkovic,S/Vrnjacka Banja 1979), 
because in chess databases many Soviet tournaments are absent. Interesting
is another factor. Certain is that after two decades another originally 
Latvian player contributed to its revival - Alexey Shirov. Maybe we should
name the move 13.b4 the Latvian Variation? However, the present game is a 
serious blow against "Latvian Variation". The psychological effect of this
game might be so strong that we won't see 13.b4 soon in the practice 
again, that's why I thought it is better to give this short historical 
background now.} ( 13. Nbc7+ Kd7 14. b4 {would avoid Black's option 13. 
... Qh4, since now 14...Qh4 makes less sense (because the king went on d7 
already, see next comment). Maybe in this case Black can consider taking 
on b4 with the knight, although it wasn't played it in the practice yet.} 
14. ... Rxb4 ( 14. ... Nxb4!? 15. c3 Nxd5 16. Qxa4+ Kxc7 17. exd5 Bb7 ~ {
White will soon double rooks on the b-file, while Black should be trying 
to trade queens. It's difficult to give a precise evaluation of the 
position without practical games played with it.} ) 15. O-O ~ ) 13. ... 
Qh4 {Repeating McShane's idea. Strange that nobody played it after the 
game Luther,T-McShane,L/Lippstadt 2000. 13... Qh4 has several ideas. First
of all the counterplay on the kingside is typical for Black in 11.Bxb5 
line. Secondly (and most important) Black makes available square d8 for 
his king, thus keeping open the diagonal c8-h3 for the bishop. And finally
the queen attacks pawn e4.

 This objection to the gambit variation has a reputation of being one of 
the most reliable. Without paying any attention to the a4-pawn's 
isolation, Black gains time for creating counterplay on the K-side } ( 
13. ... Nxb4? {This doesn't work now because White wins a piece:} 14. 
Ndc7+ {That's the difference. White gives check with another knight.} 
14. ... Kd7 15. c3 +/- ) ( 13. ... Rxb4 ) 14. O-O Rg8 15. f4 {A slightly 
dubious novelty. Or let put it this way - the move was already recommended
in the annotations to McShane's game and one would expect that Shirov had 
analyzed the arising complications, but the game proved the opposite.} ( {
Black's main idea is realized in the variation } 15. c3 f4! {White forced 
a draw in the above-mentioned game:} 16. Qxa4 ( 16. g3 fxg3 17. fxg3 Rxg3+
18. hxg3 Qh3 ) 16. ... Rxg2+! {Sacrificing his two rooks Black forces a 
perpetual check } 17. Kxg2 Qg4+ {1/2-1/2 Luther,T-McShane,L/Lippstadt 
2000. Probably this is the logical outcome, unless Black can invent 
something instead of 15...f4 to play for more than a draw, but I doubt 
that.} ) 15. ... Kd8! {Shirov failed to find a way and collapsed in a few 
moves. I accept that there are ways for White to improve, but on the other
hand Black has always enough counterplay, at least for a draw by perpetual
in most of the cases.} 16. c3?! ( 16. Nb6!? {are worth attention; the 
latter has already been tested in practice: } 16. ... Rxb4 17. Nxc8 ( 17. 
Nxd6 Rd4 -+ ) 17. ... Kxc8 18. Qd5 ( 18. Nxd6+ Bxd6 19. Qxd6 Rc4! -+ ) 
18. ... Nd4 19. Qa8+ Kd7 20. Qb7+ Kd8 21. Qb8+ Kd7 22. Qb7+ Kd8 23. Qc7+ 
Ke8 24. Qc8+ Ke7 25. Nc3 f6 26. Nd5+ Kf7 27. Qd7+ Kg6 28. Nxb4 Ne2+ {
1/2-1/2, Sigfusson S - Asgeirsson H , Reykjavik 18. 8.2005 Ch Iceland)} ) 
( 16. Nxd6? Bxd6 17. Nb6 Nd4 18. Nxa4 fxe4 -+ ) ( 16. fxe5? Nxe5 17. Qd4 (
17. Nbc3? Rxb4! 18. Nxb4 Ng4 -+ ) 17. ... Ra6 -/+ {are unsatisfactory for 
White} ) ( {G.Kasparov thinks that the continuations} 16. c4!? ) 16. ... 
Ra6 17. a4? {Makes possible the move Ra1-a2 later. This move provides 
Black with time for launching a swift counterattack } ( {G.Kasparov points
at the following possibilities:} 17. Ndc7? fxe4 ( 17. ... Rb6 18. a4 fxe4 
{see 18.Nbc7} ) 18. Nxa6 Bh3! 19. Qe1 Rxg2+ 20. Kh1 Qg4 21. Rf2 exf4 -+ ) 
( 17. Ne3 Na7 ( 17. ... exf4 18. Nxd6 ) 18. Nxa7 Rxa7 19. Nxf5 Bxf5 20. 
exf5 Qh3 21. Qd2 Rc7 =+ ) ( 17. exf5 Bb7! ) 17. ... fxe4 18. f5?! ( {In 
G.Kasparov's opinion, the lesser of two evils for White is} 18. Ndc7 {This
was certainly more stubborn. Now in the following variations White is 
still struggling:} 18. ... Rb6 ( 18. ... Bh3 19. Ra2 ) ( 18. ... exf4 19. 
Nxa6 f3 20. Ra2 Bxa6 21. Qd5! Qh3 22. g3 Bxb5 23. axb5 Ne5 24. b6 {and 
probably Black has nothing more than a draw with Rxg3 at one point.} ) ( 
18. ... Qh3! 19. Ra2 Bg4 20. Qc2 Bf3 21. Nxa6 ( 21. Rf2 Bh6! -/+ ) 21. ...
 Rxg2+ 22. Qxg2 Bxg2 23. Rxg2 Qe3+ 24. Kh1 Qd3 -/+ ) 19. a5 Rb7 20. a6 
Rxc7 21. Nxc7 Kxc7 22. a7 Bb7 23. a8=Q Bxa8 24. Rxa8 ) 18. ... Bb7 {As we 
have already seen more than once, a typical motif of black counterplay in 
this variation is exerting pressure along the light-squared long diagonal 

The diagonal c8-h3 was closed by 18.f5, so the bishop finds a better one -
the long diagonal, which will prove fatal for White. By the way, one can 
say that the long diagonal is also full of pieces. Well, watch this:} 19. 
Ra2 ( 19. Nbc7 Ne7! 20. Nxe7 Bxe7 21. Nxa6 Rxg2+! -+ ) ( 19. Ndc7 e3 20. 
Nxd6 Kxc7 21. Nxb7 Nd4! 22. cxd4 Rh6 -+ {here and below the variations are
cited by G.Kasparov} ) 19. ... e3! 20. Nxe3 ( 20. Ndc7 Qc4! 21. Rb2 Nxb4 
22. cxb4 Bxg2 23. Rxg2 Rxg2+ 24. Kxg2 e2 -+ ) 20. ... Qe4 21. Re1 ( 21. 
Re2 Nd4 22. cxd4 Bh6 -+ ) ( 21. Qe2 Ne7 -+ ) 21. ... Nxb4! -+ {The 
decisive combination - White cannot hold g2. Who said that the long 
diagonal is full of pieces?

Black systematically clears the a8-h1 diagonal for his final blow } 22. 
cxb4 Bh6 {Attacking the defender - a well-known and effective motif.} 23. 
Kh1 ( 23. Ng4 Qxg4 24. Nxd6 Be3+! ) ( 23. Nxd6 Bxe3+ 24. Rxe3 Qxe3+ 25. 
Kh1 Bd5 -+ ) 23. ... Bxe3 24. Qe2 {The rest doesn't need comments - Black 
is absolutely winning.} ( 24. Rxe3 Qxg2+ 25. Rxg2 Bxg2+ 26. Kg1 Bf3+ 27. 
Kf2 Bxd1 {with a rook up.} ) 24. ... Rc6 ( 24. ... Rxa4 25. Nxd6 Rxa2 26. 
Nxb7+ Qxb7 27. Qxa2 Bd4 -+ ) 25. a5 ( 25. Rd2 Rxg2 26. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 27. Rxg2
Rc2 -+ ) 25. ... Qxb4 26. Nxd6 Rxd6 27. Qxe3 Qd4 28. Qc1 Qd5 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 9"]
[Site "Donetsk UKR"]
[Date "1998.11.02"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Golubev, Mikhail"]
[Black "Nechaev, Andrei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2515"]
[BlackElo "2330"]
[ECO "B33v"]
[EventDate "1998.11.02"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 Nc6 3. Nbc3 e6 ( 3. ... e5!? ) 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. 
Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 Bg7 12. c3 f5 
13. exf5 Bxf5 14. Nc2 Be6 15. Nce3 ( 15. g3 {In my opinion this move is 
more precise here.} 15. ... Ne7 ( 15. ... O-O!? ) 16. Bg2 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 +=
) 15. ... O-O ( 15. ... Ne7 {Practicaly forcing White to play the 
variation with 16.g3. After taking on d5, White must take back with the 
Knight unlike the previous remark (after 15.g3), which is more convenient 
for Black.} ) 16. Bd3 f5 {Nowadays a very fashionable line. White has 
several possibilities in this position, but neither of them proved to be a
clear advantage. The more interesting is to watch this game, in which 
White won convincingly.} 17. O-O ( 17. Qh5 ) ( 17. Bc2 ) 17. ... Ra7?! {It
always looked a bit artificial to me. This move can be good only if White 
starts to play on the Kingside.} ( 17. ... Rb8 18. Qh5 Qd7 19. Rad1 Kh8 
20. Bc2 b4 ~ {David,A-Manor,I/Czerniak-mem Bikurei Haitim 1997} ) ( 
17. ... e4 18. Nf4 Bf7 19. Bc2 Be5 {Black had good practical results here 
so far.} ) 18. a4! {Although technically speaking this is not a novelty, 
on the high level it was never met before. I think this move can put 
serious problems to the whole line with 17. ... Ra7.

 A preliminary play on the Q-side before white queen lunges to h5 looks 
like an interesting idea} ( 18. Qh5 Raf7 19. f4 ( 19. g4 e4 20. Bc2 Ne5 
â‡„â‡„ {Svidler-San Segundo/Madrid 1998} ) ( 19. a4!? ) 19. ... Ne7 
=, quiet {Asrian-Rogozenko/Elista(ol.) 1998} ) 18. ... b4 {A standard 
reaction. By way of the pawn sacrifice Black intends to obtain the 
d4-square for his knight } ( {Favorable for White is} 18. ... f4 19. Qh5 
Bh8 ( 19. ... Rff7 20. Bxh7+!? Kf8 21. Bf5! +/- ) 20. Bxh7+ ( 20. Bf5!? 
Rxf5 21. Nxf5 Bxd5 22. axb5 +/- ) 20. ... Rxh7 21. Qg6+ +- ) ( 18. ... e4 
19. Nf4 ( 19. axb5 exd3 20. bxc6 f4 ~ ) 19. ... Bf7 20. axb5 +/- ) ( 
18. ... Ne7 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 ( 19. ... Rxe7 20. axb5 axb5 21. Bxb5 d5 22. 
Ra6 +/- ) 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa7 Qxa7 22. Bxb5 Qc5 23. Ba4 +/- ) ( 18. ...
 bxa4 += {will be an evident black concession on the Q-side)} 19. Rxa4 a5 
{I don't see anything better than this for Black. However, White's chances
look better here.} ) 19. Qh5 ( 19. cxb4 {Maybe there is no need to take 
the pawn, but I don't see a clear compensation here.} 19. ... e4 ( 19. ...
 Nd4!? ) 20. Nf4 Bf7 21. Bc4 +/- ) 19. ... e4 ( 19. ... bxc3 20. bxc3 Raf7
( 20. ... e4 21. Nf4 Bf7 22. Bc4 += ) ( 20. ... Qd7!? ) 21. Bxa6 {now the 
a6-pawn becomes vulnerable} 21. ... f4 22. Bd3 Bh8 23. Bxh7+ Rxh7 24. Qg6+
Bg7 25. Qxe6+ Kh8 26. Nf5 Qg5 27. Nxd6 {shown by V.Golubev)} ) 20. Nf4! 
Bf7 21. Bc4 += {That's the difference. Now White can use the c4 square for
his pieces. White manages to achive "ossification" of the opponent's pawn 
structure in the center, and now his knights start to dominate over black 
bishops } 21. ... Qf6? ( 21. ... Bxc4 22. Nxc4 bxc3 {It was necessary to 
try something like this.} 23. bxc3 Bxc3 24. Rad1 += ) ( 21. ... Qe8!? ) 
22. Nfd5! +/- {Now White wins a pawn and there is no compensation.} 
22. ... Qe5 23. Qxf5 Na5 24. Qxe5 Bxe5 25. Rad1 ( 25. Ba2!? b3 26. Bb1 
Bxd5 27. Nxd5 Nc4 28. Bxe4 Nxb2 +/- ) 25. ... bxc3 26. bxc3 Nxc4 27. Nxc4 
Bxc3 28. Nxd6 ( 28. Nxc3 $143 Bxc4 29. Rfe1 +/- ) 28. ... Bxd5 29. Rxd5 
Re7?! 30. Nf5 {The endgame is easy won for White. Black has many weak 
pawns, the King is very bad and there is no counterplay at all.} 30. ... 
Rb7 31. Rc1 Bf6 32. g4 Bg5 ( 32. ... Rb4 33. Rc7 Rxa4 34. Nh6+ Kh8 35. 
Rdd7 +- ) 33. Re1 Rb4 +/- 34. a5 Ra4 35. h3 Bf4 ( 35. ... Bd8 36. Rb1! +/-
) 36. Rb1 +- Ra3 37. Rb4 Rxh3 38. Rxe4 Bc7 39. Re7 Bd8 40. Ra7 Ra3 41. 
Nh6+ 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 8"]
[Site "20.Schachtage"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Salov, Valery"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2620"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Annotator "JvR"]
[PlyCount "73"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 Bg7 11. c3 f5 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14.
 Nce3 Be6 15. g3 {A restrained (in comparison with 15.g4) and positionally
well-groounded continuation. White bishop's fianchetto intensifies white 
influence upon light squares in the center and fortifies a future 
residence of his king } 15. ... Ne7 { Black carries out a policy of 
exchanging the opponent's active pieces that occupy the d5-outpost 
consistently. However, as a result of all those simplifications it turns 
out that White is left with a favorable set of pieces. } 16. Bg2 Rb8 17. 
O-O Nxd5?! ( {Better is} 17. ... f5! 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. Nd5 Qf7 20. Nb4 {
(Adams).} ) 18. Bxd5! += Kh8 19. a4! {Standard undermining of the 
opponent's Q-side } 19. ... Bh6! {It is necessary to exchange a passive 
dark-squared bishop } ( 19. ... bxa4 20. Rxa4 Rxb2 21. Nc4 Rb5 22. Bxe6 
fxe6 23. Qxd6 +/- ) 20. axb5 axb5? ( {(It is necessary to play} 20. ... 
Bxe3 21. fxe3 Bxd5 ( 21. ... axb5 22. Ra6 Rb6 23. Ra7 += ) 22. Qxd5 Rxb5 
23. Qd2 a5 += {and the ensuing position is only slightly better for White}
) 21. Nc2! +/- {Now Black is left with a bad dark-squared bishop} 21. ... 
Qd7 22. Ra6 Bh3?! ( 22. ... Rbd8 23. Nb4 Rg8 {defends appropriately.} ) 
23. Re1 ( 23. Bg2?? Bxg2 24. Kxg2 Qb7+ -+ ) 23. ... Bg5?! {A heroic 
attempt to revive the dark-squared bishop via d8 } 24. Nb4 Bd8? {Rb6} 25. 
Be4! {White aims at the opponent's K-side as well } 25. ... Bb6 ( 25. ... 
Rb6? 26. Qh5 f6 27. Qh6 Rf7 28. Rxb6 Bxb6 29. Bxh7 +- ) 26. Nd5 ( 26. Qh5 
f5 27. Rxb6 fxe4 28. Rxb8 Rxb8 29. Rxe4 +/- ) 26. ... f5 27. Nxb6 Qd8 28. 
Nd7 Qxd7 29. Rxd6 Qe7 30. Rd7 Qg5 31. Bc2 ( 31. Bg2 Bxg2 32. Kxg2 f4 ) 
31. ... e4? ( 31. ... Rbe8 32. f4 +/- ) 32. Qd4+ +- Qf6 33. Qa7! Qh6 34. 
Ra1 b4 35. Qd4+ Qf6 36. Raa7 Qxd4 37. cxd4 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 8"]
[Site "Pacs"]
[Date "2003.07.11"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Polgar, Judit"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2718"]
[BlackElo "2695"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "2003.07.10"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14.
 Nce3 Be6 {This bishop retreat is considered principal. Black sticks to a 
main strategic idea for such positions - to struggle for control over the 
d5-square as hard as possible } 15. g4!? {An old move, appeared in 1976 
and at the beginning considered to give White advantage. The intention to 
prevent f7-f5 is logical, but the drawbacks are obvious too - White 
weakens too much his own structure and will have problems with the king in
all tactical complications.

 This is not an attack against the king but an attempt to establish 
control over light squares in the center } 15. ... b4! {Most energetic. 
Black immediately starts counterplay on the queenside. Moves 15... Qh4 or 
15...Ne7 are good as well, but the text is strongest.

Having an advantage in development, Black meets White's ambitious 
strategic idea with dynamic opening of the game } ( 15. ... f5?! 16. gxf5 
Bxf5 17. Nxf5 Rxf5 18. Ne3 Rf7 19. Bg2 Rc8 20. Bd5 +/- ) ( 15. ... Ra7 {
White has successfully realized his conception in the following game} 16. 
Bg2 h5?! ( 16. ... Ne7 += ) 17. h3! +/- Bh6?! 18. Qf3 Bg5 19. h4!! +- Bxe3
( 19. ... hxg4 20. Nxg4 Bxd5 21. Qxd5 Ne7 22. Qd3 Bf4 23. Nf6+ Kg7 24. 
Nh5+ Kh6 ( 24. ... Kh8? 25. Nxf4 exf4 26. Qd4+ +- ) 25. Nxf4 exf4 26. Qd4 
) 20. Nf6+! Kh8 21. g5! Kg7 ( 21. ... Bg4 22. Qe4 ) 22. Qxe3 d5 23. Rd1! 
+- Rd7 24. Nxh5+ Kh8 25. Nf6 Rd6 26. Qd3 e4 27. Bxe4 { 1-0, Byrne R - 
Garcia Gonzalez G, 1976 Torremolinos} ) 16. Bg2 ( {If pawn sacrifice is 
accepted} 16. cxb4 {then black knight has the d4-square at its disposal } 
16. ... Rb8 17. a3 a5 18. b5 Nd4 19. a4 f5 20. gxf5 Bxd5 21. Nxd5 Rxf5 â†‘
{0-1 Rodriguez-Jussupow, Amsterdam 1978 (79)} ) ( 16. Nxb4 Nxb4 17. cxb4 
e4 18. Qd2 Qf6 â†‘ {1/2-1/2 Sieberg,R-Gromotka,E/W-ch M495 corr 1990 (41)}
) 16. ... bxc3 17. bxc3 Rc8 18. Qd3 N ( 18. O-O Ne7 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Qd3
Qg5 -/+ ) 18. ... e4!? {A thematic sacrifice of a pawn that allows black 
pieces to break free and stresses drawbacks of an abrupt move g2-g4 } ( 
18. ... Ne7 {is also good for Black.} ) 19. Bxe4 ( 19. Qxe4? Bxd5 -+ 20. 
Qxd5 ( 20. Nxd5 Re8 -+ ) 20. ... Bxc3+ 21. Ke2 Nd4+ -+ ) 19. ... Ne5 20. 
Qe2? ( 20. Qxa6 {This was better for the simple reason that 20. Qe2 does 
not protect pawn g4 anyway. With 20.Qxa6 White not only takes the pawn, 
but also keeps square e2 available for the king.} 20. ... Nxg4 ( 20. ... 
Re8 21. h3 ( 21. O-O Nxg4 22. Nxg4 Bxg4 =/& ) 21. ... Nc4 22. O-O Nd2 23. 
Bxh7+! Kh8 ( 23. ... Kxh7 24. Qd3+ ) 24. Bc2 Nxf1 25. Qxf1 ~ ) 21. Nxg4 
Bxg4 =/& ( 21. ... Bxd5 22. Bxd5 Bxc3+ 23. Ke2 Re8+ 24. Ne3 Bxa1 25. Rxa1 
Rc2+ 26. Kd3 Rxf2 {in spite of the exposed king on d3, White's chances are
preferable in this complicated position. He can bring the queen to d4 
after 27.Qa4, also start an attack with Ra1-g1.} ) ) 20. ... Nxg4! 21. Rg1
( 21. Nxg4 Bxd5 22. Bxd5 Bxc3+ {and because the king cannot step on e2, 
Black will simply take on a1 next, remaining an exchange up.} ) 21. ... 
Nxe3 22. Qxe3 Kh8 -/+ {The material is equal, only that White's pawn 
weaknesses are more vulnerable and his king will always be under attack. A
complete failure of White's opening strategy. 

As a result, the insecure position of white king ensures black advantage 
in the middle game } 23. Kf1 ( 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. Qd4+ f6 -+ ) 23. ... Qh4 
24. Rd1 Rfe8 ( 24. ... Bh3+ 25. Bg2 Bd7!? ) 25. Qg3 Bh3+ 26. Bg2 Qc4+ ( 
26. ... Bd7!? ) 27. Qd3 Qxd3+ 28. Rxd3 {Even after the exchange of the 
queens, white position remains unpleasant considering the lack of 
co-ordination in his army and activity of every black piece } 28. ... Bf5 
{Of course Black has a huge advantage in all variations, but here he could
win an exchange right away:} ( 28. ... Bd7! 29. Re3 ( 29. c4 Bb5! -+ ) 
29. ... Bb5+ 30. Ke1 Bh6 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8+ 32. Ne3 ( 32. Kd1 Ba4# {a nice 
checkmate!} ) 32. ... Bxe3 33. fxe3 Rxe3+ -+ ) 29. Re3 Rxe3 30. fxe3 Rb8 
31. e4 ( 31. Kf2 Rb2+ 32. Kf3 Rxa2 -+ ) 31. ... Be6 32. Bf3 Rb1+ 33. Kf2 
Rb2+ 34. Be2 Rxa2 {Black gains a pawn and later converts his material and 
positional advantage into a win } 35. h4 a5 36. h5 h6 37. Ke3 Bxd5 38. 
exd5 Bxc3 {The win is a matter of time. White cannot create counterplay at
all because of his "bad" bishop.} 39. Bb5 Rb2 40. Be8 Rb7 41. Bc6 {On c6 
the bishop guards pawn a5, but it is cut off from the kingside, where 
Black will make progress soon by activating the king.} 41. ... Re7+ 42. 
Kf4 Re5 43. Rh1 Kg7 44. Rg1+ Kf8 45. Rh1 Ke7 46. Kf3 Bb4 47. Rh2 Kf6 48. 
Kf4 Rf5+ 49. Kg4 Rg5+ 50. Kf4 Bc3 51. Ke4 Rg4+ 52. Kf3 Rb4 53. Rc2 Bd4 54.
 Be8 Rb8 55. Bc6 Kg5 56. Rg2+ ( 56. Rh2 Rb3+ 57. Ke4 Bc5 -+ ) 56. ... Kxh5
57. Kf4 Be5+ 58. Kf5 Kh4 59. Ra2 Rb4 60. Rf2 Kg3 61. Rf1 Kg2 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 8"]
[Site "Sarajevo BIH"]
[Date "1999.05.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Timman, Jan H"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2694"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "1999.05.17"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. c3 Bg7 13. exf5 Bxf5 14. 
Nc2 O-O 15. Nce3 Bg6 16. h4!? Be4! {In this game Black successfully 
defends the variation with 15...Â¥g6 using an idea suggested by the 
Hungarian GM A.Adorjan } ( 16. ... f5 {White can keep on struggling for 
the control over light squares by means of} 17. h5 Be8 18. g4! Bd7! ( 
18. ... fxg4? 19. h6 { 20. Qxg4 +- }) ( 18. ... f4 19. Nf5 +/- ) 19. gxf5 
Kh8 20. h6 Bf6 21. Bg2 += {Korneev,O 2465 - Nikcevic,N 2400 , Cattolica 
1992} ) 17. h5!? { White pawn intends to sneak to h6, and that will 
constrain black king unpleasantly} ( 17. Bd3 Bxd5 18. Nxd5 f5 ) 17. ... 
Qg5 18. Rh3! {White rook enters the game effectively} ( {Straightforward }
18. h6? { does not gain anything} 18. ... Bxh6 19. Rh5 ( 19. Bd3 Bg6 ) 
19. ... Qg6 20. Nf6+ Qxf6 21. Ng4 Qe7 22. Nxh6+ Kh8 23. Bd3 Bg6 -/+ ) ( 
18. Be2!? {Later White succeeded in creating problems for his opponent by 
way of} 18. ... Ra7 19. Bf3 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 f5 21. h6 Bxh6 22. Rh5 Qg6 23. 
Rxf5 +/- {Polgar Ju 2655 - Leko P 2725 , 2000 Wijk aan Zee} ) 18. ... Kh8 
19. Rg3 ( 19. h6?! Bxh6 20. Rg3 Qd8 21. Bd3 Bxd3 22. Qxd3 f5! 23. Nxf5 e4 
24. Qxe4 Re8 25. Nfe7 Rxe7 26. Nxe7 Qxe7 27. Qxe7 Nxe7 =+ ) 19. ... Qh6 
20. Bd3 Bxd5 ( {To the opponent's domination over light squares leads} 
20. ... Bxd3 21. Qxd3 Qxh5 22. Qf5 ) 21. Nf5 ( 21. Nxd5 f5 ) 21. ... Qf6 
22. Bc2! {This modest retreat allows White to maintain the initiative} ( 
22. Rxg7? e4 -+ ) ( 22. h6? Bxh6 23. Qh5 e4 -+ ) ( 22. Nxg7 e4 23. Bxb5 
Ne7 ) 22. ... Be6 23. Nxg7 d5 24. Qd2 {Supporting the h5-h6 advance and 
preparing for the queenside castling } 24. ... b4! { A necessary advance 
that allows Black to obtain counterplay } 25. h6 e4 26. Nh5 ( 26. O-O-O? 
bxc3 27. bxc3 ( 27. Qxc3? d4! 28. Qxc6 Qxh6+ 29. Rd2 ( 29. Kb1 Bxa2+ ) 
29. ... e3 -+ ) 27. ... Rab8 ) ( {In P.Leko's opinion, worth attention is}
26. Qg5!? Qxg5 27. Rxg5 += {exchanging the queens and passing on to a 
positional play)} ) 26. ... Qe5 27. Rg5 f5 ( 27. ... Qh2?! 28. Qf4 Qxf4 +=
) 28. f4!? exf3+ 29. Kf2 bxc3 30. bxc3 Qe2+ { Relieving the tension} ( 
30. ... fxg2!? 31. Re1! Qh2 32. Rxg2 Qh4+ ( 32. ... Qxh5 33. Rxe6 Rg8 34. 
Rg7! Qh2+ = ) 33. Kg1 Bf7 34. Ng7 f4 35. Rf1 Qxh6 36. Rxf4 Bg8 37. Nf5 Qf6
{shown by P.Leko} ) 31. Qxe2 fxe2 32. Re1?! ( 32. Nf4 {Black would have to
display more ingenuity in order to obtain equal play } 32. ... Bg8 ( 
32. ... Rf6 += ) 33. Nxe2 Ne5 34. Rh1 Ng4+ ( 34. ... Rf6 35. Rxf5 Rxh6 36.
 Rxh6 Ng4+ 37. Kg3 Nxh6 38. Rf6 Kg7 39. Rb6 += ) ( 34. ... Rae8 35. Rxf5 )
35. Kf3 Rae8 36. Rxf5 Bf7!! 37. Nd4 Ne3 38. Rf4 Nxc2 39. Nxc2 Rc8 40. Nd4 
Rxc3+ 41. Kf2 Kg8 = ) 32. ... d4 { Now it is White's turn to display 
accuracy in order to maintain equilibrium } 33. Rxe2 ( 33. Ba4? d3 ) 
33. ... Bc4 34. Re1 dxc3 35. Rg3 Nd4 36. Rxc3 Bxa2 37. Bd3 a5 38. Re7 Bg8 
( 38. ... Rf7 39. Rcc7 ) 39. Rcc7 Ne6 ( 39. ... a4? 40. Bc4! ) 40. Ra7 Nc5
41. Bb5 Rfb8 ( 41. ... Rxa7 42. Rxa7 Rb8 43. Be2 a4 44. Nf6 ) 42. Rxa8 ( 
42. Bc6? Rxa7 43. Rxa7 Rb6 44. Rc7 Nd3+ 45. Ke3 Ne5 -/+ ) 42. ... Rxa8 43.
 Nf6 Ne4+ 44. Nxe4 fxe4 45. Rxe4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation - 8"]
[Site "Manila PHI"]
[Date "1976.07.01"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Quinteros, Miguel A"]
[Black "Ljubojevic, Ljubomir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2540"]
[BlackElo "2620"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "1976.06.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 8. ... Qxf6 9. Nd5 Qd8 ) 9. Na3 b5 ( 9. ... f5 10. Qh5 b5 
11. Naxb5 axb5 12. Bxb5 Bb7 13. Bc4 Qf6 14. Nd5 Qg6 15. Nc7+ Kd7 16. Qxg6 
hxg6 17. Nxa8 Bxa8 18. Bd5 fxe4 19. Bxe4 Bh6 20. c3 f5 21. Bd5 e4 22. O-O 
Bb7 23. Rfd1 Ba6 24. a4 Ne7 25. Ba2 Rb8 26. b4 Be2 27. Re1 Bd3 28. Red1 
Bg7 29. Bb1 Be2 30. Rc1 Nd5 31. Ra3 Rc8 32. Ba2 Nxc3 33. Bf7 Bh5 34. Kf1 
d5 35. Raxc3 Rxc3 36. Rxc3 Bxc3 37. Bxd5 Bxb4 38. f3 exf3 39. gxf3 g5 40. 
Ke2 Kd6 41. Bc4 Be8 42. Bd3 Ke5 43. Bb5 Bxb5+ 44. axb5 Bc5 {0-1 Ryska, 
Jirí (1916) - Vesely, Emanuel (2080) / Czech Championship Quarterfinal, 
section 37	 (25), ICCF 2011} ) 10. Nd5 {In this variation White displays 
his maximum ambitions, razing black pawn structure on the K-side to the 
ground. But as a dynamic compensation Black obtains an opportunity to 
influence the opponent's center by means of pawn underminings f6-f5, and 
then even f7-f5! The half-open g-file can also be used by Black in order 
to get counterplay} 10. ... f5 {Immediately disturbing the enemy center} 
11. exf5 Bxf5 12. c3 {The a3-knight is White's principal problem in the 
Cheliabinsk Variation, and it takes time to solve it. With his last move 
White prepares to bring his knight into play by way of Na3-c2-e3} 12. ... 
Bg7 13. Nc2 O-O 14. Nce3 Bg6 {A rare enough continuation, though the 
position of the bishop on the h7-b1 diagonal is not without its pluses. 
From the g6-square the bishop can support a standard maneuver e5-e4 and 
then Nc6-e5-d3: it also protects the black king's position} ( 14. ... Bd7 
15. Bd3 f5 16. Qh5 e4 17. Bc2 Qe8 18. Qh4 Kh8 19. O-O Ne5 20. Rad1 Qg6 21.
 Kh1 Rab8 22. f3 exf3 23. gxf3 Qh6 24. Qxh6 Bxh6 25. Ng2 a5 26. f4 Nc4 27.
 b3 Nb6 28. Kg1 Rf7 29. Nde3 Bf8 30. Nh4 d5 31. Rf3 Bc5 32. Kf1 Re8 33. 
Nexf5 Ref8 34. Re1 Bxf5 35. Nxf5 Rxf5 36. Bxf5 Rxf5 37. Re8+ Kg7 38. Rb8 {
1/2-1/2 McKenzie, Duncan (2276) - Vesely, Emanuel (2080) / SB-2011-0-00161
(-), Lechenicher SchachServer 2011} ) 15. h4! {An energetic advance, the 
aim of which is to reveal the seamy sides of bishop's location on g6} 
15. ... h6 16. g4! {Fixing the weakness of the f5-square} 16. ... e4 {
Black intends to meet the opponent's offensive on the K-side with his own 
counterplay in the center} 17. Be2 Rc8 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. gxf5 Ne5 20. Rg1! 
( {A bit more sluggish looks} 20. Qd2 Rc5 21. f6? ( {Stronger is} 21. Rg1 
{In that case Black timely weakens the opponent's attack by a positional 
sacrifice of an exchange} 21. ... Rxd5! ( 21. ... Qxh4? 22. f6 Rxd5 23. 
Rxg7+ Kh8 24. Qxd5 Qh1+ 25. Bf1! Nd3+ 26. Kd2! e3+ 27. fxe3 Qxd5 28. Bxd3 
) 22. Qxd5 Qxh4 ) 21. ... Bxf6 22. O-O-O Bxh4! 23. Rdg1+ Bg5 24. Rxh6 Nf3 
25. Bxf3 Rxd5 26. Rh5 f6 27. Rhxg5+ Rxg5 28. Rxg5+ fxg5 29. Bxe4 Qf6 30. 
Qd5+ Kg7 {0-1(46) Quinteros, Miguel A (2540) - Ljubojevic, Ljubomir (2620)
/ Manila Interzonal (13), Manila PHI 1976} ) 20. ... Kh7 21. Qd2 Qxh4 22. 
O-O-O f6 {Black switches over to a passive defence, which, in the course 
of attacks in the positions with opposite castling, is always fraught with
troubles} 23. Nf4 Qxf2 24. Ne6 Rf7 25. Rxg7+! Rxg7 26. Qxh6+!! 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 9"]
[Site "Mrzezyno POL"]
[Date "2011.09.04"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Jakubiec, Artur"]
[Black "Tazbir, Marcin"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2528"]
[BlackElo "2520"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "2011.09.03"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14.
 Nce3 Be6 15. Bd3 f5 16. Bc2!? {Another attempt to fit a key to black 
setup. Saving time on a castling, White withdraws his bishop to an elastic
position. From the c2-square the bishop is ready to move to the a2-g8 
diagonal and avoids the e5-e4 blow } ( 16. Qh5 e4 17. Bc2 Ne7 18. Rd1 b4!?
19. O-O ( 19. Nxb4 Qb6 20. Bb3 Bxb3 21. axb3 Kh8 22. Rd2 a5 23. Nbd5 Nxd5 
24. Nxd5 Qxb3 ) 19. ... bxc3 20. bxc3 Kh8 21. g3! Rc8 22. Bb3 Bf7 23. Qe2 
Bxd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 a5! ( 25. ... Rxc3 26. Qxa6 += ) 26. c4 Rb8 {
1/2:1/2, R.Ponomariov - P.Leko, Yerevan 1996} ) 16. ... f4! {Getting the 
game headed toward concrete tactical variations. White attack along the 
b1-h7 diagonal turns out to be not so dangerous for Black as it may seem 
at first sight } ( 16. ... Bh6 17. O-O Ra7 18. f4 Qh4 19. g3 Rg7 20. Nc7 
exf4 21. Ng2 Qh3 22. Rxf4 Bxf4 23. Nxf4 Rxg3+ 24. Kh1 Qh6 25. Qxd6 {1-0, 
Topalov Veselin 2670 - Illescas Cordoba Miguel 2620 , Linares 1995 It 
(cat.17)} ) 17. Qh5 Rf7 18. Bxh7+ Kf8 19. Bf5! Qe8! { An important 
resource, which is the basis of the whole black defence } ( {(In the 
original game there followed} 19. ... Rxf5? 20. Nxf5 Bxd5 21. Rd1! ( 21. 
O-O-O? Nd4 ) 21. ... Be6 ( 21. ... Ne7 22. Nxe7 Bf7 23. Ng6+ Kg8 24. Qg4 
Kh7 25. Nh4 +- ) 22. Rxd6 Qc8 23. Nxg7 Kxg7 24. g3! f3 25. Qxf3 Nd8 26. 
Qe4 Kf8 27. O-O Ke7 28. Rfd1 Nf7 29. Rc6 Qh8 30. Rd3 Ng5 31. Qg6 Nh3+ 32. 
Kf1 Bc4 33. Rc7+ Kf8 34. Qf5+ Kg8 35. Qg4+ Kf8 36. Qf3+ { 1-0, Arnason,J 
2540 - Birnboim,N 2465 , 1987 Beer-Sheva} ) 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Qg4 D Qh6 
22. Nf5 { In order not to let the opponent overtake the initiative White 
has to resort to move repetition } ( 22. Nc2?! e4! ) 22. ... Qe6 23. Nfe3 
Qh6 24. Nf5 Qe6 25. Nfe3 Qh6 26. Nf5 Qe6 27. Nfe3 Qh6 28. Nf5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 9"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2005.01.16"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2786"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "2005.01.15"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14.
 Nce3 Be6 15. Bd3 f5 16. O-O Ra7 17. a4 Ne7!? {Black is ready to sacrifice
the b5-pawn for the sake of activating his central pawns} 18. Nxe7+ Rxe7 
19. axb5 axb5 20. Bxb5 { The most principled continuation} ( {Black does 
not have any particular problems in case of} 20. Ra6 d5 21. Nc2 Bc8 22. 
Ra8 Qd7 23. Nb4 e4 24. Be2 Bb7 25. Ra5 d4 26. cxd4 {1/2-1/2, Anand 
Viswanathan 2774 - Kasparov Gary 2817 , Moscow 15. 6.2004 Match 
"Armenia-Rest of th} ) ( 20. Bc2 d5 21. Bb3 f4 22. Nxd5 Rd7 23. Nb4 Rxd1 
24. Bxe6+ Kh8 25. Raxd1 Qe7 26. Bd5 e4 27. Rfe1 e3 28. Bf3 {Topalov 
Veselin 2707 - Leko Peter 2743 , Istanbul 2000 Olympiad} ) 20. ... d5 21. 
Ra6! {By disposing his rook on the 6th rank White creates a potential 
threat of sacrificing an exchange on e6 with subsequent conquering of the 
d6-square } 21. ... f4 ( {There also occured a prophylactic} 21. ... Kh8 {
with an idea to withdraw the king from the a2-g8 diagonal and to vacate 
the g8-square for the rook.  Then the following course of events is 
possible} 22. Be2!? ( 22. Qa4 f4 23. Nc2 Rg8 24. Ra1 Bc8 25. Ra8 Bf8 26. 
Bf1 Reg7 27. Qc6 Rc7 28. Qb5 Bc5 29. b4 Bxf2+! 30. Kxf2 Rxc3 31. Ne1 f3! 
32. Nxf3 e4 33. Ne1 Qf6+ 34. Kg1 Rf8 35. R8a2 Ra3! 36. Qe2 Qb6+ 37. Kh1 
Qf6 38. Kg1 Qd4+ { 1/2-1/2, Hector Jonny 2516 - Carlsen Magnus 2581 , 
Malme 30. 4.2004 It (cat.14))} ) 22. ... d4 23. cxd4 exd4 24. Nc2 Bd5 25. 
Nb4 Bb7 26. Ra1 {E.Sveshnikov considers this to be slightly better for 
White, but after} 26. ... Be5! 27. f4 Rg8 {Black is obviously completely 
okay} ) 22. Nc2!? {An ambitious, but risky strategy, requiring a careful 
follow-up, since Black keeps good attacking possibilities.} ( {In the 
endgame arising after} 22. Rxe6 Rxe6 23. Qxd5 Qxd5 24. Nxd5 {only White 
can play for a win, although after} 24. ... e4 {Black should be able to 
achieve a draw} ) 22. ... Bc8 N ( 22. ... Rb7!? 23. Rxe6 Rxb5 24. Nb4 f3 
25. gxf3! ~ ( 25. g3? â–³ Qd7 -+ ) ) ( 22. ... f3 23. g3 Rb7 24. Na3 Rb6 
25. Ra7 Qb8 =/& {1-0 Pecotic,K-Berkley,S/IECC email 2000 (50)} ) 23. Ra8 
Qd6 24. Nb4 ( 24. Bc4 Bb7 25. Rxf8+ Bxf8 26. Nb4 Rd7 27. Bb3 {- see 
25.Rxf8} ) 24. ... Bb7 D 25. Ra7?! {White, as before, intends to sacrifice
his rook for the opponent's light-squared bishop } ( {But stronger is} 25.
 Rxf8+! Bxf8 ( 25. ... Kxf8!? 26. Qh5 += Qg6 =/& ) 26. Bc4 Rd7 ( 26. ... 
Kh8 27. Bxd5 Rd7 28. Bb3 ( 28. Bf3 Qe7 =/& ) 28. ... Qg6 29. Nd5 Rg7 30. 
g3 ) 27. Bb3 Kh8 28. Qh5 ~ {/+/=} 28. ... Rg7 29. Qe8 d4 30. f3 += ) 
25. ... d4! ( {White's plan would be successful in case of} 25. ... Qc5 
26. Rxb7! Rxb7 27. Bc6 Ra7 28. Bxd5+ +/- ) 26. Ba6? {Carried away with the
idea of eliminating the opponent's light-squared bishop, White overlooks a
powerful tactical blow } ( 26. Qa4 Kh8 =/& ) ( 26. Qh5!? Bf3 â–³ 27. Qxf3 
Rxa7 28. Bd3 =, quiet ) ( 26. Bc6 Bxc6 27. Rxe7 Qxe7 28. Nxc6 Qe6 29. Nb4 
f3 30. gxf3 Qh3 =, quiet ) 26. ... Bxg2! -+ 27. Bc4+ ( 27. Kxg2 f3+ 28. 
Kh1 Rxa7 -+ ) ( 27. Rxe7 Qg6 -+ ) 27. ... Kh8 28. Ra6 ( {The salt of Black
plan is in the variation} 28. Rxe7 Qg6! 29. Re6 Bf6 -+ ) 28. ... Qc5 29. 
Kxg2 f3+ 30. Kh1 Qxc4 {Considering a catastrophic weakness of the king and
uncoordinated actions of the whole army white position is undefendable } 
31. Rc6 Qb5 32. Rd6 e4 33. Rxd4 {The only way to protect against the 
advance ...e3. However, Black is technically winning in the arising 
endgame, even if White has practical chances for a draw.} 33. ... Bxd4 ( 
33. ... Qh5!? 34. Rd5 Be5 35. Rxe5 Rxe5 36. Qd4 Qg5 37. Rg1 Rd8 38. Rxg5 
Rxd4 39. cxd4 Rxg5 -+ ) 34. Qxd4+ Qe5 35. Qxe5+ Rxe5 {White's main problem
is his king. Because of that he cannot create any counterplay without 
losing material.} 36. Nc2 Rb8 37. Ne3 Rc5 38. h3 ( 38. Nd1 Rd5 39. h3 Rd2 
-+ ) 38. ... Rxb2 39. c4 Rg5 40. Kh2 Kg8 41. h4 Rg6 42. Kh3 Kf7 43. Nf5 
Rc2 44. Ne3 Rd2 45. c5 ( 45. Nd5 h6 46. Ne3 Ke6 47. Nd5 Ke5 48. Ne3 h5 -+ 
) 45. ... Ke6 46. c6 Rg8 47. c7 Rc8 48. Kg3 Rxc7 49. Kf4 ( 49. Ra1 Ke5 50.
 Ra5+ Kd4 51. Ra4+ Kd3 -+ ) 49. ... Rd4 50. Ra1 Rf7+ 51. Kg3 Rd8 52. Ra6+ 
Ke5 53. Ng4+ Kd5 54. Nf6+ Rxf6 55. Rxf6 Ke5 56. Rh6 Rg8+ 57. Kh3 e3 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 9"]
[Site "Madrid ESP"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Svidler, Peter"]
[Black "San Segundo Carrillo, Pablo"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[BlackElo "2505"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "1998.05.11"]
[Annotator "Cifuentes"]

1. e4 {Manor,I Kostakiev,D} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.
 Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 
( 11. ... fxe4? 12. Bxb5! axb5 13. Nxb5 Qg5 14. Nbc7+ Kd8 15. Nxa8 Qxg2 
16. Rf1 Ba6 17. Ne3 Qf3 18. Rg1 Bd3 19. Nb6 Bh6 20. Qxf3 exf3 21. Rd1 Be4 
22. Nbd5 +/- {A Rodriguez-Georgadze, 1977} ) 12. exf5 {# (3) 0.53/1} 
12. ... Bxf5 13. Nc2 ( 13. Qf3?! Be6 ( 13. ... Bg6? 14. Nxb5! +/- {Rogers}
) ( 13. ... Bd7 14. Bd3 O-O 15. Bf5 e4!? 16. Bxe4 f5 17. Bc2 Re8+ 18. Kf1 
Ne5 19. Qh5 Kh8 20. Rd1! Ng4 21. h3 Nf6 22. Nxf6 Qxf6 ~ {Mokry-Kouatly, 
Geneve 1988} ) 14. Nf4 ( 14. Rd1!? O-O 15. Nc2 f5 16. Be2 e4 17. Qg3 Bxd5!
18. Rxd5 f4 19. Qg4 Rf6 20. Rf5 Qf8 -/+ {Molnar Z-Vegh, Kecskemet 1978} ) 
( 14. Nf6+?! Bxf6 15. Qxc6+ Ke7 16. Be2 d5 -/+ {Mirkov - Kharlov, Bern 
1992} ) ( 14. O-O-O O-O 15. Nc2 f5 16. g3 ( 16. h4 Ne7 17. Nce3 Kh8 18. h5
Bh6 19. Nxe7 Qxe7 20. Kb1 Rac8 -/+ {Tandai-Polak, corr 1979/80} ) 16. ... 
e4 17. Qe2 Rb8 18. Qd2 a5 19. Nf4 Bxa2 20. Qxd6 Qb6 21. Nd5 Nd4 -/+ {
Gasser-Schrantz, corr 1977/81} ) ( 14. Bd3 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 Ne7 16. Qf3 d5 =+
{Bellon-Lombard, Haifa 1976} ) 14. ... Nd4! ( 14. ... exf4! 15. Qxc6+ Ke7 
16. Nc2 Re8 17. Bd3 Bd7 18. Qf3 Kf8+ 19. Kd2?! Qh4 =+ {Nicholson-Povah, 
London 1976} ) 15. cxd4 exf4 16. Nc2 O-O 17. Bd3 Qg5 â†‘ {Rogers-Ivanovic,
Vrsac 1987} ) ( 13. Be2 O-O 14. Nc2 Be6 15. O-O Kh8 16. Bf3?! ( 16. a4 
bxa4 17. Rxa4 a5 =, quiet ) 16. ... Rc8 17. Ncb4 Nxb4 18. Nxb4 a5 19. Nc6?
Qc7 20. a4 bxa4 21. Rxa4 e4 -/+ {Sveshnikov-Timoshchenko, USSR 1975} ) 
13. ... O-O ( 13. ... Ne7!? 14. Bd3! ( 14. Nxe7 Bxc2 ( 14. ... Qxe7?? 15. 
Qf3 +- ) 15. Qxc2 Qxe7 ( 15. ... Kxe7!? ) 16. Rd1 ( 16. Be2 O-O 17. O-O d5
18. Rfd1 Rfd8 19. Qb3 Qc5 20. a4 bxa4 21. Rxa4 a5 22. g3 e4 23. Qb5 Bf8 
=, quiet {Adams-Shirov, Chalkidiki 1993} ) 16. ... O-O 17. Qf5 e4!? 18. 
Be2 Qe5 =, quiet {Holzke-Hardicsay, Budapest 1992} ) 14. ... Nxd5 ( 
14. ... Be6 15. Be4 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 Rc8 17. O-O O-O 18. Ne3 ( 18. a4 ) 
18. ... Kh8 19. a4 f5 20. axb5 f4 21. bxa6 fxe3 22. fxe3 Qb6 23. Rxf8+ 
Rxf8 {Dvoirys-Nijboer, Leeuwarden 1994} 24. a7 Nxd5 25. a8=Q Nxe3 26. Qdf3
Ng4+ =, quiet ) ( 14. ... e4?! 15. Nxe7 Qxe7 16. Bxb5+ +/- ) 15. Bxf5 Ne7 
16. Qg4 Nxf5 ( 16. ... O-O?! 17. Rd1 d5 18. Ne3 d4 19. Be4 dxe3 20. Rxd8 
+= {Ivanchuk-Kramnik, Novgorod 1994} ) 17. Qxf5 Qd7 18. Ne3 Qe6! 19. Rd1 
Rd8 =, quiet ) ( 13. ... Be6 $143 {Kostakiev,D} ) 14. Nce3 Be6 15. Bd3 {
Developing his bishop to d3 White casts unequivocal glances at the 
opponent's K-side and takes under his control the key f5-square} 15. ... 
f5 ( 15. ... Ne7 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Qh5 h6 18. Be4 Rac8 19. O-O ( 19. Nf5 
Bxf5 20. Qxf5 Rfd8 21. Bd5 += ) 19. ... Rc5 20. Rfd1 Rd8 21. Bd5 += {
Garcia Martinez-Remon, Bayamo 1986} ) 16. O-O ( 16. Qh5 e4 17. Bc2 Ne7 ( 
17. ... Ne5 18. Rd1 ( 18. Nf4 Bd7 ( 18. ... Bf7 19. Qxf5 Bd5 20. Ne6! +- {
Hardicsay} ) 19. O-O Rf6!? â‡„â‡„ ) ( 18. O-O?? f4 19. Bxe4 h6 20. Nf5 
Rxf5 -/+ ) ( 18. Nf4 += {Kostakiev,D 1-0 Forgo,E-Kerek,C/Hungary tt 1995 
(36)} ) 18. ... Nc4 ( 18. ... Bf7 19. Qh3 Bg6 20. Bb3 Kh8 21. Nf4 +/- ) 
19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. O-O Be5 21. Kh1 Ra7 22. f4 +/- {Arnason-Kouatly, 
Thessaloniki 1988} ) 18. Bb3 {# (3) 0.47/6} ( 18. Nxe7+?! Qxe7 19. g4?! f4
! 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Qxd5+ Kh8 22. O-O-O e3 23. Qd3 Be5 -/+ {
Yagupov-Minasian, Moscow Tal 1992} ) ( 18. O-O-O?! Ng6!? {# (3) -0.28/6} (
18. ... Nxd5!? 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Rxd5 Qf6 {# (1) -2.56/1} 21. Rhd1 Qh6+ {#
(3) -1.63/1} 22. Qxh6 Bxh6+ 23. Kb1 Bf4 =, quiet ) 19. f3 {# (3) 0.50/3} 
19. ... f4 20. Ng4 Rf5 21. Nh6+ {# (3) -2.91/1} 21. ... Bxh6 {# (3) 0.59/7
} 22. Qxh6 {# (2) -1.50/1} 22. ... Rxd5 {# (3) 0.78/8} 23. Bxe4 {# (3) 
-0.13/8} 23. ... Rxd1+ {# (3) 0.16/8} 24. Rxd1 {# (3) -0.59/6} 24. ... Qf8
{# (3) 0.06/9} 25. Qh5 {# (2) -1.06/1} 25. ... Bxa2! {# (3) 0.66/2} 26. 
Bxa8 {# (3) -0.53/8} 26. ... Qxa8 {# (2) 0.13/1} 27. Rxd6 {# (3) -0.72/6} 
27. ... Qe8 {# (3) 0.09/1} 28. Qc5 {# (3) -0.94/9} 28. ... Bb3 {# (1) 
-0.13/1} 29. Qf2 {# (3) -1.16/9} 29. ... b4! â†’ {# (3) 1.03/8} ) ( 18. 
Nf4 Bf7 19. Qg5 ( 19. Bb3 d5 20. Qd1 ( 20. Qh3 Kh8 â–¡ 21. Nexd5 Nxd5 22. 
Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Rd1 e3! ~ {Enders} ) ( 20. Qg5 d4!? 21. cxd4 Bxb3 22. axb3 
h6 23. Qh4 Qd6 24. O-O Nc6 â‡„â‡„ ) 20. ... d4 ~ ) 19. ... Ng6 20. Qxf5 
Bc4 21. Ne6 Bxc3+! 22. Kd1 Rxf5 23. Nxd8 Rxf2 -/+ {Pelling-Emerson, London
1977/78} ) ( 18. Rd1?! Nxd5 ( 18. ... Ng6 19. g4 fxg4 20. Bxe4 Qe8 21. O-O
Ra7 22. Nxg4 +/- {Honfi-Muse, Budapest 1986} ) ( 18. ... Rc8 19. O-O Rc5 
20. Bb3 Kh8 ( 20. ... f4 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Nd5 Qf7 23. Qxf7+ Rxf7 24. 
Rfe1 += ) 21. Nf4 += ) 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Rxd5 Qf6 =, quiet ) 18. ... Nxd5!
19. Nxd5 ( 19. Bxd5!? Bxd5 20. Nxd5 a5 21. O-O b4 22. f3 bxc3 23. bxc3 e3 
â‡„â‡„ ) 19. ... a5 20. Nf4 ( 20. Qd1 a4 21. Nf4 Bxb3 22. axb3 a3! 23. 
Qd5+ Kh8 24. Rxa3 Rxa3 25. bxa3 Bxc3+ 26. Ke2 Be5 27. Ne6 Qa8 â‡„â‡„ {
Escobar-Godoy/ Buenos Aires 1990} ) 20. ... Bxb3 21. axb3 Qe7 22. O-O b4 
=, quiet {Adams-Beliavsky, Debrecen 1992} ) ( 16. Bc2 f4! ( 16. ... b4!? {
Kostakiev,D 1-0 Topalov,V-Illescas Cordoba,M/ Alcobendas (m/1) 
1994/[Topalov,V] (21) N} ) 17. Qh5 ( 17. Nf1!? ) 17. ... Rf7!! 18. Bxh7+ 
Kf8 19. Bf5 ( 19. Qg6 ) 19. ... Qe8! ( 19. ... Rxf5? 20. Nxf5 Bxd5 21. Rd1
! ( 21. O-O-O? Nd4! {Arnason-Birnboim/ Beer Sheva 1987} ) 21. ... Be6 22. 
Rxd6 Qc8 23. Nxg7 Kxg7 24. g3 +- ) 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Qg4 Qh6! 22. Nf5 ( 
22. Nc2? e4! â†‘ ) ( 22. Nb6 Rd8! ( 22. ... fxe3 23. Nxa8 exf2+ 24. Ke2 +-
) ( 22. ... Re8?! 23. Ned5 e4 24. Nd7+ Kg8 25. N5f6+ Rxf6 26. Nxf6+ Qxf6 
27. Qd7 Qe5 28. Qxc6 e3 29. O-O -/+ ) 23. Ned5 e4 24. O-O Ne5 25. Qe2 Qg6 
26. Qc2 f3 27. g3 Bh6 28. Rae1 Qf5! 29. Rxe4 Qh3 30. Ne3 Ng4 31. Rxg4 Bxe3
32. fxe3 Qxg4 -/+ ) 22. ... Qe6 23. Nfe3 =, quiet {Topalov,V-Illescas,M/ 
Dos Hermanas 1996} ) 16. ... Ra7!? {A typical maneuver in such a position.
Black queen rook enters the game via the 7th rank} ( 16. ... e4 17. Nf4 ( 
17. Bc2 f4 18. Bxe4 fxe3 19. Qh5 exf2+ 20. Kh1 Rf7 21. Qxh7+ Kf8 -/+ ) 
17. ... Bf7 18. Bc2 Be5 19. Nfd5 ( 19. Nh3 Kh8 20. f4 ( 20. Nxf5 Be6 21. 
Ng3 Bxh3 22. gxh3 d5 =/& ) 20. ... Qb6 21. Re1? Bg7 22. Kh1 Ne7 -/+ 23. g4
?! d5?! ( 23. ... b4! 24. Nxf5 Nxf5 25. gxf5 bxc3 26. bxc3 Bxc3 27. Rxe4 
Qc6 28. Ng5 Bd5 29. Qh5 Ra7 -/+ ) 24. gxf5 b4 25. Ng5 Bg8 26. Ne6! Bxe6 
27. fxe6 Qxe6 28. c4 Rxf4 29. cxd5 Qh3 30. Qe2 Raf8 31. Qg2 Qxg2+ 32. Nxg2
Rf2 33. Bxe4 Nc8! =+ {Lutz,C-San Segundo,P/ Pamplona 97-98} ) 19. ... Qg5 
20. f4 exf3 21. Qxf3 Bh5 22. Qf2 ( 22. Qh3!? f4 23. Nc7 fxe3! 24. Nxa8 
Rxf1+! 25. Rxf1 e2 26. Re1 Bg4!! 27. Qxh7+ Kf8 28. Nc7 Qe3+ 29. Kh1 Qf2 
30. Qh6+ Bg7 31. Qc1 Ne7! 32. Bd3!? ( 32. Nxa6? Be5 33. Qh6+ Ke8 34. Qc1 
Bf3 -+ ) 32. ... Be5 33. Bxe2 Bxe2 34. Qd2 Qh4 35. g3 Bf3+ 36. Kg1 Bxg3 
37. Re3 Qg4 38. Rxf3+ Qxf3 39. hxg3 Qxg3+ 40. Qg2 Qe3+ 41. Qf2+ Nf5 42. 
Nxa6 Qg5+ â‡„â‡„ ) 22. ... f4 23. Nc7!! ( 23. h4?! Qd8 24. Nf5 Bg6 25. Nd4
Nxd4 26. cxd4 Bxc2 27. dxe5 dxe5 28. Qc5 Rf7 =+ {1/ 2-1/2, 
Anand,V-Kramnik,V/ Linares 1998} ) 23. ... Rac8 ( 23. ... fxe3? 24. Qxf8+ 
Rxf8 25. Rxf8+ Kxf8 26. Ne6+ Ke7 27. Nxg5 +/- ) 24. Ne6 Qh6 25. Nxf8 fxe3 
26. Qf5! ( 26. Bb3+ Kg7 27. Qf5!! ( 27. Qh4 Rxf8 28. Rxf8 Kxf8 29. g4 +/- 
) 27. ... Bxh2+ 28. Kh1 Bg3 29. Qh3 e2 30. Ne6+ Kh8 31. Rf5 Qe3 32. Re1! 
+- ) 26. ... Bxh2+ ( 26. ... Rxf8 27. Bb3+ +- ) 27. Kh1 Rxf8 28. Qxf8+ 
Qxf8 29. Rxf8+ Kxf8 30. Kxh2 e2 31. Kg3 Ne5 32. Kf2 +- ) ( 16. ... Ne7? 
17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Nxf5! +/- ) 17. Qh5 ( 17. a4!? += {Kostakiev,D} ) 
17. ... Raf7 {Managing to protect the f5-rook in time} ( 17. ... e4 {
Manor,I} 18. Bc2 Qe8 19. Qxe8 Rxe8 20. f3 exf3 21. Rxf3 Ne5 22. Rg3 Rf7 
23. Nf4 Nc4 24. Nxe6 Rxe6 25. Nxf5 Nxb2 26. Rf1 Nc4 27. h4 Rg6 28. Rgf3 
Nd2 29. Bb3 Nxb3 30. axb3 Rc7 31. h5 Rg5 32. h6 Rxf5 33. Rxf5 Bxh6 34. 
R1f3 Bg7 35. Rg5 Kh8 36. Kf1 Rxc3 37. Rxc3 Bxc3 += {
Ivanchuk,V-Kramnik,V/London PCA rapid 1994/1/2-1/2 (52)} ) 18. g4 ( {Some 
more restrained means of developing the initiative, after which Black 
succeeds in solving his defensive problems for now, have also been tested:
} 18. Bc2 Ne7 ( 18. ... b4 {Kostakiev,D} 19. Rfd1 bxc3 20. bxc3 Ne7 21. 
Nxe7+ += {1/2-1/2 Marjanovic,S-Simic,R/It (open) Bela Crkva (Yugoslavia) 
1984} ) 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Rad1 Kh8 21. Rfe1 Rf6 22. Nd5 Bxd5 23. Rxd5 Rh6
24. Qf3 Qe6 ~ {Delchev-Lalic/ Abierto de Zadar 1997} ) ( 18. a4 âŒ“ +/- {
Kostakiev,D} ) ( 18. f4 Ne7! 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Kh1 ( 20. fxe5 Qa7 21. 
Rae1 dxe5 22. Kh1 e4 23. Bb1 ) 20. ... e4 21. Bc2 b4!? {Asrian Karen 2600 
- Rogozenko Dorin 2460 , 1998 
Elista (ol)} ) 18. ... e4 19. Bc2 Ne5! {N} ( {Later Black managed to find 
out a more efficient objection to this undermining strategy of his 
opponent's} 19. ... fxg4?! 20. Bxe4 Be5 21. Qh6? ( 21. h3! gxh3 22. f4! 
Qe8 23. Kh1! +/- ) 21. ... Kh8! 22. Kh1 ( 22. Qxe6 Qh4 23. Nxg4 Rg7 24. 
Kh1 Rxg4 25. f4 Qh3 26. Nc7 Bxf4 27. Rf2 Qh4 28. Raf1 Rf6 -/+ ) 22. ... 
Bxd5 23. Nxd5 Ne7 =, quiet 24. Qh4 Nxd5 25. Qxd8 Rxd8 26. Bxd5 Rf5 27. 
Rad1 Rdf8 28. Kg2 Rh5 29. Rh1 Rf6 30. Rd3 Rhf5 {1/2-1/2 
Svidler,P-Kramnik,V/ Linares 1998 1/ 2-1/2 Svidler,P-Kramnik,V/ Linares 
1998} ) 20. Nf4 Bd7 ( 20. ... Bc4!? {Manor,I} 21. Nxc4 ( 21. Nxf5 Nxg4 22.
 Bxe4 Nf6 -/+ ) 21. ... bxc4 22. Ne6 Qe7 23. Nxf8 ( 23. Ng5?? Qxg5 ) 
23. ... Qxf8 24. gxf5 Rxf5 25. Qh3 Nf3+ 26. Kh1 d5 =/& ) 21. Bb3 ( 21. 
gxf5 Rxf5! 22. Nxf5 Rxf5 -+ ) 21. ... fxg4 22. Ne6 ( 22. Bxf7+? Rxf7 23. 
Nfd5 ( 23. Ned5 Rf5 -+ ) ( 23. Nfg2 Rf3! -+ ) 23. ... Rf3 -+ ) 22. ... 
Bxe6 23. Bxe6 Kh8! ( 23. ... Qf6!? {Kostakiev,D} ) 24. Bxf7 Rxf7 { Black 
has quite an adequate compensation for his sacrificed exchange, as white 
king's position is insecure } ( 24. ... Nxf7?! {Kostakiev,D} 25. Nxg4 += )
25. Rad1!? ( 25. Nxg4 Rf4 ( 25. ... Qf8!? 26. Nxe5 Bxe5 27. Rae1 Rf5 28. 
Qh3 d5 =/& ) ( 25. ... Nf3+ {Kostakiev,D} 26. Kh1 Rf4 ( 26. ... Qf8 {
Manor,I} 27. Rad1 Rf5 28. Qh3 ~ ) 27. h3! ( 27. Rfd1 Qc8! 28. Rg1 Rf5 =+ )
( 27. Rad1 Qc8 28. Rg1 Rf5 =+ ) 27. ... Qc8 ( 27. ... Qf8 28. Qd5 Qd8 â†’ 
) 28. Qd5 Be5! 29. Rae1 Rxg4! 30. hxg4 Qf8! 31. Rxe4 Qh6+ 32. Kg2 Nh4+ 33.
 Kh1 =, quiet ) 26. Nxe5 Bxe5 27. h3 Rh4 28. Qf5 Rf4 29. Qh5 Rh4 =, quiet 
) ( {Following the variations cited by P.San Segundo demonstrates a rough 
dynaming equality in this position } 25. Kh1 Qf6!? 26. Rad1 Qf3+ 27. Kg1 
g3!? 28. Qxf3 Nxf3+ 29. Kh1 Nxh2 ) 25. ... Qf8! ( 25. ... Rf6?? 26. Qxe5 )
26. Kh1 {#} ( 26. Nxg4? {Kostakiev, D} 26. ... Rf5 27. Qh3 Rg5 -+ ) 
26. ... Rf3 ( 26. ... Nd3!? 27. Nxg4 ( 27. Rd2 {Kostakiev,D} 27. ... Bh6 
-/+ ) 27. ... Nxb2 28. Rde1 Rf5 29. Qh3 Rf3 30. Qh5 Rf5 =, quiet ( 30. ...
 Rf4!? ) ) ( 26. ... Rxf2?? 27. Rxf2 Qxf2 28. Rf1 +- ) 27. Nxg4 Rf5 28. 
Qh3 Rf3 29. Qh5 ( 29. Qg2?! Nd3! 30. Rd2 h5! ( 30. ... Nf4 =, quiet ) 31. 
Ne3 Bh6 =+ ) ( 29. Qh4? {Kostakiev,D} 29. ... Rf4 30. h3 -/+ e3! -/+ ) 
29. ... Rf5 ( 29. ... Nd3 {Kostakiev,D} 30. Qd5 Nxb2 31. Rde1 =, quiet ) 
30. Qh3 ( 30. Qh3 Rf3 ) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 9"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "1998.01.28"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Timoshenko, Georgy"]
[Black "Luther, Thomas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2560"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[ECO "B33w"]
[EventDate "1998.01.20"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 Nf6 6. N1c3 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. c3 Bg7 13. exf5 Bxf5 14. 
Nc2 O-O 15. Nce3 Be6 16. g3 f5 17. Bg2 Rb8 { In this case Black employs 
another method of struggling against the knight outpost on d5 and 
"bypasses" it from the flanks} ( {A reckless advance } 17. ... f4?! 18. 
Nc2! += { leads only to premature loss of black control over the important
e4-square} ( 18. gxf4? exf4 19. Nxf4 Rxf4 20. Bxc6 Qh4 21. Rf1 Raf8 -/+ ) 
) 18. Qh5 b4! {This thematic advance imparts necessary energy to b8-rook} 
19. O-O bxc3 20. bxc3 Ne7! {Having carried out a liberating b5-b4 advance 
and created the isolated c3-pawn in the enemy camp, Black switches over to
pressurizing the d5-square with his pieces } ( {White won a fine victory 
in the following game} 20. ... Qd7 21. f4! Qa7 ( 21. ... e4 22. g4! +/- ) 
( 21. ... Rb5!? 22. Rad1 Rc5 ) 22. Kh1 Qc5 23. Rad1 Rb2 24. fxe5! dxe5 ( 
24. ... Nxe5 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26. N7xf5 Qxc3 27. Nxg7 Kxg7 28. Rxf8 Kxf8 29. 
Rf1+ Kg7 30. Nd1 +- ) 25. Rxf5! ( 25. Nxf5? Rxg2! -/+ ) 25. ... Bxf5 ( 
25. ... Rxf5 26. Nxf5 Rxg2 27. Qe8+ +- ) 26. Nxf5 Qf2 27. Nde7+ Nxe7 28. 
Nxe7+ Kh8 29. Ng6+ Kg8 30. Bd5+ Rf7 31. Bxf7+ Kxf7 32. Nxe5+ Kg8 ( 32. ...
 Kf6 33. Ng4+ +- ) ( 32. ... Ke6 33. Qe8+ Kf5 34. Qd7+ +- ) 33. Qh3! Re2 
34. Qe6+ Kh8 35. Nf7+ Kg8 36. Nh6+ {1-0, Shamkovich,L 2410 - Maguiera,I, 
Las Vegas 1994} ) 21. Rfd1 ( 21. Rab1 = ) 21. ... e4 22. Rac1?! {White is 
somewhat careless to the opponent's counterplay} ( {An approximate dynamic
equilibrium is maintained after an accurate } 22. Qe2 = ) 22. ... Nxd5 23.
 Nxd5 Rb2! {The invasion of the rook to the 2nd rank allows Black to seize
the initiative } 24. c4 { In his struggle for the initiative White is 
ready to sacrifice the a2-pawn} 24. ... Rxa2 25. g4!? {Seeking to destroy 
black pawn chain} 25. ... Bxd5 26. Rxd5 e3! {A counterblow that 
demonstrates the insecurity of white king's position } 27. Rxf5 ( 27. fxe3
? Qb6 28. Rcd1 Qxe3+ 29. Kh1 Qe2 30. Rg1 Bd4! -+ ) 27. ... exf2+ 28. Kf1 
Qe7 ( {Black advantage is fixed by a move} 28. ... Re8! 29. Rf4 ( 29. Rxf2
? Rxf2+ 30. Kxf2 Qb6+ -+ ) ( 29. Qf7+ Kh8 30. Rxf2 Rxf2+ 31. Qxf2 Qg5 32. 
Re1 Rf8 33. Bf3 Qf4 -/+ ) 29. ... Re1+ 30. Rxe1 fxe1=Q+ 31. Kxe1 Qb8 -/+ {
shown by G.Timoscenko} ) 29. Rxf8+ Bxf8 30. Qd5+ Kh8 31. Be4 Qg7 ( 31. ...
 Qf6! =+ ) 32. Qf5 = {White battery on the b1-h7 diagonal allows to 
neutralize black material advantage } 32. ... a5 ( 32. ... Be7 33. Qc8+ 
Qf8 34. Qxf8+ Bxf8 35. Rc2 = ) 33. Rc3 Ra1+ 34. Kxf2 Qd4+ 35. Re3 Ra2+ ( 
35. ... Qd2+ 36. Re2 Qd4+ = ) 36. Kf1 Qxc4+?? ( 36. ... Ra1+ = ) 37. Bd3 
+- Qc1+ 38. Re1 Qh6 39. g5 Qg7 40. Re8 Ra1+ 41. Kg2 Ra2+ 42. Kh3 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation - 10.2"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2008.10.10"]
[Round "10.2"]
[White "Arppi, Heikki"]
[Black "Saksis, Juris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2323"]
[BlackElo "2243"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c3 Bg7 13. Qh5 ( 13. 
Nxb5 axb5 14. Bxb5 Bd7 15. exf5 O-O 16. O-O Ra7 17. a4 Qg5 18. Qf3 e4 19. 
Qe3 Qxe3 20. fxe3 h5 21. b4 Be5 22. f6 Kh7 23. Ra2 h4 24. Raf2 Rb8 25. c4 
Kh6 26. g4 h3 27. Rf5 Bxf5 28. Rxf5 Nxb4 29. Nxb4 Rxa4 30. Bxa4 Rxb4 31. 
Bc6 Rb1+ 32. Kf2 Rb2+ 33. Ke1 Rb1+ 34. Kd2 Rb2+ 35. Kc1 Rg2 36. Rh5+ Kg6 
37. Bxe4+ Kxf6 38. g5+ Rxg5 39. Rxh3 Rg4 40. Rf3+ Kg7 41. Bd5 f6 42. h3 
Rg3 {1/2-1/2 Simmelink, Joop Theo (2197) - Vesely, Emanuel (1851) / 
RA-2012-0-00197 (-), ICCF2012_cor19 2012} ) ( 13. Nxb5 axb5 14. Bxb5 Bd7 
15. exf5 O-O 16. O-O Ra7 17. a4 Qg5 18. Qf3 e4 19. Qxe4 Bxf5 20. Qe3 Qxe3 
21. Nxe3 Ne7 22. Nxf5 Nxf5 23. Rfd1 Rd8 24. Bd3 Ne7 25. Bf1 Rb8 26. Ra2 
Rba8 27. Bb5 d5 28. Kf1 d4 29. c4 Nf5 30. c5 Ne7 31. Raa1 Rc8 32. Rac1 
Rac7 33. c6 Nd5 34. Ba6 Ra8 35. Bb5 Kf8 36. Rc5 Rd8 37. Bd3 h6 38. Bf5 Nb4
39. Be4 d3 40. Rc4 Rd4 41. Rxd4 Bxd4 42. b3 Bc3 43. Bxd3 Nxd3 44. Rxd3 
Rxc6 45. Ke2 Ke7 46. f4 Bf6 47. Kf3 Rc2 48. h3 Ke6 49. g4 Be7 50. Ke4 Re2+
51. Re3 Rf2 52. Rd3 Bd6 53. Rf3 Rd2 {* Enin, AnÐ°tolij (2046) - Vesely, 
Emanuel (2117) / SA-2012-0-00265 (-), Lechenicher SchachServer 2012} ) 
13. ... O-O 14. O-O f4 15. Nc2 f5 16. Ncb4 {A logical continuation 
associated with a desire to keep control over the key d5-square } 16. ... 
Nxb4 17. Nxb4 a5 {Obviously, it would be useful to chase white knight away
from the d5-square, even at the cost of the f5-pawn sacrifice } ( {In one 
of the correspondence games there followed} 17. ... Rf6?! 18. exf5 Bf7 19.
 Qe2 Rh6 20. Be4 d5 {and here white knight efficiently enters the game } 
21. Nxd5!! Bxd5 22. Rfd1 Rd6 23. Rxd5 Rxd5 24. Qf3! Rd2 25. Bxa8 Rd3 ( 
25. ... Rxb2 26. Rd1 Rd2 27. Bd5+ +- ) 26. Qg4! h5 ( 26. ... Qxa8 27. f6! 
) 27. Qxh5 Qxa8 28. f6! +- {Gudjev - Schaetzel, corr. 1987} ) 18. exf5 Bf7
19. Qh3 Qd7! {Parrying the threat of f5-f6} ( 19. ... axb4 20. f6 +/- ) 
20. Nc2 d5 {Aggressive black central pawns supported by a pair of bishops 
are more than adequate compensation for the opponent's minimal material 
advantage } 21. Rad1 Ra6! {The rook enters the game along the 6th rank 
effectively } 22. g4! ( 22. Qg4?! Rh6 23. Qe2 f3 {A second pawn sacrifice 
allows to destroy white king's pawn cover } 24. gxf3 ( 24. Qxf3? e4 ) 
24. ... Qd6 =+ ) 22. ... Rh6 +/- 23. Qg2 Rd6 24. f3 Re8 25. Qe2 Rb6 26. g5
Qb7 27. f6 Bf8 28. Bf5 b4 29. c4 b3 30. axb3 d4 31. Ne1 Rxb3 32. Nd3 Bd6 
33. Qc2 a4 34. c5 Bf8 35. c6 Qc7 36. Nc1 Bd5 37. Bd7 Reb8 38. Nxb3 Bxb3 
39. Qf5 Bf7 40. Be6 Re8 41. Bxf7+ Qxf7 42. Rc1 Bd6 43. c7 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation - 10.3"]
[Site "Cap d'Agde FRA"]
[Date "2003.10.30"]
[Round "10.3"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2766"]
[BlackElo "2777"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2003.10.27"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 {Cifuentes,R} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 
6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c3 
Bg7 13. Qh5 O-O 14. O-O ( 14. exf5 {Cifuentes,R} 14. ... Bxd5 15. f6 h6! (
15. ... e4!? 16. fxg7 Re8 17. Be2 Re5 18. Qh6 b4! ( 18. ... Qg5 19. Qxg5 
Rxg5 20. Nc2 Be6 21. Ne3 Kxg7 22. a4 b4 =, quiet ) 19. Nc2 ( 19. Nc4 Bxc4 
20. Bxc4 bxc3 21. bxc3 Rc5 ( 21. ... d5 22. Qxc6 Rc8 23. Qxa6 Rxc4 =/& ) 
22. Bb3 Na5 23. O-O Nxb3 24. axb3 Rxc3 =, quiet ) 19. ... bxc3 20. bxc3 
Be6 âŒ“ ( 20. ... Qg5?! {Según Glavina este orden es impreciso.} 21. Qxg5 
Rxg5 22. O-O ( 22. O-O-O!? {intentando aprovechar el orden de jugadas de 
Van Wely.} 22. ... Bxa2 23. Rxd6 Rc5 24. Kd2 += ) 22. ... Be6 23. Rfd1 Rc5
24. Rxd6 Rxc3 25. Ne3 Nb4! 26. a4 Nc2 27. Nxc2 {1/2-1/2 Anand,V-Van 
Wely,L/Wijk aan Zee NED 2003 (27)} ) 21. Ne3 Qg5 22. Qxg5 Rxg5 23. Kd2 Rb8
24. Rhb1 Rxb1 25. Rxb1 Ra5 26. Rb6 Rxa2+ 27. Ke1 Ra1+ =, quiet ) 16. fxg7 
( 16. Qf5 e4 17. fxg7 Re8 18. Bc2 Re5 19. Qf4 Qg5 =, quiet ) 16. ... Kxg7 
17. Nc2 ( 17. Qf5 Qg5! ) 17. ... Be6 18. Ne3 d5 19. h4 Qf6 20. Bf5 Bxf5 
21. Nxf5+ Kh7 22. Rd1 Rad8 23. Rh3 Qg6 24. Qxg6+ fxg6 25. Ne3 d4 26. Nc2 
Rf4 =+ {1/2-1/2 Anand,V-Ivanchuk,V/Linares ESP 2002 (49)} ) ( 14. Nc2? {
Cifuentes,R} 14. ... fxe4 15. Bxe4 f5 16. Nf6+ Rxf6 17. Bxc6 Rc8 18. Bb7 
Rb8 19. Bxa6 Rb6 20. Nb4 Qa8 21. a4 Bf7! 22. Qf3 Rxa6 -/+ {
Akvist-Joksik/Reggio Emilia 1976-77} ) 14. ... f4 {Thanks to Anand's 
efforts, this position became fashionable lately and I suspect it will be 
even more popular in the near future, since it appears to be like a 
promising attempt for White to fight for advantage in Sveshnikov Sicilian,
especially because other tries have failed so far. Actually I believe that
due to the relatively new type of positions, the present game probably 
opens a new and wide field for further developments in the theory of 
Sveshnikov Sicilian.} 15. Rfd1!? {Leaving the other rook on a1 in order to
support the advance a2-a4.

A fine prophylactic move. White takes under his control the key d5-square 
which should reduce the efficiency of f7-f5. It should be noted that the 
a1-rook stays on the Q-side so far hoping for a job on this area of the 
board } ( 15. Nc2 {allows the immediate ...f5. However, the arising 
positions need more practical tests for the final verdict, since most of 
the evaluations are based on old and rather poorly analized games.} 
15. ... f5 {The positional threat now is 16...Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne7, so White 
should probably bring the second knight to b4, when many interesting 
variations need to be checked more carefully. For instance:} 16. Ncb4 Nxb4
17. Nxb4 a5 18. exf5 ( 18. Nc2 Qd7 ~ ) 18. ... Bf7 19. Qh3 Qd7 20. Nc2 ( 
20. Nc6 Qxc6 ( 20. ... Bc4? 21. Bxc4+ bxc4 22. Qf3 Ra6 ( 22. ... d5 23. 
Qxd5+ Qxd5 24. Ne7+ +- ) 23. Qd5+ Kh8 24. Nxa5 +/- {1-0 
Tolnai,T-Thallinger,G/Caorle 1989 (47)} ) 21. f6 e4 22. fxg7 Kxg7 {is good
for Black.} ) 20. ... d5 {is considered to be fine for Black because of 
the game Klovans-Timoscenko, 1974, which continued:} 21. Rad1 Ra6 22. Qg4 
( 22. a4 Rh6 23. Bxb5 ) 22. ... Rh6 23. Qe2 f3 24. gxf3 Qe7 25. f4 e4 26. 
Bxb5 Bh5 27. f3 Qc5+ 28. Ne3 exf3 29. Qd3 f2+ 30. Kxf2 Bxd1 31. Rxd1 Kh8 {
and in some sources this position is evaluated as winning for Black. In 
the game actually Black blundered and White won pretty soon. While I doubt
that the evaluation of the present position is so clear, White's earlier 
play can certainly be improved several times, the most noticeable 
possibilities are 22. a4 (instead of 22.Qg4) and 30.Rxf2 (instead of 
30.Kxf2). Anyway, it seems to me that after 15.Nc2 f5 Black should be 
doing fine one way or another, and that's why in the modern practice White
was trying exclusively to place a rook on d1 (instead of 15.Nc2) and 
prevent 15...f5.} ) ( 15. Rad1 {Anand used this move several times, 
connecting it with the next g2-g3. As mentioned before, White needs a rook
on d1 in order to prevent Black from playing f7-f5.} 15. ... Kh8 ~ {/=} ( 
15. ... f5 16. exf5 ( 16. Bc2!? ) 16. ... Bxd5 17. f6 Rxf6 18. Bxh7+ Kf8 
19. Rxd5 Ne7 20. Qf3 Nxd5 21. Qxd5 =/& ) 16. g3!? {has also been tested. 
As we see, this time White plays actively on the K-side and leaves the 
f1-rook in place } 16. ... Rg8 17. Kh1 Bf8 18. Be2 Rg5 { 1/2-1/2, Anand 
Viswanathan 2770 - Leko Peter 2739 , Wijk aan Zee 2001 It (cat.19)} 19. 
Qf3 f5 20. gxf4 fxe4 21. Qxe4 Bf5 22. Qe3 exf4 23. Nxf4 Ne5 24. Nd5 Ng4 
25. Bxg4 Rxg4 ) 15. ... Rb8 {Preparing develpoment by means of Â£d8-d7 
and, in prospect, counteracting the advance a2-a4 

Black has a lot of other options.} ( 15. ... Ne7 {'!?' Cifuentes,R.} 16. 
Nxe7+ ( 16. Nc2 Bxd5 17. exd5 f5 â‡„â‡„ ) 16. ... Qxe7 17. Nc2 Qd7 ( 
17. ... Kh8 {Cifuentes,R} 18. Nb4 Qd7 19. h3 a5 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. exd5 f5 
22. a4 bxa4 23. Bc2 Rab8 24. Bxa4 Qc7 25. Qe2 e4 26. Bc6 Be5 27. Kh1 Rg8 
28. Rg1 Rxg2! 29. Rxg2 f3 30. Qf1 fxg2+ 31. Qxg2 Rg8 ( 31. ... Rxb2! ) 32.
 Qf1 Qf7 33. c4 Qh5 34. Ra3 f4 35. f3 ( 35. Bd7 f3 ) 35. ... Bd4 -+ {
Pitl,G-Wendt,J/Budapest 2003} ) ( 17. ... Qd7 18. Qe2 Kh8 19. a4?! bxa4 
20. Bxa6 f3! 21. gxf3 Bh6 22. Ne3 Rg8+ 23. Kh1 Bf4 24. Rg1 Qe7 25. Rxg8+ 
Rxg8 26. Rg1 Rxg1+ 27. Kxg1 Bh3 28. Ng2 Qg5 29. Qf1 Bc1 -/+ ) 18. h3 ( 18.
 Qe2 {Cifuentes,R} 18. ... Kh8 19. a4?! bxa4 20. Bxa6 f3! 21. gxf3 Bh6 22.
 Ne3 Rg8+ 23. Kh1 Bf4 24. Rg1 Qe7 25. Rxg8+ Rxg8 26. Rg1 Rxg1+ 27. Kxg1 
Bh3 28. Ng2 Qg5 29. Qf1 Bc1 -/+ ) 18. ... Kh8 ~ ) ( {After a 
straightforward} 15. ... f5?! {the game is favorable for White} 16. exf5 (
16. Bc2!? ) 16. ... Bxd5 17. f6 Bh6 {An interesting idea, designed to keep
the light-squared bishop on the board. However, White can achieve an 
advantage thanks to the somewhat exposed king's position on g8.} ( 17. ...
 Rxf6 18. Bxh7+ Kf8 19. Rxd5 Ne7 20. Be4! =/& Rh6 21. Qf3 Nxd5 22. Nc2 Qh4
23. h3 Qh5 24. Qd3 Rf6 25. Nb4 { Podlesnik Bogdan 2400 - Drinovec Ales 
2167 , Sk.Loka 1998 Ch Slovenia (team)} ) 18. Qxh6 Ra7 19. Bxb5! ( 19. 
Bxh7+ Rxh7 20. Qg5+ Kh8 21. Rxd5 f3! â†‘ ) 19. ... Rxf6 ( 19. ... Bxg2 20.
 Rxd6 ( 20. Bc4+ +- ) 20. ... Qxd6 21. f7+ ) 20. Qh5 Bf7 21. Qg5+ Rg6 22. 
Qxd8+ Nxd8 23. Bd3 +/- ) ( 15. ... Kh8!? 16. Nc2 â–³ f5 ( 16. ... Rg8 17. 
a4 bxa4 18. Rxa4 a5 ~ ) 17. exf5 Bxd5 18. f6 Bh6! 19. Qxh6 Ra7 ~ 20. Bxb5 
Rxf6 21. Qh5 Bxg2! 22. Kxg2 axb5 â‡„â‡„ ) 16. Nc2 Qd7 17. h3! {Having 
prevented the lunge Â¥e6-g4, White is ready to hit the vulnerable places 
of the opponent's position with Â¤c2-b4 or a2-a4 

It's important to keep the queen on h5 in order to prevent Black from 
taking on d5. Later in the game it turned out that this move is also 
useful to avoid back rank problems.} ( 17. Qe2 Bxd5 18. exd5 Ne7 =, quiet 
19. Nb4 a5 20. Nc6 Nxc6 21. Qh5 h6 22. Bf5 Qc7 23. dxc6 {1/2-1/2, Timman 
Jan H 2625 - Parma Bruno 2540 , Bled/Portoroz 1979 It (cat.12)} ) ( 17. 
Qh4!? f5 18. Ncb4 Nxb4 19. Nxb4 Bf6 20. Qh5 a5 21. exf5 Bf7 22. Qh6 Bg7 
23. Qh4 axb4 24. f6 Bg6 25. fxg7 Qxg7 26. Bxg6 Qxg6 27. cxb4 Rb7 {1/2-1/2,
Vallejo Pons Francisco 2663 - Van Wely Loek 2617 , Monte Carlo 21. 3.2004 
It "Melody Amber")} ) 17. ... a5 { Impeding the maneuver Nc2-b4} ( 17. ...
 f5 {'!' Cifuentes,R. also doesn't fully solve the opening problems:} 18. 
Ncb4 Nxb4 19. Nxb4 a5 20. exf5! ( 20. Nc2?! {1-0 
Pfaffel,T-Steiner,P/Austria 1995 (40)} 20. ... d5! {Cifuentes,R} 21. exf5 
( 21. exd5 Qxd5 =+ ) 21. ... Bf7 22. Qg4 Qc6 =/& ) 20. ... Bf7 ( 20. ... 
Bxf5 {'?!' Cifuentes,R. runs into} 21. Nc6! {'!!' Cifuentes,R.} 21. ... 
Qxc6 {Cifuentes,R} ( 21. ... Rbe8 {Cifuentes,R} 22. Bxb5 += ) ( 21. ... 
Qxc6 22. Bxf5 h6 23. Qg6 Rf6 24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Be4 Qe8 26. Bd5 +/- ) 22. 
Bxf5 h6 23. Qg6 Rf6 24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Be4 Qe8 26. Bd5 +/- ) 21. Qh4 axb4 
22. f6 â†‘ {1/2-1/2 Hawley,M-Kolenbrander,J/EU-chT1 corr7281 (32)} 22. ...
 Bg6 {Cifuentes,R} 23. fxg7 ( 23. Bxg6? Bxf6! ) 23. ... Qxg7 24. Bxg6 Qxg6
25. cxb4 Kh8 26. Qg4 ( 26. Rd5 Rf5! ) 26. ... Qe4! 27. Qh4 â†‘ ) 18. Na3! 
N {Anand comes up with a move, which attacks the newly created weakness on
b5, but which in fact is designed in the end to target the weak pawn on 
d6. Starting with this moment White convincingly increases the positional 
advantage.

White knight unexpectedly changes its route and finds out new weaknesses 
on the opponent's Q-side } ( 18. Be2 f5 19. exf5 Rxf5 20. Qf3 Rg5 {was 
good for Black in Ratti,R-Cramling,D/Groningen 1978.} ) 18. ... b4 {A 
natural continuation, but maybe it was better to protect the pawn instead 
of allowing White to establish a knight on b5.} ( {Somewhat 
passive-looking is} 18. ... Na7!? {This retreat is quite typical for 
Sveshnikov Sicilian. The knight goes to the "ugly" square a7, but on the 
other hand White's last move was also Nc2-a3, so both knights "compensate"
each other. Now Black threatens 19...Bxd5 20.exd5 f5.} 19. Bc2 += ( 19. c4
!? ) 19. ... Rfc8 20. Bb3 Rc5 21. Rd2 += {Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2541 - 
Ramesh R B 2506 , Calicut 2003 Ch India)} ) 19. Nb5! {The knight will 
prove to be very strong on b5.} 19. ... bxc3 20. bxc3 += {White has a 
stable advantage and earlier improvements must be found for Black.} 
20. ... Ne7 ( 20. ... Rb7 21. a4 Ne7 22. Bc4 += ) 21. Ndc7! {Unexpected 
way to catch Black's bishop on e6.} 21. ... Rbc8 22. Nxe6 fxe6 23. a4 +/- 
{Here Black needs to do something out of ordinary, otherwise he will 
slowly die without getting any counterplay. In the game Kramnik's 
defensive plan failed to succeed.

White plan is absolutely clear now - to attack the d6-square along the 
d-file with the support of the powerful b5-knight. It would be rather 
difficult for Black, in his turn, to obtain counterplay } 23. ... Kh8 24. 
Bc2 Rc6 25. Rd2 Nc8 26. Rad1 Qe7 27. Bb3 {All White's pieces are perfectly
placed. There is no doubt about the evaluation - White has a huge 
positional advantage. Probably Black should try ...f3 at some moment to 
complicate matters, although it is unclear how to follow up after the 
simple g3.} 27. ... Rf6 28. c4 {The start of decisive breakthrough.} 
28. ... Rh6 ( 28. ... Bf8 29. c5 Rxc5 30. Nxd6 Nxd6 31. Rxd6 Qxd6 32. Rxd6
Bxd6 33. Qe8+ Bf8 34. Bxe6 +- {is practically the same as the game.} ) 29.
 Qf3 Bf8 30. c5! {No wonder there is a tactical way for White to convert 
his advantage.

An effective breakthrough opens the play and allows the centralized white 
army to storm into the enemy camp } 30. ... Rxc5 ( 30. ... dxc5 31. Rd7 ( 
31. Rd8!? ) 31. ... Qg5 32. Rf7 Be7 33. Rd7 Kg8 ( 33. ... c4 34. Na7 Rd6 
35. Rfxe7 ( 35. Rc7!? ) 35. ... Nxe7 36. Rxd6 cxb3 37. Qxb3 Rg6 38. Qf3 
+/- ) 34. Na7 Kxf7 35. Nxc6 +- ) 31. Nxd6 Nxd6 32. Rxd6 Qxd6 33. Rxd6 Bxd6
34. Qd3 {Total lack of coordination between Black's pieces. White is 
winning.} 34. ... Rc6 {Exchanging his queen for a pair of rooks does not 
make Black's life any sweeter, as his pieces are disconnected } 35. Qb5 
Rc1+ 36. Kh2 Rf6 37. Qe8+ Bf8 38. Bxe6 f3 {This obviously cannot change 
anything now. Black has no pieces for attack, so white king finds a path 
to enter into Black's camp without any real danger for White.} ( 38. ... 
Rc2 39. Qd8 Kg7 40. Qd7+ Kh8 41. Bf5 Bg7 42. Qe8+ Rf8 43. Qh5 h6 44. Qg6 
Kg8 45. Qh7+ Kf7 46. Bg6+ Kf6 47. Bh5 +- ) 39. g4 Rf1 40. Kg3 Rg1+ 41. Kh4
Kg7 ( 41. ... Rh6+ 42. Kg5 Rg6+ 43. Kf5 +- ) 42. g5 Rf4+ 43. Kh5 Rg2 44. 
Bf5 Rxf5 45. exf5 Rxf2 46. Qxe5+ 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation - 10.4"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2005.04.22"]
[Round "10.4"]
[White "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Black "Filippov, Valerij"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2612"]
[BlackElo "2621"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2005.04.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c3 Bg7 13. Qh5 O-O 14. 
O-O f4 15. Rfd1 Kh8!? { This modest retreat of the king is a way to 
prepare for a conceptual advance f7-f5 in a quickest possible way } ( {
After the immediate} 15. ... f5 16. exf5 Bxd5 17. f6 Bh6 18. Qxh6 Ra7 19. 
Bxh7+ Rxh7 20. Qg6+ Kh8 21. Rxd5 +/- ) ( 15. ... Rb8 16. Nc2 Qd7 17. h3 {
A.Shirov successfully employed a sharp pawn sacrifice} 17. ... f5 18. Ncb4
Nxb4 19. Nxb4 a5 20. exf5 Bxf5 21. Nc6! Rbe8 22. Bxb5 Qc7 23. Nxa5 ( 23. 
Qf3! Kh8 24. Qd5 Re6 25. Be2 ( 25. Bd3?! e4 26. Bc2 f3 27. g3 ( 27. Nd4?! 
Re5 28. Qc6 Qf7 -/+ ) 27. ... Rh6 28. h4 Bg6 29. Nd4 e3 30. Bxg6 Rxg6 31. 
Rd3 Qc5 32. Qxc5 dxc5 33. Nc2 -/+ e2 34. Kh2 -/+ ) 25. ... Rg6 26. Bh5 Rh6
27. Bf3 e4 28. Nd4! += {seems to be the most unpleasant one for Black, 
Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2541 - Harika Dronavalli 2329 , Mumbai 2004 Ch 
Commonwealth} ) ) 16. Nc2 f5 17. exf5 Bxd5 18. f6 Bh6! 19. Qxh6 Ra7! {This
defensive resource becomes possible due to inclusion of the move Â¢g8-h8. 
Black manages to bring into play his queen rook and to retain the 
important light-squared bishop } 20. f7 Rfxf7 21. Ne1 Rf6 22. Qh5 Rg7 23. 
Be2 {White seeks to bring into play his e1-knight, sending it to g2} 
23. ... Bf7 24. Qh4 e4 25. Bh5 Bg8 26. g3 Qf8 27. Ng2 Ne5 28. Rd2 Nc4 29. 
Rd4 d5 30. b3 Nd6 31. Bg4 Rgg6 32. Rad1 Qg7 33. Bh3 Rh6 34. Qg4 Rxh3 ( 
34. ... Rfg6 35. Qd7 ) 35. Qxh3 Be6?! {This allows White to come through 
unscathed } ( {To black advantage leads } 35. ... Rh6 36. Nh4 Be6 37. Qg2 
f3 38. Nxf3 Bh3 39. Qh1 Bg4 40. Ne1 Bxd1 41. Rxd1 Qxc3 -/+ { followed by 
d5-d4} ) 36. Qh4 Nf5 37. Qh5 Bf7 38. Qh3 Nxd4 39. Qc8+ Qg8 40. Qxg8+ Kxg8 
41. cxd4 f3 42. Ne3 Rc6 43. Kf1 b4 44. Ke1 Rc3 45. Rd2 Rc1+ 46. Rd1 Rc3 
47. Rd2 Rc1+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 11.1"]
[Site "Tbilisi GEO"]
[Date "1978.12.??"]
[Round "11.1"]
[White "Tukmakov, Vladimir B"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2570"]
[BlackElo "2565"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1978.12.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bd3 Be6 13. Qh5 Bg7 14. 
O-O f4 15. c4 bxc4! 16. Bxc4! O-O 17. Rac1 Rb8 18. b3 Qd7 { Refusing to be
distracted with the a2-pawn (18...Qd8-a5?!), Black consolidates his 
position } 19. h3 Kh8 {King retreat is necessary for f7-f5 advance } ( 
19. ... f5? 20. exf5 Rxf5 21. Qxf5 Bxf5 22. Nf6+ +- ) 20. Rfd1 Nd4 ( {In 
case of the immediate} 20. ... f5 { Black has to reckon with the loss of a
pawn } 21. Nxf4 exf4 ( 21. ... Bxc4 22. Ng6+ Kg8 23. Nxf8 +- ) 22. Bxe6 
Qxe6 23. Rxc6 fxe4 24. Nc4 +/- ) 21. Nc2 { "Stubbing up" the black knight 
from d4 } 21. ... Nxc2 22. Rxc2 f5 {At last this conceptual continuation 
has become possible } 23. exf5 ( {Play for keeping the e4-square under 
control looks more preferable} 23. f3 fxe4 24. fxe4 Bf7 { in this case 
Black also has adequate conterplay due to powerful f4-pawn, half-open 
g-file and the vulnerability of the e4-pawn} ) 23. ... Bxf5 24. Rcd2 Qa7! 
25. Kh1 Rbe8 { Now black position looks more attractive due to the 
prospects of advancing the pawns e5 and f4 } 26. f3 e4 27. Nxf4 Be5 28. 
Nd5 exf3 29. gxf3 ( 29. Qxf3 Bc2 -/+ ) 29. ... Bg6 30. Qg4 Qf7 31. Rf2 Bh5
{Black bishops have broken free, but White manages to retain balance with 
his precise defence } 32. Nf6! Bxg4 33. Bxf7 Rxf7 34. Nxe8 ( 34. Nxg4 Bg3 
=+ ) 34. ... Rxf3 35. Rdd2 Rxh3+ 36. Kg2 Rg3+ 37. Kf1 Bh3+ 38. Ke1 Rg8 39.
 Nxd6 Bg3 ( {As E.Sveshnikov points out, black still has a small advantage
after } 39. ... Rg1+ 40. Ke2 Bg4+ 41. Ke3 Re1+ 42. Rfe2 Rxe2+ 43. Rxe2 
Bxd6 44. Rc2! =+ ) 40. Kd1 Bxf2 41. Rxf2 Bg4+ 42. Ke1 h5 43. Ne4 Rd8 44. 
Kf1 Kg7 45. Kg2 Rd3 46. Nc5 Rd6 47. Kg3 Bc8 48. Rf4 Rd5 49. b4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 11.2"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "11.2"]
[White "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Black "Vyzmanavin, Alexey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2535"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1987.06.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 Bg7 13. O-O f4 14. 
c4 bxc4 15. Bxc4 O-O 16. Rac1 Rb8 17. b3 Qd7 18. Rfd1!? {A considerable 
improvement for White. Utilizing the tactical pecularities of the 
position, White has no intention to lose his time for the move h2-h3} 
18. ... Kh8 ( 18. ... Bg4? 19. Qg5 +/- ) 19. Qh4 {Creating the opportunity
for the Nd5-f6 lunge, that is unpleasant enough for Black } 19. ... Bxd5 (
{Black fails to obtain adequate counterplay after} 19. ... Rg8 20. Kh1! 
Nd4 21. Nc2 Bxd5 22. Bxd5 Ne2 23. Ra1 Nc3 24. Rd3 Nxd5 25. Rxd5 f5 26. f3 
Qc6 27. Na3 fxe4 28. fxe4 f3?! ( 28. ... Rbe8 29. Nc4 Re6 ) 29. gxf3 +/- 
Qc3 30. Rf1 Rbf8 31. Qf2 Rf6 32. Qe2 Rgf8 33. Rd3 Qc5 34. Nc4 Bh6? +- 35. 
Rfd1 Bf4 36. Rxd6 Qc8 37. Rxf6 Rxf6 38. Nd6 Qf8 39. Nf5 Rg6 40. Qd3 Rg8 
41. Qxa6 Qf7 42. Rg1 Rd8 43. Qb6 Rc8 44. a4 Bxh2 45. Rg7 Qh5 46. Rg8+ {1-0
Dvoirys, Semen I (2455) - Vaisser, Anatoly (2471) / Chigorin Memorial 15th
(?), Sochi RUS 1981} ) 20. Bxd5 ( 20. Rxd5 {Black obtains counterplay by 
means of 20...Ne7! followed by f7-f5)} 20. ... Ne7 21. Rd2 f5 22. Qh3 Rf6 
23. exf5 d5 24. Rcd1 Rd6 25. Bxd5 Rxd5 26. f6 Qxh3 27. gxh3 Bxf6 28. Rxd5 
Rg8+ 29. Kf1 Nxd5 30. Rxd5 f3 31. Nc2 Rc8 32. Ne1 Rc1 33. Rd6 Be7 34. Rd5 
Bb4 35. Rxe5 = ) 20. ... Nd4 21. Rc4! {Preparing the maneuver Na3-c2 } ( 
21. Nc2? Ne2+ -/+ ) ( 21. Kf1 f3! ) 21. ... f5 ( {Pawn sacrifice 21...f3 
does not give Black any real counterplay} 21. ... f3 22. Nc2 Ne2+ 23. Kf1 
Nf4 24. gxf3 +/- {Ne3 +/-} ) 22. Nc2 fxe4 ( 22. ... Nxc2 23. Rxc2 fxe4 24.
 Bxe4 Bf6 25. Qh5 +/- ) 23. Nxd4 exd4 24. Bxe4 +/- {Having exchanged the 
opponent's active pieces, White has an advantage in the middle game with 
bishops of opposite color due to his superior pawn structure and also to 
the difference in the degree of bishops' activity } 24. ... Be5 ( 24. ... 
Bf6 25. Qxf4 d5 26. Bf5 +- ) ( 24. ... h6 25. Rcxd4 Bxd4 26. Qxh6+ Kg8 27.
 Bd5+ +- ) 25. Qh5 Qf7 26. Qxf7 Rxf7 27. Rdc1 Re7 28. Kf1 a5 29. Rc8+ Rxc8
30. Rxc8+ Kg7 31. Ke2 f3+ 32. Kxf3 Rf7+ 33. Ke2 Bxh2 34. Ra8 Bg1 35. f3 
Rc7 ( {Rook exchange cannot help Black as well} 35. ... d3+ 36. Kxd3 Ra7 
37. Rxa7+ Bxa7 38. Kc4 Bc5 39. Kb5 Bb4 40. a3 Bd2 41. b4 axb4 42. a4 ) 36.
 Rxa5 Be3 37. Rd5 Rc1 38. Rxd6 Ra1 39. a4 Ra2+ 40. Kd3 Rxg2 41. a5 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 11.3"]
[Site "Lugano SUI"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "11.3"]
[White "Renet, Olivier"]
[Black "Korchnoi, Viktor"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2460"]
[BlackElo "2640"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1988.03.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bd3 Be6 13. Qh5 Bg7 14. 
O-O f4 15. c4 bxc4 16. Bxc4 O-O 17. Rac1 Rb8 18. b3 Qd7 19. Rfd1 Kh8 20. 
Qh4 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 Nb4 { A logical improvement. Black intends to exchange 
his opponent's bishop that dominates in the center, and white knight that 
is left alive will still have to find a good place fot himself } 22. Rd2 (
{In correspondence tournaments the continuation} 22. Rc3!? {has been 
tested, for instance:} 22. ... Nxa2 23. Rh3 h6 24. Nc4 Nb4 ( 24. ... Rbd8 
25. g4! ) 25. Bc6 Qd8 26. Qh5 Kg8 27. Rxd6 Qg5 28. Qxg5 hxg5 29. Bd7 Rfd8 
30. Rh5 Rb7 31. Bg4 Rxd6 32. Nxd6 Rc7 {1/2-1/2, Wieringen Cv - De Waard 
Jos, Netherlands 1997 Ch Netherlands (corr.)} ) ( {Worth attention is} 22.
 Nc4!? { intending to make the a3-knight comfortable as quick as possible,
even at a price of a pawn. After that it is possible to play } 22. ... 
Nxa2 23. Rc2 Nb4 24. Rcd2 Qd8 25. Qxd8 Rbxd8 26. Nb6 += {Grischuk 
Alexander (RUS) 2702 - Ivanchuk Vassily  (UKR) 2711, Moscow (Russia) 2002)
} ) 22. ... f5 23. Nc4 ( 23. Qh3 f3! 24. Nc4 Bf6 25. Qxf5 Qg7 26. Ne3 Bg5 
27. Qh3 Bxe3 28. fxe3 Qg5 29. Rc3 Nxd5 {Smirnov Pavel 2624 - Cao Sang 2536
, Warsaw 25.06.2005 Ch Europe)} ) 23. ... Nxd5?! { An inaccuracy. One pair
of rooks should have been previously exchanged } ( 23. ... Rb5! 24. Rcd1 
Nxd5 25. Rxd5 Rxd5 26. Rxd5 fxe4 27. Rxd6 Qf5 ) 24. Rxd5 fxe4 25. Rxd6 Qf5
26. h3! {Removing the weakness of the back rank and preparing to transpose
the game into ending by means of Â£h4-g4, where the defects of black pawn 
structure may have their impact } 26. ... h5?! {Black prevents the move 
Â£h4-g4, but now his king's position is bare } 27. Qe7 e3 28. fxe3 fxe3 
29. Rd7! {That's when the difference in utility of c1- and b8-rooks 
becomes especially obvious } 29. ... Bf6 ( 29. ... Qf2+ 30. Kh1 Qg3 ( 
30. ... Rg8 31. Qf7 +/- ) 31. Nxe3 Rf2 32. Rf1 +- Rxf1+ 33. Nxf1 Qg6 34. 
Ne3 Re8 35. Rd8 Qb1+ 36. Kh2 Rxd8 37. Qxd8+ Kh7 38. Qe8 Qxa2 +- ) 30. Nxe3
! Qe4 ( 30. ... Bxe7 31. Nxf5 Ba3 32. Rf1 +/- ) 31. Qc5 Bg5 ( 31. ... Bh4 
32. Rf1! Rfc8 33. Qa7 Ra8 34. Qb6 Rc6 35. Qb7 Qxe3+ 36. Kh1 +- ) 32. Nd5! 
( 32. Re1 Rfc8? ( 32. ... Rbc8! 33. Rc7 Rg8 34. Nc2 Be7 35. Qf2 Bh4 36. 
Qd2 Qg6 37. Rxc8 Rxc8 38. Rc1 Bg5 39. Ne3 Rg8 = ) 33. Qa7?? ( 33. Qd6 
Bxe3+ 34. Kh1 Qf5 +/- ) 33. ... Ra8 -+ 34. Qb6 Rc1! 35. Rxc1 Bxe3+ 36. Kh2
Bxb6 --+ ) ( 32. Rc3?? Rbc8 33. Rc7 Rcd8 34. Rd7 Rg8 35. Nf1 Rxd7 --+ ) 
32. ... Qf5 ( 32. ... Bxc1 33. Qxc1 Qg6 34. Qe3! Rbe8 35. Nc7! Rg8 36. Qe2
Ref8 = ) 33. Ne7! Qxd7 ( 33. ... Qe6? 34. Re1 Rfd8 35. Qxe5+ Qxe5 36. Ng6+
Kg8 37. Nxe5 +- ) 34. Qxe5+ Kh7 35. Qxg5 Rb6! 36. Nd5 Rg6 37. Qxh5+ Rh6 
38. Qe5?! ( 38. Qd1! Rf7 ( 38. ... Rd6?? 39. Rc7 Qxc7 40. Qb1+! +-- ) 39. 
Rc4 +/- ) 38. ... Rf5 39. Rc7 Rxe5 40. Rxd7+ Kg8 { In the endgame black 
chances for a draw improve, as his king is now free of checkmate threats }
41. Kf2 Kf8 42. Nf4 Rc5! 43. Kf3 Rc2 44. g4 ( 44. a3 Rc3+ 45. Rd3 Rxd3+ 
46. Nxd3 = ) 44. ... Rxa2 45. g5 ( 45. Rb7 Ra5! ) 45. ... Rb6 46. Kg4 Rb4 
( 46. ... Rxb3 47. Kh5! ) 47. g6 Rg2+! 48. Kf5 ( 48. Kf3 Rg1!? ( 48. ... 
Rxf4+ 49. Kxg2 Rb4 50. Rd3 Kg7 51. Rg3 a5 = ) 49. g7+ Kg8 50. Nh5 Rxb3+ 
51. Kf2 Rg6 52. h4 Rb4 = ) 48. ... Rxf4+ 49. Kxf4 Rxg6 50. Rb7 a5! 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 11. 5"]
[Site "Kherson UKR"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "11.5"]
[White "Brodsky, Michail"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2310"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 Rg8!? {A sharp 
continuation leading to great complications. Black wants to use the 
half-open g-file in order to obtain counterplay immediately } ( {Main line
here is} 12. ... Bg7 13. O-O f4 ) 13. O-O-O!? {Leaving the g2-pawn to the 
mercy of fate, White rapidly castles and seeks to open up the position of 
the opponent's king that remains in the center } ( 13. O-O?! f4 14. c4 b4 
15. Nc2 Bg4 16. Qxh7 Rg6 17. h3 Bf3 18. Qxg6 fxg6 19. gxf3 Ra7 -/+ { 
Smagin Sergey 2535 - Yurtaev Leonid 2525 , Hartberg 1991 It (open)} ) 
13. ... Rxg2 ( 13. ... Rc8!? ) 14. f4?! {This consistent continuation 
turns out to be favorable for Black. His rook all of a sudden gets a 
chance to display activity along the 2nd rank } ( {To unclear consequences
leads} 14. Qf3! ) 14. ... Nd4! 15. Ne3 ( 15. c3 Bxd5 16. exd5 b4! -/+ ) ( 
15. Rhg1 fxe4! 16. Rxg2 exd3 -/+ ) 15. ... Rf2 16. exf5 ( {Exchange of the
opponent's active rook is worth attention, though after} 16. Rhf1!? Rxf1 
17. Rxf1 Rc8 { the initiative is Black's} ) 16. ... Bxa2 17. fxe5 ( 17. 
Ng4 Rc8! {Nb3 mat} 18. Nxf2 Nb3# ) 17. ... dxe5 ( 17. ... Rc8 18. Bxb5+ 
Nxb5 19. Nxb5 axb5 20. exd6 -+ ) 18. Nxb5 Bh6!! {Dark-squared bishop 
enters the game effectively } ( 18. ... axb5 19. Bxb5+ Nxb5 20. Rxd8+ Rxd8
21. f6! ) 19. Rhe1 ( 19. Qxh6 Rxc2+! 20. Bxc2 ( 20. Nxc2 Nb3# ) 20. ... 
Ne2# ) 19. ... axb5 ( 19. ... Qb6!? 20. Nxd4 exd4 21. Qh4 Rb8! ( 21. ... 
Bxe3+? 22. Rxe3+ dxe3 23. Qe4+ +/- ) 22. b3 Bxe3+ 23. Rxe3+ dxe3 24. Qa4+ 
Kf8 25. Qxa2 Rc8 ) 20. Bxb5+ ( 20. Qxh6 Bc4 21. b4 Ra1+ 22. Kb2 Ra2+ 23. 
Kb1 Qa8 -+ ) 20. ... Ke7 21. Qh4+ ( 21. Qxh6 Rxc2+! 22. Nxc2 Nb3# ) ( 21. 
f6+ Rxf6 22. Qxe5+ Re6 23. Qc5+ Qd6 -+ ) 21. ... f6 22. Qxf2 Bf7 -+ { In 
spite of being down an exchange Black has a killing attack } 23. Bd3 ( 23.
 b3 Qa5 24. Ba4 Qc3! 25. Rd3 Nxb3+ 26. Kd1 Bh5+! ) 23. ... Qb6 24. Be4 ( 
24. c3 Ra1+ 25. Bb1 Ba2! --+ ) 24. ... Ra2 ( 24. ... Ra1+ 25. Kd2 Qb4+ 26.
 Kd3 ) 25. c4 Bxc4 26. Kb1 Qa5 ( 26. ... Ra1+! 27. Kxa1 Qa6+ 28. Kb1 Ba2+ 
29. Kc1 Qc4+ 30. Kd2 Nb3# ) 27. Nd5+ ( 27. Nc2 Ra1+ 28. Nxa1 Qa2# ) 
27. ... Bxd5 28. Qxd4 Ra1+ 29. Kc2 Rxd1 30. Qxd1 Qa4+ 31. Kc3 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 12.1"]
[Site "ICCF Email"]
[Date "2002.06.15"]
[Round "12.1"]
[White "Cipolli, Antonio Carlos R"]
[Black "Petrovic, Djordje R.(SCG)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2477"]
[BlackElo "2305"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[PlyCount "58"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 Rg8 13. g3 {This 
continuation is considered a main line } 13. ... Rg5!? {White wins a pawn 
and obtain a passed pawn on the h-file, but withdrawing his queen from 
play is dangerous } 14. Qxh7?! ( 14. Qd1 {will be examined later} ) 
14. ... Nd4! {This recently suggested lunge casts doubts on the preceding 
move of White's. Black bases his play on vulnerability of the f3-square } 
( {Previously there occured, for instance} 14. ... Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. 
O-O-O e4 17. Be2 Qb6 18. Qh4! Rg6 19. g4! {with white initiative, 
Timoshenko Georgy 2515 - Rogozenko Dorian 2480 , Bucharest 1993 It (cat.8)
} ) 15. c3 ( 15. Kf1?! Rg6 16. Qh4 ( 16. Qh5 fxe4 17. Bxe4 Bg4 18. Bxg6 
Bxh5 19. Bxh5 Qc8 -/+ ) 16. ... Qxh4 17. gxh4 Rc8! 18. c3 fxe4 19. Bxe4 
Bh3+ 20. Ke1 f5 21. cxd4 fxe4 22. dxe5 dxe5 23. Ne3 Bg2! 24. Nxg2 Rxg2 25.
 Kf1 Rg7 26. Re1 b4 27. Nb1 Rc2 28. Re2 Rgc7 29. h3 Rc1+ 30. Kg2 Rxh1 -+ {
0-1(42) Petraitis, Gintautas (2496) - Winckelmann, Thomas (2494) / Corr 
W-25ch sf15 (?), ICCF Email 2001} ) ( 15. O-O-O Rg6 16. Qh4 Qxh4 17. gxh4 
Bxd5 18. exd5 Rg2 =+ {shown by T.Winckelmann} ) 15. ... Nf3+ 16. Ke2 Bxd5!
{This exchange favors activation of black pawns in the center } 17. exd5 
e4 18. h4 ( 18. Rad1 Qf6! 19. Qh3 ( 19. Bc2? Bh6! -+ ) 19. ... b4! 20. Nb1
bxc3 21. bxc3 Rb8 22. Qg2 Qe5 23. Bxa6 Rb2+ -/+ {0-1 Satici, Aydin (2477) 
- Winckelmann, Thomas (2494) / Corr W-25ch sf15 (?), ICCF Email 2001} ) ( 
{Or, as T.Winckelmann points out, } 18. Bc2 Rg6 19. Qh3!? Qg5! 20. Rad1 
Bg7 21. Kf1 Ke7 22. Qg2 Rh8 23. Nb1 Be5! 24. h3 Nh4 25. Qh2 Qh5 26. Nd2 e3
27. fxe3 Rxg3 -+ ) 18. ... Rg6 19. h5 Rg5 20. Qh8?! ( 20. Bb1 Qb6! {
White's uncoordinated forces can do nothing against the opponent's 
centralized army } 21. Nc2 b4 22. Nxb4 a5 23. Nd3 Ne5 24. b3 exd3+ 25. 
Bxd3 -+ ) 20. ... Qe7 -+ 21. Bxb5+ axb5 22. Nxb5 O-O-O 23. h6 Rg6 24. c4 
Ne5 25. Rac1 Bxh6 26. Rxh6 Rxh8 27. Rxh8+ Kb7 28. Rc3 Qf6 29. Rf8 Nd3 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 12.2"]
[Site "Budapest HUN"]
[Date "2003.04.15"]
[Round "12.2"]
[White "Polgar, Judit"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2715"]
[BlackElo "2746"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2003.04.11"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 {Ftacnik} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. 
Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 
Rg8 13. g3 Rg5 14. Qd1 {The strongest continuation. Returning his queen to
its initial position, White is content with provoking the h8-rook movement
and depriving Black of the kingside castling } 14. ... Bxd5 {A necessary 
exchange that allows Black to obtain counterplay in view of formation of 
the mobile pawn mass in the center } 15. exd5 Ne7 16. Nxb5?! {This is a 
doubtful novelty. Later Polgar switched to the more logical 16.c3. The 
problem with taking with the knight on b5 in Sveshnikov Sicilian is that 
even when it wins a pawn, Black often gets good compensation. However, in 
this game Leko doesn't even sacrifice the pawn.
-----------
Eliminating the b5-pawn, White activates the a3-knight but gives his 
opponent time to organize counterplay } ( 16. c3 Bh6 17. Be2 Rc8 18. c4 f4
19. cxb5 e4 20. gxf4 Qa5+ 21. Kf1 Rxd5 22. Qe1 Qc7 23. bxa6 Qd7 24. Rg1 
Qh3+ 25. Rg2 Bxf4 26. Qb4 Bxh2 27. Bg4 Qd3+ 28. Be2 Qh3 29. Bg4 Qd3+ 30. 
Ke1 Nc6 31. Qb7 Qd2+ 32. Kf1 Qd3+ 33. Be2 Qh3 34. Rc1 Rg5 35. Bg4 Qd3+ 36.
 Ke1 e3 37. Bd7+ Ke7 38. Bf5+ {1-0 Polgar, J-Lautier,J/Enghien les Bains 
2003.} ) 16. ... Qb6 ( 16. ... e4 17. Be2 Qa5+ 18. Nc3 Bg7 =/& ) ( 16. ...
 Bg7 =/& ) 17. Na3! ( 17. Qc1 Bh6! â†‘ ( 17. ... Rg6 {Ftacnik} 18. Nc3 Bh6
19. Qb1 ( 19. f4 exf4 20. gxf4 Rg1+ -/+ ) 19. ... e4 20. Be2 Bg7 =, quiet 
) ) 17. ... Qxb2 18. Nc4 Qc3+ 19. Kf1 Rd8 {Ftacnik: 'The modern chess is 
first of all tough fight with quite a few questionable moments. It is hard
to guess why black refrained from the promissing 19...Nxd5!? '} ( 19. ... 
e4!? 20. Be2 ( 20. f4 Rg6 21. Be2 Rc8 {is much better for Black, if 
comparing with 21.f4 instead of 21.Be2 from the game.} ) 20. ... Bg7 21. 
Rb1 Kf8 ~ 22. Nxd6 Rd8 â†‘ ) ( 19. ... Rg6!? ) ( 19. ... Nxd5!? 20. Be2! (
20. Rb1 {Ftacnik} 20. ... Qd4 21. Be2 Qc5 =+ ) ) 20. Rb1 e4 ( 20. ... Nxd5
{Ftacnik} 21. Be2 Nf6 22. Rb3 Qd4 23. Qxd4 exd4 24. Rb6 += ) ( 20. ... Bh6
!? ) 21. Be2?! {This obvious-looking retreat allows Black to implement his
main idea in this variattion, namely, to activate central pawns, in full }
( {The strongest continuation here is the intermediate} 21. f4!! {was 
necessary. Now Black will find a job for the rook on the fifth rank.} 
21. ... Rg6 ( 21. ... exf3 22. Qxf3 Bg7 23. Kg2 {is in White's favour.} ) 
( 21. ... exd3? 22. cxd3! Rg6 23. Qa4+ +- ) 22. Be2 += {shown by P.Leko} )
( 21. Rb3 {Ftacnik} 21. ... Qf6 ( 21. ... Qd4? 22. Nxd6+ Rxd6 23. Bb5+ +- 
) 22. f4 Rg6 ( 22. ... exf3 23. Nb6 Ng6 24. Qxf3 +/- ) 23. Be2 Bg7 24. Kg2
+= ) 21. ... f4! 22. Rb3 ( 22. gxf4? Qh3+ 23. Ke1 Rxd5 24. Qc1 Bg7 ) ( {
Transposition into an endgame turns out to be favorable for Black} 22. Qd2
?! Nxd5 23. gxf4 Rf5 24. Qxc3 Nxc3 25. Rb7 Rb5! -/+ ) 22. ... Qf6 23. gxf4
{'?' Ftacnik. White had little choice, since protecting the d-pawn by 
moves like 23.Nb6 (which is probably best) would hardly cross anyone's 
mind. Ftacnik: 'This solution is most likely second rate, Leko will get a 
chance to build up the massive initiative on the kingside. '} ( 23. Nb6 {
Ftacnik} 23. ... fxg3 ( 23. ... f3 24. Bxa6 Nxd5 25. h4 Qh6 26. Kg1 ( 26. 
Nxd5 Rxd5 27. Qe1 =, quiet ) 26. ... Rxg3+ 27. fxg3 Nxb6 28. Qd4 +/- ) 24.
 hxg3 Nf5 25. Kg2 Bg7 26. Bxa6 += ) 23. ... Qxf4!? {Now White's previous 
move is fully justified. Ignoring the d5-pawn, Black seeks to create an 
offensive piece fist against the enemy king } ( 23. ... Rxd5! 24. Qc1 ( 
24. Qb1 {Ftacnik} 24. ... Qxf4 25. Rb8 ( 25. Ne3 Ra5 -/+ ) 25. ... Nc6 26.
 Rxd8+ Nxd8 =+ ) 24. ... Bh6 -/+ ( 24. ... Rc5 {Ftacnik} 25. Nb6 Nf5 -/+ )
) 24. Ne3 {Seeking to save the d5-pawn} 24. ... Bg7 ( 24. ... Bh6!? 25. 
Bxa6 Ra8 26. Bb5+ Kf8 =/& ) 25. Bxa6 {White's extra pawn plays 
insignificant role for the moment. Black will organise an initiative in 
the center and on the kingside, using the fact that White has an worse 
co-oprdination: not easy to connect rooks, bad position of the king and no
possibilities for active play.} 25. ... Nf5! {Bd4} 26. Ng2 ( 26. Nxf5 Rxf5
27. Qe2 Bd4 -/+ ) 26. ... Qe5 ( {To an equality only leads} 26. ... Rxg2 
27. Kxg2 Bd4 28. Rf1 Nh4+ 29. Kh1 Nf3 30. Rxf3 = ) 27. h4 Rg6 28. Rhh3 {So
she achieved the connection between rooks. The position is double-edged.} 
28. ... Kf8 { In his desire to improve the only defect in his piece setup 
(centralized king) Black counts on his general positional advantage} 29. 
Qb1 {White is trying to create her own play. However, the king on f1 will 
need soon more pieces to defend him and White's main task was rather to 
prevent Black's active possibilities. Also pawn d5 remains unprotected 
now.} ( 29. c3 ~ {would have been better, preventing Nd4. However, 
psychologically it's a difficult move to make after just having reached 
the connection between rooks on the third rank.} ) ( {or} 29. h5 {followed
by 30.c3.} ) 29. ... Bf6 30. h5?! {Strange as it may seem, the loss of 
white control over the g5-square will have its impact later } 30. ... Rg8 
31. Be2?! {'?' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'Much more promissing was to change a 
pair of rooks with the help of 31.Rb8!?, even though black would still be 
better.'} ( 31. c4?! {protects pawn d5, but leaves the bishop out of play 
on a6. Black is clearly better, after say} 31. ... Nd4 32. Rbe3 {and now 
even} ( 32. Rb8 Qg5 33. Rg3 Qxh5 ) 32. ... Nf3!? 33. Rhxf3 exf3 34. Rxe5 
fxg2+ 35. Kg1 Bxe5 -/+ ) ( 31. Rb8!? {Ftacnik} 31. ... Qxd5 ( 31. ... Rxb8
32. Qxb8+ Kg7 33. Qb1 Qxd5 34. c4 =, quiet ) 32. c4 Qd4 =+ ) 31. ... Nd4 (
31. ... Qxd5 32. Rb5 Qe6 {was possible too.} ) 32. Rbe3 Bg5 ( {Black has a
decisive attack after the following forced line:} 32. ... Nxe2 33. Rxe2 
Qg5 34. Rg3 Qxh5 35. Rxg8+ Kxg8 36. Re1 Kh8 37. Ne3 Bc3 38. Rd1 Qh1+ 39. 
Ke2 Qf3+ 40. Kf1 f5 -+ {But the game continuation is also strong enough to
win.} ) 33. Qb6 Re8 34. Reg3 f5! -+ {Black's "spare" f-pawn rushes 
forward, breaking down White's resistance once and for all } 35. Nh4 ( 35.
 Bb5 Re7 {changes little - White is unable to stop the advance of f-pawn.}
) 35. ... Nxe2 36. Kxe2 f4 -+ 37. Rb3 f3+ 38. Kf1 Qxd5 39. Nxf3 Qc4+ 40. 
Rd3 exd3 41. Qxd6+ Be7 42. Qh6+ Rg7 43. Rg3 ( 43. Ne5 d2+! 44. Nxc4 d1=Q# 
) 43. ... dxc2+ 44. Kg2 Qc3 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 12.3"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2003.01.19"]
[Round "12.3"]
[White "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Black "Krasenkow, Michal"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2712"]
[BlackElo "2633"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2003.01.11"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bd3 Be6 13. Qh5 Rg8 14. 
g3 Rg5 15. Qd1 Bxd5 16. exd5 Ne7 17. c3 {The most unpleasant continuation 
for Black. White prepares activation of his knight via a3-c2-b4 or e3.} 
17. ... Qb6 ( {In case of} 17. ... e4 {there follows the already familiar 
intermediate move } 18. f4 Rg8 19. Be2 Qb6 20. Nc2 Bg7 21. Qd2 Bf6 22. a3 
Kf8 23. Kf1 Kg7 24. Kg2 Rgc8 25. Rhg1 a5 26. Kh1 Rg8 27. Bh5 Qc5 28. Rad1 
Kf8 29. Rg2 Rb8 30. h3 Ng6 31. Qe1 Qc8 {1-0(80) Bezgodov, Alexei (2576) - 
Tolstikh, Nikolay (2419) / RUS Ch 53rd (5), Samara RUS 2000} ) 18. Nc2 e4 
19. Be2 ( 19. f4? exd3 20. fxg5 dxc2 21. Qxc2 Qe3+ 22. Qe2 Qxg5 -/+ ) 
19. ... f4!? {Very sensible solution, black is improving his situation 
with the elimination of the unpleasant pawn d5.

Black pawns are bursting to go into action, or Black will carry out the 
blockading advance f2-f4 } 20. Qd2! {Vulnerability of the g5-rook allows 
White to neutralize the opponent's mobile pawns } ( 20. gxf4 Rxd5 21. Qc1 
Rc5 22. f3 d5 =, quiet ) 20. ... Rxd5 ( 20. ... fxg3? 21. Qxg5 Qxf2+ 22. 
Kd2 ) ( 20. ... e3 21. fxe3 Rxd5 22. Nd4 fxe3 23. Qxe3 Bg7 24. Rd1 +/- ) 
21. Qxf4 Re5 ( 21. ... Rf5 22. Qxe4 ( 22. Qe3 Qxe3 23. Nxe3 Rc5 24. a4 += 
) 22. ... Qxf2+ 23. Kd1 Rd5+ 24. Bd3 f5 25. Qe2 Qxe2+ 26. Kxe2 += ) 22. 
O-O {The position has stabilized. White has an obvious positional 
advantage consisting in a superior pawn structure and a more comfortable 
location of his king } 22. ... Bg7 23. Kh1! { Intending to expose the 
flaws in the opponent's setup by means of the undermining f2-f3 } 23. ... 
b4!? {Strategic mistake, since after swap of the pawn white squared bishop
of Grischuk will become very active.

-----------

Black has to try and solve his problems by "surgical" means } ( {After the
quiet } 23. ... d5 24. f3 {white advantage is evident} ( 24. Rad1 Qg6 
=, quiet ) ) ( 23. ... Kf8!? {motor} 24. Rad1 d5 25. f3 e3 26. Rfe1 Re8 
27. Bd3 Ng6 28. Qb4+ Kg8 29. Re2 R5e6 30. Kg2 Ne5 += ) 24. c4 ( 24. Nxb4 
a5 25. Nc2 ( 25. Bc4 f5 ( 25. ... d5 26. Nxd5 Nxd5 27. Bxd5 Rxd5 28. Qxe4+
Qe6 29. Qxh7 ~ ) 26. Qg5 Kf8 =+ ) 25. ... Qxb2 = ) ( 24. Rab1 {motor} 
24. ... bxc3 25. bxc3 Qc6 26. Nb4 Qd7 += ) ( 24. cxb4 d5 ) 24. ... d5 ( 
24. ... b3 25. Ne3 ( 25. axb3 Qxb3 26. Qd2 += ) 25. ... h5 26. f3 Ng6 27. 
Nd5 Qd4 28. Qc1 Rc8 29. Nc3 += ) 25. Rad1 Rd8 ( 25. ... b3 26. axb3 Qxb3 
27. Nd4 Qxb2 28. cxd5 Nxd5 29. Qg4 { black king faces problems} ) 26. cxd5
Nxd5 ( 26. ... Rdxd5 27. Qg4! Kf8 28. Ne3 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 +/- ) 27. Qh4 {The
middlegame play with black king open may give White more than an endgame 
with an extra pawn and bishops of opposite color } ( 27. Qg4 Qg6 28. Qxg6 
hxg6 29. Bxa6 +/- ) 27. ... Qg6 ( 27. ... b3 28. Qxh7!? ( 28. axb3 Qg6 29.
 Ne3 += ) 28. ... bxc2 29. Qxg7 Qxb2 30. Rc1 Rd6 31. Rxc2 Qxc2 32. Qxe5+ 
Re6 33. Qb8+ +/- ) 28. Ne3 Bf6 29. Qh3 Nxe3 ( 29. ... Be7 30. Nc4 Rf5 31. 
f4! exf3 32. Bxf3 +/- ) 30. Rxd8+ Bxd8 ( 30. ... Kxd8 31. fxe3 Re6 32. Bc4
Rd6 33. Bxa6! +/- ) 31. fxe3 +/- {Black position is dangerous. As is 
generally known, the presence of bishops of opposite color on the board 
makes an attack against the king still stronger } 31. ... Rc5 32. b3! {
Securing the c4-square for the white bishop } 32. ... a5 ( 32. ... Rc2? 
33. Bh5 +- ) 33. Bc4 {In this technical position black has palpable 
weaknesses and no counterplay, the defense will be very unpleasant affair.
} 33. ... Bf6 ( 33. ... f5 34. Be2 Ke7 35. g4! fxg4 36. Bxg4 +/- ) 34. Rf4
Ke7 35. Qf1 ( 35. Qg2 Re5 36. Qd2 +/- ) 35. ... Re5 36. Qd1 Rc5? ( 36. ...
 h5 37. Qd4 Kf8 38. Qd6+ Kg7 39. Bd5 +/- {Qc6} ) 37. Bd5 Bb2 ( 37. ... Qg5
38. Bxe4 Be5 39. Rf3 +/- ) 38. Bxf7 Qd6 ( 38. ... Qc6 39. Bc4 +/- ) 39. 
Qe2? {The opponents exchange inaccuracies under time pressure } ( 39. 
Rxe4+ Re5 40. Rxe5+ Qxe5 41. Qf3 +/- ) ( {As A. Grischuk points out, to 
the win leads} 39. Qg4 Rc1+ 40. Kg2 Rc2+ 41. Kh3 Qh6+ 42. Bh5 Qe6 43. Rf5 
Bf6 44. Rxa5 Qxg4+ 45. Bxg4 +- ) 39. ... Rc1+ 40. Kg2 Be5? ( 40. ... Qd1 
41. Qxd1 ( 41. Qb5 Rc2+ 42. Kh3 Qd7+ 43. Qxd7+ Kxd7 44. Rxe4 +/- ) ( 41. 
Qa6 Rc2+ 42. Kh3 Qd7+ 43. g4 Be5 ) 41. ... Rxd1 +/- ) 41. Rf5 +- Bf6 ( 
41. ... Rc5 42. Bc4 +/- ) 42. Bd5 Qd7 ( 42. ... Rc5 43. Qh5 Kd8 44. Qxh7 
Rc2+ 45. Kh3 +- ) 43. Qh5! {White is going for the decisive attack, the 
counterplay of black will be refuted in a very ellegant way.} 43. ... Rc2+
44. Kf1 ( 44. Kh3 Kd8 45. Bxe4 Rxa2 46. Qh6 +- ) 44. ... Rc1+ 45. Ke2 Kd8 
( 45. ... Rc2+ 46. Kd1 Rc8 47. Qf7+ +- ) 46. Rxf6 Qb5+ 47. Kd2 Qc5 ( 
47. ... Qd3+ 48. Kxc1 Qxe3+ 49. Kd1 Qd4+ 50. Ke2 Qd3+ 51. Kf2 Qd4+ 52. Kg2
Qxf6 53. Bxe4 +- ) ( 47. ... Ra1 48. Rf8+ Kc7 49. Qe5+ +- ) 48. Rd6+! ( 
48. Rd6+ Qxd6 ( 48. ... Ke7 49. Qe5+ Kf8 50. Rd8# ) 49. Qg5+ Kc7 50. Kxc1 
+- ) 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 12.4"]
[Site "Budapest HUN"]
[Date "2003.04.19"]
[Round "12.4"]
[White "Acs, Peter"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2746"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "2003.04.11"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 {A fashionable move 
in the past, this line became popular recently. The present game certainly
played its role for that.} 12. ... Rg8 ( 12. ... Bg7 13. O-O f4 14. c4 {is
another main direction in Sveshnikov Sicilian. However, 12...Rg8 leads to 
more dynamic and sharp positions.} ) 13. g3 Rg5 ( 13. ... Rg4 14. f4! ) 
14. Qd1 ( 14. Qxh7 {taking the pawn gives Black good counterplay after 
both 14...Nd4 and 14...Bxd5.} ) 14. ... Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. c3 ( 16. 
Nxb5 Qb6 17. Na3 Qxb2 18. Nc4 Qc3+ 19. Kf1 Rd8 20. Rb1 e4 21. Be2 f4! {0-1
Polgar,J-Leko,P/Budapest 2003 (44)} ) 16. ... Bh6 N {Another attempt at 
improving the variation for Black } ( 16. ... Qb6 17. Nc2 e4 18. Be2 f4 
19. Qd2!? Rxd5 20. Qxf4 Re5 21. O-O Bg7 22. Kh1 b4 23. c4 d5 24. Rad1! {
1-0 Grischuk, A-Krasenkow,M/Wijk aan Zee 2003 (48)} ) ( 16. ... e4 17. f4!
{was met earlier, with a slight plus for White.} ) 17. Be2! {A good move, 
anticipating 17...e4.

An interesting prophylactic retreat that should amortize the e5-e4 advance
followed by activation of black pawns } ( 17. Nc2 e4 {followed by 18...f4,
with counterplay.} 18. Be2 f4! ) 17. ... Qb6 ( 17. ... Rc8 18. c4 f4 19. 
cxb5 e4 20. gxf4 Qa5+ 21. Kf1 Rxd5 22. Qe1 Qc7 23. bxa6 Qd7 24. Rg1 Qh3+ 
25. Rg2 Bxf4 26. Qb4 Bxh2 27. Bg4 Qd3+ 28. Be2 Qh3 29. Bg4 Qd3+ 30. Ke1 
+/- {1-0 Polgar,J-Lautier,J/Enghien les Bains 2003 (38)} ) ( 17. ... e4 
18. Qd4!? {Acs} ( 18. Nc2 f4! ) 18. ... Bg7 19. Qd2 += Bh6 20. Nc2 += {and
the f5-f4 advance is checked} ) 18. Nc2 Kf8 {'?!' Ftacnik. This natural 
and useful retreat is somewhat too slow, allowing White to start first his
active actions on the queenside. Ftacnik: 'Leko must have been pleased by 
the success against Polgar and and it surely influenced his trust for the 
black's setup.'

A typical tactical method for this variation. Black makes his king's 
position more comfortable by sending it to the right flank "by foot". } ( 
18. ... Qb7!? {'!?' Ftacnik.} 19. a4! ( 19. f4 {Ftacnik} 19. ... exf4 20. 
gxf4 Rg6 21. a4 Bxf4 22. axb5 axb5 23. Rxa8+ Qxa8 24. Bxb5+ Kd8 ~ ) 
19. ... Nxd5 ( 19. ... bxa4 20. Nb4 ) 20. O-O ( 20. axb5!? Ne3 21. Nxe3 
Qxh1+ 22. Bf1 ) 20. ... Nf4 21. Bf3 e4 22. Qxd6 {with sharp play} ) ( 
18. ... e4 {Ftacnik} 19. f4 exf3 20. Bxf3 f4 21. Qd3 += ) 19. a4! â†‘ {
White tries to stress temporary disunity of black rooks by a standard 
undermining on the Q-side} 19. ... bxa4 20. Nb4 f4 ( {Transposition into 
an endgame after} 20. ... a5 {turns out to be favorable for White } 21. 
Qxa4 += e4 22. Qb5! Qxb5 23. Bxb5 f4 24. O-O += ) ( 20. ... Qb7 21. O-O a5
22. Qxa4 Nxd5 23. Nxd5 Qxd5 24. Rfd1 Qc5 25. b4 Qxc3 26. Rxd6 ) ( 20. ... 
e4 21. Qxa4 f4 22. Qa5 Qb8 23. Qa4 a5 24. gxf4 Rf5 25. Rg1 Rxf4 26. Rg4 
Ng6 27. Rxf4 Bxf4 {0-1 De Waele, Willy (2006) - Vesely, Emanuel (2161) / 
SA-2012-0-00287 (-), Lechenicher SchachServer 2012} ) 21. Qxa4 f3 ( 
21. ... e4 22. Qa5! += ( 22. gxf4 Rg2 23. Rf1 e3 ) ) 22. Bd3! {One of the 
main white ideas in this variation is to hinder the opponent's central 
pawns } ( 22. Bxf3? Rf5 23. Ke2 e4 -+ ) ( 22. Bxa6? e4 â‡„â‡„ 23. O-O e3 
24. fxe3 Qxe3+ 25. Rf2 ( 25. Kh1? f2 -+ ) 25. ... Qb6 26. Qa5 Qa7 ) 
22. ... Rg4 ( 22. ... f5 âŒ“ 23. Qd7! ( 23. Qa5 Qxa5 24. Rxa5 e4 25. Rxa6 
Rxa6 26. Bxa6 f4! ) 23. ... e4 ( 23. ... Ra7 24. Rxa6! Rxd7 25. Rxb6 e4 
26. Bb5 +/- ) 24. Rxa6 Rxa6 25. Bxa6 f4 ( 25. ... e3 26. Bb5! exf2+ 27. 
Kd1 Qe3 28. Kc2 +/- ) 26. Bb5 Re5 27. O-O +/- ) ( 22. ... e4? 23. Bxe4 Re5
24. Nd3 +- ) 23. O-O ( {An attempt to exchange queens } 23. Qa5? {allows 
Black an unexpected check on d2:} 23. ... Bd2+! 24. Kf1! ( 24. Kxd2 Qxf2+ 
25. Kc1 e4 -/+ ) 24. ... Qxa5 {Now with the king on f1 Black will have 
tactical motifs even in endgame.} 25. Rxa5 Rc8 26. Nc2 ( 26. Ra1 Bxc3! 27.
 bxc3 Rxc3 -+ ) 26. ... Rb8 27. Nb4 Rc8 =, quiet ) 23. ... f5 {Black pawns
begin to move, but the very following lunge of the opponent's queen 
reveals the vulnerability of their king's position } ( 23. ... e4? 24. Qd7
! f5 ) ( {As P.Acs points out, in case of prophylactic} 23. ... Qc7 {White
supports his initiative by means of } 24. Qd1! f5 25. Bxf5! Rxb4 26. Qxf3!
Rxb2 ( 26. ... Rf4 27. gxf4 Nxf5 28. fxe5 +/- ) 27. Bg6+ Bf4 28. Be4 +/- )
24. Qd7 {Black's problem is the lack of co-ordination between pieces, 
while White already starts to create concrete threats. Ftacnik: 'Acs has 
achieved a great feat, since his king sits in the safety and white is 
positionaly winning on the queenside. Penetration of the active white 
queen to the enemy camp must have been very unpleasant for the defender.'}
24. ... Rxb4! {Desperation in a bad position. Tactical tricks are probably
the only thing left for Black anyway.} ( 24. ... Rd8 25. Rxa6! +/- ) ( 
24. ... a5? 25. Nc6 Nxc6 26. Qxf5+ +- ) ( 24. ... e4? 25. Nc6! +- ) ( 
24. ... Ra7 25. Rxa6! Rxd7 ( 25. ... Qxf2+ 26. Kxf2! Rxd7 27. Bb5 Rb7 28. 
Rxd6 Rxb5 29. Rxh6 Nxd5 30. Nxd5 Rxd5 31. Kxf3! ( 31. Rf6+? Ke7 32. Rxf5 
Ke6 33. Rh5 Rd3! ) 31. ... Kg7 32. Rc6 +- ) ( 25. ... Rxa6 26. Nxa6 e4 27.
 Nc7 +- ) 26. Rxb6 +/- ) 25. cxb4 e4 26. Bb5! {Most precise. The bishop 
goes to c6.} 26. ... Rb8 ( 26. ... e3 27. Rxa6! ) ( 26. ... Bg5 27. Bc6 +-
) 27. Bc6 Qxb4 28. Ra4! ( 28. Rxa6 Be3! 29. fxe3?? â–³ Qxb2 -+ ) 28. ... 
Qxb2 29. Qxd6 Be3? {Nice, but White has a defence. He should have kept the
bishop closer to his own king with 29...Bg7.} ( 29. ... Bg7! 30. Rxa6 Be5 
31. Qe6 +/- ) 30. h4! { By giving his king "some air to breathe" White 
eliminates the possibility of the opponent's tactical counterplay } ( 30. 
Ra2? Bxf2+ 31. Rxf2 ( 31. Kh1 Bc5 ) 31. ... Qb1+ 32. Rf1 Qxa2 33. Qxb8+ 
Kg7 34. Qe5+ Kf8! ( 34. ... Kh6 35. Rxf3! ) 35. Qf6+ Kg8 =, quiet {(Acs)} 
) 30. ... Ba7 31. Rxa6 Qe2 32. Raa1 e3 33. Qf6+ Kg8 34. Bd7 {White wins by
mating attack.} 34. ... exf2+ 35. Kh2 Rb6 36. Be6+ Rxe6 37. dxe6 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 12.5"]
[Site "Elista RUS"]
[Date "1997.05.22"]
[Round "12.5"]
[White "Galkin, Alexander"]
[Black "Filippov, Valerij"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1997.05.19"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 {Horvath,T} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6.
 Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bd3 
Be6 13. Qh5 {Nowdays more popular is 13.0-0} 13. ... Rg8 {Most Sveshnikov 
specialist doesnt like playing main line 13....f4
} 14. g3 Nd4!? {Recently this continuation has been bringing better 
practical results to Black, than 14...Rg5} ( 14. ... Rg5 15. Qxh7 Bxd5 16.
 exd5 Ne7 17. O-O-O Qb6 =/& {Wang Zili - Chehov/Beijing 1991} ) ( 14. ... 
Bxd5!? 15. exd5 Rg5 16. Qh4 Qa5+ 17. Kf1 Rg4 18. Qxh7 Nd4 19. c4 ( 19. 
Bxf5 Rg7 20. Qh3 b4 21. Nc4 Qxd5 -/+ ) 19. ... Qd2 20. Bxf5 Qe2+ 21. Kg1 
Rg5 22. Bd3 Qxb2 -+ {Shehodanov - Zezulkin/Minsk 1994} ) ( 14. ... f4?! {
Horvath,T} 15. gxf4 Bg4 16. Qxh7 Rg7 17. Qh8 Nd4 18. Kf1 Rg6 19. h3! Rh6 
20. hxg4 Rxh8 21. Rxh8 +/- {Horvath, Cs-Horvath,P/Budapest/1989} ) ( {
Playable is also:} 14. ... Rg4!? 15. f4 Rc8 16. c3 b4 17. Nc2 ( 17. Bxa6?!
bxa3 18. Bxc8 axb2 19. Rb1 Qxc8 20. Nf6+ Ke7 21. Nxg4 fxg4 22. O-O exf4 
23. Qg5+ Ke8 24. gxf4 Bc4 25. Rf2 ) 17. ... bxc3 18. bxc3 exf4 19. Nxf4 
Ne5 20. Be2 Rg6 = ) 15. c3! ( 15. Ne3 Rg5 16. Qxh7 fxe4 17. Bxe4 d5 â‡„â‡„
{Sobolevsky - Dvoirys/Barnaul 1988} ) ( {Risky is} 15. O-O-O { and black 
initiative starts developing by itself } 15. ... Rc8 16. Kb1 fxe4 17. Bxe4
b4 18. Nxb4 Rg5 19. Qxh7 d5 20. Bxd5 Bxd5 21. Nxd5 Qxd5 {0-1(40) Liang, 
Jinrong (2395) - Kindermann, Stefan (2465) / WchT U26 (?), Chicago, IL USA
1983} ) 15. ... fxe4 16. Bxe4 Bg4 { Black bases his play on vulnerability 
of the f3-square in the enemy camp } 17. Qxh7 ( {White is forced to accept
a pawn offer, as } 17. Qh4? {leads to black advantage } 17. ... Nf3+ 18. 
Bxf3 Qxh4 19. gxh4 Bxf3 20. Nf6+ Kd8 21. Nxg8 Bxh1 -/+ ) 17. ... Rg7 18. 
Qh6 ( {GM J.Klovans recommends the continuation} 18. Qh8!? Nf3+ 19. Ke2 
Ng5+ 20. f3 ) 18. ... Nf3+ 19. Kf1 {A natural retreat of the white king, 
after which Black obtains equal play } ( 19. Ke2 Rg6 20. Qe3 Bh6 21. Qb6 
Nd2+ 22. f3 Nxe4 23. Qxd8+ Kxd8 24. fxg4 Rxg4 25. Rhf1 Ra7 26. Nc2 Nc5 27.
 Rf6 Rg6 28. Rxg6?! fxg6 =, quiet {Aniukhin - Rogozhnikov/Voronez 1991} ) 
( 19. Ke2!? {Horvath,T Beliavsky-Shirov/ CBM/39} ) 19. ... Rg5 20. Nf6+ 
Ke7 { Both kings are deprived of castling after the opponent knights have 
given checks from f3 and f6 respectively. Game becomes absolutely 
irrational } ( {The effective} 20. ... Qxf6 {is refuted by means of  - 
Horvath,T} 21. Bc6+! +/- ( 21. Qxf6? Nd2+ 22. Kg2 Nxe4 23. Qh8 Rh5 24. 
Qxh5 ( 24. Qg8 Nf6 ) 24. ... Bxh5 -/+ ) 21. ... Ke7 22. Qxf6+ Kxf6 23. 
Bxa8 +/- {Klovans J - Taborov B, 1985 Kostroma} ) 21. Qh8 Nd2+ 22. Kg2 
Nxe4 ( 22. ... d5? 23. Rad1! ) 23. Nxe4 Rg6 24. Rhe1 ( 24. Qh4+!? Kd7 ( 
24. ... Ke6 {Horvath,T} 25. Qxd8 Rxd8 {Nach vielen Beispielen Schwarz hat 
mindestens genug Kompensation für geopferten Bauern.} 26. f3 Bf5 27. Rad1 
d5 28. Nb1 {a pair of strong bishops fully compensates the lack of a pawn 
to Black)} ) 25. Qxd8+ Rxd8 26. f3 Be6 ( 26. ... Bf5 27. Rad1 Ke8 28. Nf2 
) 27. Rhd1 Ke7 28. Nc2 f5 29. Nf2 d5 30. a4 f4 31. axb5 axb5 =, quiet {
Magem Badals - Polgar Zsu./ Madrid 1992} ) 24. ... Qd7 25. f3? { Permits 
an elegant combination to Black } ( 25. Qh4+ f6 26. Qh7+ ( 26. f3 Be6 27. 
Qh7+ Bf7 =/& ) 26. ... Rg7 27. Qh6 Qf5 28. Qe3 ~ ) 25. ... Bxf3+! 26. Kxf3
Qf5+ 27. Kg2 ( 27. Ke3 Bh6+ ) 27. ... Rh6 28. Qg8 Qh3+ 29. Kf3 Rg6 -+ {
Black has taken the opponent's queen prisoner, which decides the outcome 
of the game } 30. Qxg6 fxg6 -+ 31. Nf2 Qf5+ 32. Kg2 d5 33. Rf1 Ke6 34. b4 
Rc8 35. Rae1 Rxc3 36. Nh3 Rxa3 ( 36. ... Qg4 37. Rxf8 Rxa3 38. Re8+ Kd6 
39. R8xe5 Rxa2+ 40. Nf2 Qxb4 -+ ) 37. Rxf5 gxf5 38. Ng5+ Ke7 39. Rxe5+ Kf6
40. Nf3 Rxa2+ ( 40. ... Rxf3? 41. Re8 Kf7 42. Rxf8+ +- ) 41. Kf1 Bxb4 42. 
Rxd5 Bc3 43. Rd6+ Ke7 44. Rb6 b4 45. h4 Kd7 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 13.1"]
[Site "Groningen NED"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "13.1"]
[White "Beliavsky, Alexander G"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2635"]
[BlackElo "2685"]
[ECO "B33x"]
[EventDate "1993.12.??"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. e4 {Horvath,T Ernst Chekhov} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 
f5 12. Bd3 Be6 13. Qh5 Rg8!? 14. g3 Nd4 { In this game White with his 19th
move had employed a paradoxical novelty that managed to shake the 
reputation of this variation for Black for a time } ( 14. ... Rg4!? 15. f4
exf4 16. Nxf4 Rxf4!? 17. gxf4 Qa5+ ~ {
Timoschenko-Krasenkov/Voskresensk/1992/} ) 15. c3 fxe4 16. Bxe4 Bg4 17. 
Qxh7 Rg7 18. Qh6 ( 18. Qh8?! {Chekhov} 18. ... Nf3+ 19. Ke2 Ng5+ 20. f3 
Nxe4 21. fxg4 Qg5 22. Ne3 d5 â†‘ ) 18. ... Nf3+ 19. Ke2!! {"It is 
psychologically difficult to put your king under a discovered check, but 
for the moment it is His Majesty that run the battle and puts the 
irrational play on a positional footing, as knight has to retreat and the 
position gets simplified, whereas Black keeps a permanently active factor 
- the "eternal" d5-knight, that has consolidated its grip on the black 
weak point" - A.Beliavsky } ( 19. Kf1 Rg5 ( 19. ... Rg6! {Chekhov} 20. Qe3
Bh6 21. Qd3 Nd2+ 22. Kg2 Nxe4 23. Qxe4 Rc8 â†‘ ( 23. ... f5? 24. Nc7+ ) ) 
20. Nf6+ Ke7 ( 20. ... Qxf6 21. Bc6+ ( 21. Qxf6 Nd2+ ) 21. ... Ke7 22. 
Qxf6+ Kxf6 23. Bxa8 Nd2+ 24. Ke1 Bh6 25. Nc2 Rg8 26. Bd5 Nc4 27. Ne3 Bxe3 
28. fxe3 Nxe3 29. Bb3 d5 30. a4 Rb8 31. axb5 axb5 32. Kd2 {
0,5/Klovans,Y-Taborov/ Kostroma/1985/} ) 21. Qh8 Nd2+ 22. Kg2 Nxe4 23. 
Nxe4 Rg6 24. Qh4+ Kd7 25. Qxd8+ Rxd8 26. f3 Be6 ~ {Magem 
Badals-Polgar,Zsu/Madrid/1992/} ) 19. ... Ng5+ ( 19. ... Rg6?! {Chekhov} 
20. Qe3 Bh6 21. Qd3 ( 21. Qb6 {Ernst} 21. ... Nd2+ 22. f3 Nxe4 23. Qxd8+ 
Kxd8 24. fxg4 Rxg4 25. Rhf1 Ra7 26. Nc2 += {Aniukhin,A-Rogozhnikov,A/ 
URS-sf Voronez/1991/} ) 21. ... Ng5+ 22. f3 Nxe4 23. fxg4 ) ( 19. ... Rh7 
{Horvath,T} 20. Qe3 ( 20. Nf6+ Qxf6! 21. Qxf6 Ng5+ 22. Ke3 ( 22. f3? Nxe4 
23. Qh4 Rxh4 24. gxh4 Bh5 -+ ) 22. ... Nxe4 23. Kxe4 Be7 24. Qxe7+ Kxe7 
25. f4 f5+ 26. Ke3 Kf6 =/& ) ( 20. Qxh7!? Ng5+ 21. f3 Bxf3+ 22. Bxf3 Nxh7 
23. h4! ( 23. Nc7+?! Qxc7 24. Bxa8 d5! ~ ) 23. ... Rc8 24. Rhf1 +/- ) 
20. ... Bh6 21. Qb6 Ng5+ 22. f3 Nxe4 23. fxg4 Qg5? 24. Qc6+ Kf8 25. Qxa8+ 
Kg7 26. Nf4! +- ) 20. f3 Nxe4 ( 20. ... Rg6 {Chekhov} 21. Qh4 Nxe4 22. 
Qxd8+! ( 22. fxg4 Qc8! â†‘ ) 22. ... Kxd8 23. fxg4 Rxg4 24. Rhf1 +/- ) 21.
 fxg4 Qc8 ( 21. ... Rxg4 {Ernst} 22. Qh3 += ( 22. Qh5 {Horvath,T} 22. ... 
Rg5 23. Qf3 f5 24. Rhg1! {/\ h4+/-} ) ) 22. Qe3! { By withdrawing his 
queen to its own camp White consolidates his position } ( 22. Ne3?! {
Chekhov} 22. ... Rxg4 23. Qh3 Rg6 24. Qxc8+ Rxc8 {/\Kd7-e6/} ) ( 22. h3? 
Rxg4 23. Qh7 Qc5! 24. hxg4 Qf2+ -+ ) ( 22. Kd3 Qxg4 23. Rae1 Nf2+ 24. Kd2 
Qf3 ) 22. ... Qxg4+ ( 22. ... Rxg4?! 23. Qb6 â†’ ( 23. Qf3 +/- ) ) 23. Qf3
Qxf3+ 24. Kxf3 f5 25. Nc2 { Preparing the undermiming a2-a4 and directing 
his a3-knight to e3} ( 25. Ne3 {Chekhov} 25. ... Ng5+ 26. Kf2 Rf7 ) 
25. ... Kf7 26. Nce3 Ke6? { This move associated with a pawn sacrifice 
does not offer an adequate compensation to Black } ( {Later it was 
established that Black should have continued} 26. ... Nf6! 27. Rad1 += ( 
27. a4! {Chekhov} 27. ... Nxd5 28. Nxd5 Ke6 29. Rhd1 Rb8 {with quite a 
secure black position, for example:} 30. Nb4 ( 30. b4! +/- a5! 31. bxa5 
bxa4 32. Rxa4 Rb2 33. a6? Rxh2! ) 30. ... a5 31. Nc6 Rb6 32. axb5 Rxb5 33.
 Rd2 Rc7 34. Rxa5 Rxa5 35. Nxa5 d5 { an analysis by A.Beliavsky} ) ) ( 
26. ... Ng5+ {Chekhov} 27. Ke2 Ke6 ( 27. ... Kg6 28. a4! +/- ) 28. Raf1 ( 
28. Rhf1 {Horvath,T} 28. ... Rf7 29. Rxf5! Rxf5 30. Nc7+ Kd7 31. Nxa8 +/- 
) 28. ... Rf7 29. Rxf5 Rxf5 30. Nc7+ Kd7 31. Nxa8 +- ) 27. Nxf5! {A nice 
little combination} ( 27. a4! {Chekhov} 27. ... Nd2+ 28. Ke2 Nb3 29. Ra3 
bxa4 30. Rxa4 a5 ~ ) 27. ... Ng5+ ( 27. ... Kxd5 28. Ne3+ Ke6 29. Kxe4 +/-
) ( 27. ... Kxf5? {Chekhov} 28. Ne3+ ) 28. Kg4 Rf7 ( 28. ... Kxd5 29. Nxg7
Bxg7 30. Kxg5 +- ) 29. Rhf1 ( 29. Kxg5 Rxf5+ 30. Kg4 Ra7 ) 29. ... Ne4 ( 
29. ... Kxd5 30. Kxg5 +/- ) 30. Rad1?! ( {As A.Beliavsky points out, White
advantage can be consolidated by} 30. Nfe3! Raa7 ( 30. ... Nf2+? 31. Rxf2 
Rxf2 32. Nc7+ Kd7 33. Nxa8 Rxh2 34. Rf1 Bh6 35. Nb6+ Kc6 36. Ned5 Rxb2 37.
 Rf7 +- ) ( 30. ... Rh7 31. Rad1 Bh6 32. Kf3 +/- ) 31. Kh3 Bh6 32. Kg2 +/-
) 30. ... Raa7?! ( {Better to play} 30. ... Rd8! { (A.Shirov) with an idea
to carry out the liberating advance d6-d5 after having evicted white 
knight from the d5-square} 31. Nde3 d5 += ) 31. Nde3 Rad7 32. Kf3! {
Opening the way to the g3-pawn } 32. ... d5 ( 32. ... Rxf5+? 33. Nxf5 Kxf5
34. Ke3+ +- ) 33. g4 ( 33. Nxd5? {Horvath,T} 33. ... Rxd5 34. Kxe4 Rxd1 -+
) 33. ... Bc5 34. h4 Nf6 {With an idea of d5-d4} 35. Rde1 ( 35. g5 Ne4 36.
 Kg2 b4 37. cxb4 +/- ) 35. ... b4 ( 35. ... Bxe3 36. Rxe3 ) 36. Re2! bxc3 
37. bxc3 Bxe3 ( 37. ... Rb7!? {Chekhov} ) 38. Rxe3 Ne4 39. Kg2 Rc7?! ( 
39. ... Rb7! ) 40. Rb1 +/- {! Chekhov} 40. ... Rb7 ( 40. ... Rxc3 41. Rb6+
Kd7 42. Rxc3 Nxc3 43. Rxa6 +/- ( 43. h5 +/- {Chekhov} ) ) 41. Rb3 Nd2 42. 
Rxb7 Rxb7 43. Re2 Nb1 ( 43. ... Ne4? 44. c4! +- ) 44. Rc2 Na3 45. Rf2! Nb1
46. g5?! ( {As A.Beliavsky points out, stronger is} 46. h5 Nxc3 47. h6 Ne4
48. Ng7+ Kd6 ( 48. ... Ke7 49. Rf5 Kd6 50. Rf8 +- ) 49. Rf8 Ng5 50. Rf5 
Nf7 51. Rxf7 Rxf7 52. h7 Rf8 53. g5 Ke7 54. g6 Kf6 55. Ne6 +- ) 46. ... 
Nxc3 47. g6 Rd7? ( 47. ... Rb8! ) ( 47. ... Ne4 48. g7 Nf6! ( 48. ... Kf7 
{Chekhov} 49. Nd6+ ) 49. h5 Ng8 ) 48. g7 +- Kf7 49. h5 Kg8 50. h6 Kh7 51. 
Ne3 ( 51. Ne3 Rd8 52. Rf8 +- ) 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk variation - 10.1"]
[Site "Lechenicher SchachServer"]
[Date "2006.09.15"]
[Round "10.1"]
[White "Rosso, Pier Andrei"]
[Black "Da Costa Junior, Luiz Roberto G"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2367"]
[BlackElo "2296"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2006.06.09"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 {Rejecting the exchange on f5, 
White fortifies the pawn outpost on e4, which should check the mobility of
the opponent's pawns in the center } 11. ... Be6 12. O-O Bg7 13. Qh5 f4 ( 
{A well-known opening trap} 13. ... O-O? 14. exf5 Bxd5 15. f6 {should be 
mentioned here} ) 14. c3 O-O 15. Nc2 f5 {Each party is busy doing his own 
job - White has improved the a3-knight's position and prepared the a2-a4 
advance; Black, in his turn, sets the pawns in motion along the f-file } (
{In an earlier game between the same players Black acted more sluggishly }
15. ... Kh8 16. a4 bxa4 17. Rxa4 a5 18. Rfa1 Rg8 19. b4 Bf6 20. b5 Nb8 +/-
21. Nxf4!? ( 21. Ncb4 Bh4 22. Nc6 Nxc6 23. bxc6 Bh3 24. Bf1 +/- ) 21. ... 
Bg4 22. Qxf7 exf4 23. e5 Bg7 {Lukin - Timoscenko, 1973 USSR - and now 
White's great advantage is determined by} 24. e6! +/- ) 16. a4?! {A 
logical move that, nevertheless, allows the opponent to activate his 
central pawn mass} 16. ... Bxd5! 17. exd5 Ne7 18. axb5 e4 19. Bc4 ( 19. 
Be2 f3! 20. gxf3 Ng6! 21. fxe4 Nf4 22. Qf3 fxe4 23. Qxe4 Qg5+ 24. Kh1 Rae8
25. Bd3 Rxe4 26. Bxe4 Nh3 { Cuartas Carlos 2440 - Zaitsev Igor A 2495 , 
Quito 1977} ) 19. ... axb5 20. Bxb5 Rb8 21. Bc6 ( 21. c4? {After this 
Black wins back his sacrificed pawn and obtains a "free" positional 
advantage } 21. ... Nxd5! -/+ 22. Ra7 Nc7 23. Rfa1 Nxb5 24. cxb5 Qf6 25. 
Rc7 Rbc8 26. Raa7 Rxc7 27. Rxc7 Qxb2 -+ 28. Qe2 d5 {Black pawn armada in 
the center decides the outcome of the battle } ) 21. ... Rxb2 22. Ra8 Nc8 
23. Nd4 Bxd4 24. cxd4 Qe7 25. Qh6 e3 26. Qxf4 e2 27. Re1 Rb1 28. Qg3+ Kf7 
29. Qc3 Rxe1+ 30. Qxe1 Na7 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation - 10.5"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "1999.12.11"]
[Round "10.5"]
[White "Lutz, Christopher"]
[Black "Babula, Vlastimil"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2591"]
[BlackElo "2567"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "1999.10.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bg7 13. Qh5 f4 14. 
c4 { A firm continuation. White immediately destroys the opponent's Q-side
and wins the c4-square for his pieces. The drawback of the c2-c4 move is 
that black knight now has the d4-square at its disposal } 14. ... bxc4 15.
 Bxc4 { White bishop from c4 fortifies the d5-knight position, and the 
a3-knight is ready to occupy a flexible position on c2 } ( {After } 15. 
Nxc4 Rb8 {no white piece can prevent the black knight's appearance on d4} 
) 15. ... O-O 16. Rac1 Rb8 17. b3 Qa5?! { Exploiting the vulnerability of 
the a2-pawn, Black wants to solve all the opening problems at once. 
However, this game casts doubts on this idea } 18. Nc2! ( 18. Nb1!? Kh8! (
18. ... Qxa2? 19. Nbc3 Qa5 20. Ra1 Qc5 21. Rxa6 +/- ) ) 18. ... Qxa2 ( {If
Black refuses to take the a2-pawn, his position quickly becomes bad} 
18. ... Kh8 19. Rfd1 Rg8 20. b4 Qd8 21. Bxa6 Bf8 22. b5 Ne7 23. Ncb4 Nxd5 
24. Nxd5 Rg6 25. h3 Qa5 26. Qf3 Qxa2 27. Nb4 Qa4 28. Nc6 Rb6 29. Qd3 Rg8 
30. Kh1 Qa2 31. Rd2 Qa4 32. Nd8 Be7 33. Nxe6 fxe6 34. Rc7 Re8 35. Qf3 Qa5 
36. Rdc2 Rbb8 37. Kh2 Qb6 38. Rd7 Rbd8 39. Rb7 {1-0 Short, Nigel D (2635) 
- Kuijf, Marinus (2490) / Hoogovens (6), Wijk aan Zee NED 1990} ) 19. Ncb4
!! { An important tactical resourse} ( {Previously only} 19. Qd1?! { has 
been tested } 19. ... Qa5 20. Ra1 Qc5 21. Rxa6 Kh8 22. Ne1 Nd4 23. Nd3 Qc8
24. Rxd6 f3! 25. gxf3 ( 25. Ne1 fxg2 26. Nxg2 Bg4 27. Ne7 Bxd1 28. Nxc8 
Be2 29. Nb6 Nf3+ 30. Kh1 Bxf1 31. Bxf1 Rfd8 -+ {Janovsky,S 2400 - 
Timoshenko,G 2450 , USSR 1988} ) 25. ... Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Qh3 27. Rxd4 Rb6! 
28. Nf4 exf4 29. Rd6 Be5 {0-1, Todorovic,G.M 2425 - Timoshenko,G 2450 , 
1988 Pula (open)} ) 19. ... Nxb4 ( 19. ... Rxb4 20. Nxb4 Nxb4 21. Bxe6 Qa5
22. Bc4 Qd8 23. Rfd1 Qe7 24. Ra1 +- ) 20. Ne7+ Kh8 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Ng6+ 
Kg8 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 24. Rc7 {Breakthrough of major pieces into the enemy 
camp ensures White's advantage } 24. ... Kh8 ( 24. ... Qxb3 25. Qg5 Rf7 
26. Rc8+ Rf8 27. Rfc1 Nc2 28. R8xc2 +-- ) 25. Rfc1? ( 25. Qg4! Rg8 26. 
Qxe6 h6 27. Rc8 Rf8 28. Rxf8+ Bxf8 29. Qf7 Bg7 30. Rc1 Nc2 31. Qf5 Qxb3 
32. Qc8+ Kh7 33. Qxc2 +- ) 25. ... Qd2 = 26. Qg5 Rg8 27. Rc8 h6 28. Qg6 
Rf8! ( 28. ... Bf8?? 29. Qf6+ Kh7 30. Qxe6 +- ) 29. R8c7 Rg8 30. Rc8 Rf8 
31. R8c7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk Variation 11. 4"]
[Site "Skelleftea SWE"]
[Date "1999.09.05"]
[Round "11.4"]
[White "Wedberg, Tom"]
[Black "Kharlov, Andrei"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2487"]
[BlackElo "2615"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "1999.09.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bg7 13. Qh5 f4 14. 
c4 bxc4 15. Bxc4 O-O 16. Rac1 Kh8!? {A useful multipurpose move. Black 
king leaves the a2-g8 diagonal, that makes the advance f7-f5 real and also
vacates the g8-square for the maneuver Rf8-g8, Bg7-f8 } 17. Rfd1 Rb8 18. 
b3 Qd7 19. Qh4 { In this position, a crucial one in the Cheliabinsk 
Variation, Black attempts to solve his problems with the help of a 
positional pawn sacrifice} 19. ... f5!? 20. Nxf4! {A tactical blow that is
typical for such positions } 20. ... exf4 ( 20. ... Bxc4? 21. Ng6+ ) 21. 
Bxe6 Qxe6 22. Rxc6 fxe4 23. Rcxd6 { Having sacrificed a pawn, Black 
manages to activate his central pawn phalanx; besides, in the open 
position his bishop looks more aggressive than the white knight, that 
still has to get out from the edge of the board } 23. ... Qe8 {By this 
withdrawal black queen perfectly supports the pawn phalanx advance and 
does not hamper with its bishop's work on the long diagonal.} 24. Nc4 ( 
24. Rxa6?! e3 ) 24. ... e3! 25. fxe3 ( 25. Re1? Bc3 -/+ ) 25. ... fxe3 26.
 Re1 Qf7! ( {In the following game Black plays poorly} 26. ... Rb4? 27. 
Qg3 e2 28. Qd3 { and his passed pawn perishes, Almasi Zoltan 2655 - Mohr 
Georg 2510 , Tucepi 1996 Ch Croatia (team) (1st league)} ) 27. Nxe3 Rbe8 {
Here Black also loses his passed pawn, but all his pieces have been 
quickly activated, and this is an adequate compensation for the opponent's
material advantage } ( 27. ... Qa7 28. Re6 ) 28. h3 ( 28. Nc4! Re4! 29. 
Qg3 {, and then by playing} 29. ... Bd4+ ( 29. ... Rg4?! 30. Qe3 ( 30. Ne5
? Qa7+ 31. Qe3 Re4!! -+ ) 30. ... Re4 31. Qd2 Qa7+ 32. Kh1 Qe7 33. Rg1 Re2
34. Rd7 Qe4? ( 34. ... Rxd2 35. Rxe7 Rxa2 ) 35. Qg5 +- {Stanciu T - 
Brkovic Z, 1983 Pernik} ) 30. Rxd4 Rxd4 31. Qe5+ Qg7 32. Qxg7+ Kxg7 = {
Black completely equalizes the game} ) 28. ... Bf6 29. Qc4 Bg5 30. Qc3+ 
Bf6 31. Qc4 Bg5 32. Qc3+ Bf6 33. Qc4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 13.2"]
[Site "Erevan ARM"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "13.2"]
[White "Kuzmin, Gennadi P"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2545"]
[BlackElo "2525"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "1982.02.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 
8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bd3 Be6 13. O-O ( {(This 
transposition of moves disallows the sharp variation 13 Qh5 Rg8} 13. Qh5 
Rg8 ) 13. ... Bxd5 { Now Black possesses an opportunity to direct the game
into another groove } ( {To previously examined positions leads} 13. ... 
Bg7 14. Qh5 f4 ) 14. exd5 Ne7 {An exchange to d5 has shielded the black 
weaknesses in the center and made his e5-pawn mobile. But it would be 
naive to think that Black has left all his development problems behind. He
lags in development, and his Q-side pawns can be objects for an attack } 
15. Qh5 { White queen is situated on a fine offensive square } ( 15. c4 e4
16. Be2 Bg7 17. Qd2 b4 18. Qxb4 Rb8 19. Qa4+ Kf8 20. Rab1 Bxb2 21. Nc2 Ng6
22. Nb4 Qf6 23. Nc6 Re8 24. f4 Bd4+ 25. Kh1 Kg7 26. Bh5 Bc5 {1/2-1/2, Leko
P 2736 - Kramnik V 2809 , 2003 Linares} ) ( 15. Nxb5 Bg7 16. Nc3 e4 17. 
Bc4 O-O 18. Qh5 ) ( 15. Nxb5 Bg7 16. Nc3 e4 17. Bc4 O-O 18. Qh5 Qc7 19. 
Bb3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 f4 21. h4 f5 22. Qg5+ Kh8 23. f3 Qxc3 24. Rad1 Rg8 25. 
Qxf4 Ng6 26. Qh6 Ra7 27. Rf2 Rag7 28. fxe4 Ne5 29. Kf1 fxe4 {0-1 Morcin, 
Tom - Vesely, Emanuel (1867) / SB-2011-0-00161 (-), Lechenicher 
SchachServer 2011} ) ( 15. Nxb5 Bg7 16. Nc3 e4 17. Bc4 O-O 18. Qh5 Qc7 19.
 Bb3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 f4 21. Ba4 Qxc3 22. Rae1 f5 23. Bd7 Kh8 24. Be6 Ra7 25.
 Rb1 f3 26. g3 Qg7 27. Rb6 Rc7 28. Rxd6 f4 29. Bh3 Rxc2 30. Re6 e3 31. 
Qxf3 fxg3 32. Qxg3 exf2+ 33. Kh1 Nxd5 34. Bg2 Qxg3 35. hxg3 Nb4 36. a3 Nd3
{1/2-1/2(42) Pavlicek, Miroslav (2232) - Vesely, Emanuel (2133) / 
CZE/C/sf27 (CZE) (-), ICCF 2012} ) ( 15. Nxb5 Bg7 16. Nc3 e4 17. Bc4 O-O 
18. Qd2 Ng6 19. Rad1 Qh4 20. Be2 Rfb8 21. Rb1 Be5 22. g3 Qf6 23. Nd1 f4 
24. Kh1 Kh8 25. Rg1 Ne7 26. Bh5 Rg8 27. Nc3 e3 28. Qe2 Nf5 29. gxf4 Rxg1+ 
30. Rxg1 exf2 31. Qxf2 Bd4 32. Ne4 Qe7 33. Qe2 Bxg1 34. Kxg1 Rg8+ 35. Kh1 
Qh4 36. Bxf7 Rg7 37. Be6 Qxf4 38. Nd2 Ne3 39. Qf3 Qxf3+ 40. Nxf3 Rg2 41. 
Bf5 Rf2 {0-1(65) Korchut, Adam (1859) - Vesely, Emanuel (1851) / 
RB-2012-0-00172 (-), ICCF2012_corr27 2012} ) ( 15. Nxb5 Bg7 16. Nc3 e4 17.
 Bc4 O-O 18. Qh5 Qc7 19. Bb3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 f4 21. Rae1 f5 22. c4 Ng6 23. 
Kh1 a5 24. a4 Rae8 25. Qh3 Qc5 26. Qc3 Ne5 27. f3 exf3 28. gxf3 Kh8 29. 
Rd1 Rf6 30. Qd4 Qxd4 31. Rxd4 Rh6 32. Rd2 Rc8 33. Rd4 Rh4 34. Rf2 Kg7 35. 
Kg2 Kf6 36. c3 Rg8+ 37. Kf1 Rb8 38. Bd1 Rb1 39. Kg2 Rc1 40. Rc2 Ra1 41. 
Rb2 Rh5 {*(44) Thoma, Otomar (2172) - Vesely, Emanuel (2133) / CZE/C/sf27 
(CZE) (-), ICCF2012_corr10 2012} ) ( 15. c3 Bg7 16. Nc2 e4 17. Be2 O-O 18.
 a4 bxa4 19. Rxa4 Qb6 20. Ra2 Qc5 21. Qd2 Nxd5 22. Rd1 Nc7 23. Ra4 Qe5 24.
 Nb4 Qc5 25. Nc2 Qe5 26. Ne3 Rfd8 27. Rd4 d5 28. Bc4 Bh6 29. Bxd5 Bxe3 30.
 fxe3 Nxd5 31. Rxd5 Rxd5 32. Qxd5 Qxd5 33. Rxd5 Rb8 34. Rd2 Kg7 35. b4 Rc8
36. Rc2 Kf6 37. c4 Rb8 38. Rb2 Ke5 39. b5 axb5 40. cxb5 Rb6 41. Kf2 h5 42.
 Kg3 h4+ 43. Kxh4 f4 44. exf4+ Kxf4 45. Rf2+ Ke5 46. Rxf7 e3 47. Kg3 Ke4 
48. Re7+ Kd3 49. Rd7+ Ke2 50. h4 {1/2-1/2 Sherwood, Russell (2135) - 
Vesely, Emanuel (2085) / SA-2012-0-00261 (-), ICCF2012_corr35 2012} ) 
15. ... e4 16. Be2 Bg7 17. c3 b4?! {This move suggests itself. Black seeks
to exploit the unhappy position of the knight on a3 andto overtake the 
initiative. However, after opening of the game the centralized position of
the black king may prove to be a serious drawback } 18. cxb4 Bxb2 19. Rab1
! ( 19. Nc2 Bxa1 20. Rxa1 O-O ) 19. ... Bxa3 20. Rb3 Qb6 ( 20. ... Bxb4?! 
21. Rxb4 Nxd5? 22. Bc4! +- ) 21. Rxa3 Qxb4 22. Rb3 Qd4 23. Rfb1 O-O {Black
king escapes from center at last, but by this time white rooks manage to 
occupy offensive positions. } 24. Rh3 Qg7 ( {(In E.Sveshnikov's opinion, 
preferable is} 24. ... Rfb8 ) 25. Rg3 Ng6 26. Qxf5 Qe5 27. Qxe5 dxe5 += { 
As it requently happens, White's attack ends in a better endgame, where 
his bishop is more active than black knight } 28. d6!? {White advances his
passed pawn as far as possible hoping to paralyze the enemy forces } ( 28.
 Re3 f5 29. g3 += ) 28. ... Rfd8 29. Rd1 Kf8 ( 29. ... Rac8 30. Bxa6! Rc6 
31. Bf1 Rcxd6 32. Rxd6 Rxd6 33. a4 Rd1 34. Ra3 Nf4 35. g3 +/- ) 30. Bg4 
Rab8 31. Rb3! Rxb3 32. axb3 Nf4 33. g3 Nd3 34. Bf5 h6?! ( {In 
E.Sveshnikov's opinion, the correct move} 34. ... Nc5 35. b4 Nd3 36. Bxe4 
Nxb4 += {allows White to retain a small advantage} ) 35. Bxe4 Nc5 36. Bc2 
Nb7 37. d7 Ke7 38. Ra1 a5? ( 38. ... Rxd7 += ) 39. Bf5 +- Nd6 40. Bh3 Ra8 
( 40. ... f5 41. Rxa5 ) 41. Rc1 f5 42. Bxf5 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 13.3"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2004.03.02"]
[Round "13.3"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]
[BlackElo "2777"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2004.02.19"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 
14. Qh5 e4 15. Be2 Bg7 16. c3 Rc8!? N {In this concrete situation this 
move is a novelty. Kramnik transfers the rook to c5 before castling.

 An interesting idea. Black engages his "dozing" queen rook, and, after it
appears on c5, will threaten the d5-pawn } ( 16. ... O-O 17. Nc2 Rc8 ( 
17. ... f4 18. Qg5 {is the main line, where White keeps a slight plus} ) 
18. Ne3 ( 18. Rad1 Rc5 19. Ne3 f4 20. Nf5 Ng6 21. Rfe1 Re8 22. f3 e3 23. 
Bd3 += {/= 1/ 2-1/2 Shirov,A-Grischuk,A/Cap d'Agde 2003 (47).} ) 18. ... 
f4 19. Nf5 Ng6 ( 19. ... Rc5 {would transpose to the Leko-Kramnik game!} )
20. f3 e3 21. g3 b4 {and Black had good play in 
Sadvakasov,D-Eljanov,P/Kharkov 2003.} ) ( 16. ... b4 {is an old move first
played by Sveshnikov in 1982 and then rediscovered by Leko in 2003. There 
are just two games available with it.} ) 17. Nc2 Rc5 18. Ne3 ( 18. Rad1? 
Nxd5 ) ( 18. f3 {The plan with f3 is less impressive when the bishop left 
the diagonal b1-h7.} 18. ... O-O 19. fxe4 fxe4 20. Ne3 Qb6 21. Kh1 Rxc3 
22. bxc3 Qxe3 ~ ) 18. ... f4 19. Nf5 O-O ( 19. ... Nxf5? 20. Qxf5 +/- ) 
20. a4! += { It is impossible to save the d5-pawn, but White manages to 
realize one of the principal ideas of the variation: he blocks the mobile 
e- and f-pawns and sets about undermining the Q-side } ( 20. Rad1 Ng6 {
transposes to Shirov-Grischuk, given above.} ) 20. ... Nxf5 ( 20. ... b4 
21. cxb4 Rc2 22. Bxa6 +/- ) ( 20. ... Nxd5 {this is risky, but not 
entirely clear:} 21. b4 ( 21. axb5 Qf6! ~ ) 21. ... Rxc3 22. Nxg7 f3 23. 
Nf5 Qf6 =/& ) 21. Qxf5 Qe7 22. axb5 axb5 23. Qxf4 Rxd5 24. Rfd1 {White is 
better thanks to weaknesses in Black's pawn structure. Even if the 
position has drawish tendencies, Blac's task might be unpleasant. The only
chance for Black to avoid a long suffering is to create some counterplay 
on the kingside.} 24. ... Re5 ( 24. ... Rxd1+ 25. Rxd1 b4 26. cxb4 += Be5 
27. Qf5 Bxb2 28. b5 +/- ) 25. Qe3 {Blockade of the e4-pawn

After a long thought Leko comes with an interesting plan. He allows Black 
to have the initiative on the kingside, but considers that it won't fully 
compensate the loss of a pawn.} ( {(In case of the immediate attack White 
allows his opponent to obtain counterplay that would be a compensation for
his material advantage} 25. Ra6!? b4 26. Raxd6 bxc3 27. bxc3 e3 {with 
equalization} ) 25. ... f5 26. Qb6 {The logical follow-up of the previous 
move.} ( 26. Ra7 f4! ) 26. ... f4 27. Qxd6 Qg5 { As it often happens in 
this particular variation, if Black succeeds in activating his pawn 
phalanx in the center, then he would obtain an adequate counterplay } 28. 
f3 { It is necessary to slow black pawns down } 28. ... e3 29. Ra7 {
Breaking through to the 7th rank with his rook, White paralyzes his 
opponent's counterplay on the K-side } 29. ... Kh8 {Preparing a typical 
for the Cheliabinsk variation plan of exerting pressure along the g-file }
30. Qd7? {The completely wrong plan, missing some counterplay ideas.} ( 
30. Rd7! Rg8 31. Bd3 {It is not easy for Black to create counterplay as 
long as White keeps pressure on pawn h7. Besides, White is very well 
centralized and keeps everything under control. Everywhere the position is
close to draw, but the same thing - Black faces unpleasant defence. 
However, according to Kramnik Black always had a good position in the 
game.} 31. ... e2 ( 31. ... Qh4? 32. Rxg7 +- ) 32. Re1 Qh4 33. Rxe2 Rxe2 
34. Bxe2 Qe1+ 35. Bf1 Qe3+ 36. Kh1 Qf2 37. Qd3 Qxb2 38. Rc7 +/- ) ( 30. 
Qc7 Rg8 31. Rd7 {uns into } 31. ... Qh4 -+ ) ( {However, the prophylactic}
30. Kh1!? { is worth attention} ) 30. ... Rg8 31. Qh3? {A terrible 
mistake, which unexpectedly completely changes the evaluation from 
slightly better to almost lost.} ( {Once again the prophylacti} 31. Kh1 {
was necessary. Then the postion is unclear:} 31. ... Qg6 32. Bd3 Qh5 ~ ) 
31. ... Qg6! {Now suddenly Black obtains a strong initiative. It turns out
that the queen on h3 is not stable (Black has ...Rh5), while the 
weaknesses of the light squares on the queenside can be exploited by 
Black.} 32. Rad7? { A blunder that leads to defeat
Black wins by force after this, but the position was difficult anyway.} ( 
32. Bd3 e2 -+ ) ( 32. Rd3 Rh5 33. Qg4 Rg5 34. Qh3 Bf8 -+ ) ( {After} 32. 
Kh1! {the game ends in a perpetual check } 32. ... Qc2 ( 32. ... Rh5 33. 
Qg4 Rg5 34. Qh3 Bf8 35. Bd3 ) 33. Rxg7 ( 33. Re1 Rd5 -/+ ) 33. ... Kxg7 ( 
33. ... Rxg7 ) 34. Qg4+ ) ( 32. Raa1 Rh5 ( 32. ... Qc2 33. Bd3 Qf2+ 34. 
Kh1 h6 35. Ra6 h5 36. Bf5 h4 37. Qg4 +- ) 33. Rd6 Bf6 34. Rxf6 Rxh3 35. 
Rxg6 Rxg6 36. Ra8+ Kg7 37. Ra7+ Kf8 ( 37. ... Kh6 38. Bd3 Rxf3 â–³ 39. 
Bxg6 e2 40. Ra1 ) 38. Ra8+ Ke7 39. Ra7+ Kd8 -/+ ) ( 32. Rc1 Rh5 33. Ra6 
Bf6 34. Rxf6 Rxh3 35. Rxg6 Rxg6 -/+ ) ( 32. Re1 Rh5 33. Ra6 Bf6 34. Rxf6 
Rxh3 35. Rxg6 Rxg6 36. Bxb5 Rxf3 -/+ ) 32. ... Rh5 -+ 33. R7d6 ( 33. Qg4 
Rg5 34. Qh3 Bf8 35. Bf1 e2 -+ ) 33. ... Bf6 34. Rxf6 Qc2! {White has 
overlooked this unexpected resource } 35. Qxh5 Qxe2 36. g4 Qf2+ 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 13.4"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "13.4"]
[White "Dolmatov, Sergey"]
[Black "Chekhov, Valery A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2595"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "1991.10.12"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 
14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 Qd7 {Black is in no hurry to define the situation in 
the center so far and, to the extent possible, refrains from the e5-e4 
advance } 16. Rad1 Rc8 ( {In case of} 16. ... O-O {S.Dolmatov intends to 
develop his initiative by means of } 17. Bb1!? {Nc2-e3 +=} ) 17. Nc2 ( 17.
 Bb1!? {is not so efficient in view of } 17. ... Rc5 18. Nc2 Nxd5! 19. Ne3
( 19. b4 Nf4 20. Qg5 f6 -/+ ) 19. ... Nxe3 20. fxe3 e4 =+ ) 17. ... Rc5 ( 
{Black could have driven white bishop away from the b1-h7 diagonal by way 
of} 17. ... e4 18. Be2 O-O { but in this case the undermining in the 
center } 19. f3! +/- { looks rather unpleasant} ) 18. Ne3 e4 ( 18. ... f4?
19. Nf5 +/- ) 19. Bb1! {White bishop remains on the b1-h7 diagonal, as 
from here it will serve as an ideal support for the coming attack of e4- 
and f5-pawns } 19. ... O-O ( {In case of} 19. ... f4 {S Dolmatov shows the
following continuation:} 20. Ng4 Qf5 ( 20. ... O-O 21. Nh6+ Bxh6 22. Qxh6 
+/- ) 21. Qxf5 Nxf5 22. f3! ( 22. Bxe4? Ne7! -/+ ) 22. ... Ne3 23. Nxe3 
fxe3 24. Rfe1 Bh6 { g3, f4Â±)} 25. Bxe4 ) 20. g3! {Preparing for a 
conceptual undermining f2-f3} ( 20. f3 f4 21. Bxe4 f5 -/+ ) 20. ... b4?! {
Anticipating white attack on the K-side, Black attempts to obtain 
counterplay on the opposite side of the board } ( {However, it would be 
better to prepare the b5-b4-advancement by means of} 20. ... Rb8 21. Rd2!?
b4 22. c4 {shown by V.Chekhov} ) 21. cxb4 Rb5 22. a3 Bxb2 ( 22. ... a5 {
does not make any difference} 23. Kh1 axb4 24. a4!? Rc5 25. f3 ) 23. Kh1! 
{Last arrangements for the undermining f2-f3} ( 23. f3?! Qa7 ) 23. ... Rc8
24. f3! Rc3 25. fxe4 Rxa3 ( 25. ... Rxe3? 26. Qg5+ +- ) 26. Nxf5 Nxf5 27. 
e5!! {White attacks in an elegant way, depriving Black of an opportunity 
to block the e5-square and thus to exclude the b1-bishop from the game } (
27. Rxf5 f6 { 28. ... Be5 }) 27. ... Nxg3+ 28. hxg3 Bxe5 29. Qxh7+ Kf8 30.
 Rc1! { Due to the difference in the activity of bishops of opposite 
colors white play over the whole board is successful } 30. ... Rb7 31. Bf5
Qb5 32. Be6 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 13.5"]
[Site "Voskresensk"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "13.5"]
[White "Tseshkovsky, Vitaly"]
[Black "Krasenkow, Michal"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 
14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 e4 16. Bc2 Qc8 { Another attempt at improving black 
play, and the most popular one for today. Setting his queen on the c-file 
Black in an indirect way enhances the effect of the b5-b4 advance } 17. 
Rae1 O-O 18. Kh1 { A thematic move that boosts the efficiency of both 
f2-f3 and g2-g4 } 18. ... b4 {Both opponents implement their plans 
vigorously} 19. cxb4! {An introduction to transfer of the rook to the 
K-side via the 3rd rank } 19. ... Bxb2 20. Re3! f6! ( 20. ... Bxa3? 21. 
Rh3 Rd8 22. Qxh7+ Kf8 23. Qh6+ Ke8 24. Ba4+ ) ( 20. ... Bg7 21. Rd1 Rb8 
22. g4 Rxb4 23. gxf5 Qxf5 24. Qxf5 Nxf5 25. Rxe4 Rb2 26. Ra4 Nd4 27. Raxd4
Bxd4 28. Rxd4 Rxa2 29. Rd3 Rc8 30. Rg3+ Kh8 31. Rf3 Rcxc2 32. Nxc2 Rxc2 
33. Rf6 Kg7 34. Rxd6 Rxf2 35. Rxa6 Rd2 {1/2-1/2(36) Zalascek, Vlado (1549)
- Vesely, Emanuel (1851) / OP-2011-0-01591 (?), Lechenicher SchachServer 
2011} ) 21. g4! ( 21. Rh3 Rf7 ) ( 21. Rg3+ Ng6 22. Rxg6+ hxg6 23. Qxg6+ ) 
21. ... Bxa3 22. gxf5 Rf7! ( 22. ... Qxf5 23. Rg1+ Kh8 24. Qxf5 Nxf5 25. 
Rxa3 Rfe8 26. f3 +- ) 23. Rg1+ Rg7 24. Rxg7+ Kxg7 25. Rxa3?! ( 25. Rg3+ 
Kh8 26. Qf7 Qf8 27. Qxf8+ Rxf8 28. Rxa3 Nxd5 29. Bxe4 Nxb4 30. Ra4 d5 31. 
Bf3 +/- {White could have created some awkward problems for his opponent -
shown by V.Tseshkovsky)} ) 25. ... Qxc2 26. Rg3+ Ng6 ( 26. ... Kh8? 27. 
Qf7 ) ( 26. ... Kf8? 27. Qxh7 Ke8 ( 27. ... Qd1+ 28. Kg2 Qxd5 29. Qh8+ Ng8
30. Qg7+ ) 28. Qh8+ Kd7 29. Qxa8 Qxf2 30. Qxa6 Qe1+ 31. Rg1 Qxb4 32. Qa7+ 
Ke8 33. Qe3 +- ) 27. fxg6 h6 28. Qf5 += Ra7! {By transferring his rook to 
e7 Black fully consolidates his position } 29. Kg2 ( 29. Rg4 Re7 30. Rf4 
Qb2 31. h4 Qe5 32. h5 Qxf5 33. Rxf5 Rb7 34. a3 a5 35. bxa5 Ra7 = ) 29. ...
 Re7 30. a3 ( 30. Rg4 Qd3! 31. h4 Qd4 32. Rf4 Qe5 33. h5 Qxf5 34. Rxf5 e3 
35. fxe3 Rxe3 36. Rf3 Re5 = ) 30. ... Qc7 = 31. h4 Re5 32. Qf4 Qc4 33. Qe3
Re7 34. Qd2 Re5 35. Qe3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 14.1"]
[Site "Kolkata"]
[Date "2002.03.21"]
[Round "14.1"]
[White "Motylev, Alexander"]
[Black "Lalic, Bogdan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2639"]
[BlackElo "2523"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2002.03.17"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 
14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 e4 16. Bc2 O-O 17. Rae1 Qc8 18. Kh1 Ng6 { Postponing 
the b5-b4 advance, Black consolidates position around his monarch first of
all } 19. Bb1 {This line became lately White's main weapon against 
Sveshnikov Sicilian and in principle Black was trying to survive, not more
than that. It must be said that thanks to the efforts of Michal Krasenkow 
Black succeeded to hold, but the position has always been under a cloud of
suspicion and finally White seems to have found the right keys.
----------------

Opening for the a3-knight a fine route a3-c2-e3 with an attack against the
king. Black cannot procrastinate his counteractions and has to carry out 
b5-b4} 19. ... b4 ( 19. ... Re8 {After this main alternative to the text 
Black also seems to have serious problems:} 20. Nc2 {Nijboer's novelty 
might close the subject - White has a very strong initiative. Here is a 
recent example:} 20. ... Nf4 ( 20. ... f4 {is probably better, when after 
Nb4-c6 White has a small, but stable advantage.} ) 21. Qg5 Nxd5 22. Nd4 
Ne7 23. f3 d5 24. g4! +/- {Opens up the position and Black is in big 
trouble after it. In the game Nijboer, F-Krasenkow,M/Wijk aan Zee 2002 
(57) Black was very lucky to escape later in a very exciting battle, but 
the opening outcome was clear - White is close to winning after 24.g4.} ) 
20. cxb4 Bxb2 21. Nc2 Bc3 22. Re3! N {The rook maneuver to the 3rd rank 
looks like the most natural decision in this position } ( 22. Re2 Bg7 23. 
f4 exf3 24. Qxf3 f4 += {1/2-1/2 Leko,P-Krasenkow,M/Batumi 1999 (74)} 25. 
Ne1 Qc4 26. Qe4 ( 26. Nd3 Rfe8 ) 26. ... Rfc8 27. Nd3 a5 {Leko P 2700 - 
Krasenkow M 2645 , 1999 Batumi} ) ( {To move repetition leads} 22. Rc1 Bb2
23. Rce1 Bc3 24. Rc1 Bb2 {1/2-1/2, Galkin Alexander 2587 - Krasenkow 
Michal 2702 , Saint Vincent 2000 Ch Europe} ) 22. ... Bg7 ( 22. ... Re8 
23. Rh3 Nf8 24. Ne3 +- ) 23. Rh3 h6 ( 23. ... Re8 24. Ne3 ( 24. Qxh7+ Kf8 
25. f4 {is also possible, but 24.Ne3 is stronger.} ) 24. ... Re5 25. f4 +-
) 24. f4! {A standard blocking method in the spirit of the King's Indian 
Defence. Fixing the pawn on f5, White is ready to hit it by means of 
Â¤c2-e3 and g2-g4 

Black has a difficult position. His pawn formation was weak even without 
playing h6, but after that move all White has to do is to play g4 in order
to get a decisive attack.} 24. ... Ra7 ( {Now the continuation} 24. ... 
exf3 25. Rhxf3 { is clearly unfavorable for Black} ) 25. g4!? { A sharp 
offensive continuation} ( {As A.Motylev points out, the alternative is a 
quiet move} 25. Ne3 Rc7 26. Qxf5 Rc1 27. Qxe4 Rxf1+ ( 27. ... Re8? 28. 
Qxe8+! Qxe8 29. Rxc1 Nxf4 30. Rf3 +- ) 28. Nxf1 Re8 29. Qf3 ( 29. Qd3 Qc1 
30. Rf3 Re1 31. Bc2 Nh4 32. Rf2 Nf5! ) 29. ... Qc1 30. Bxg6 fxg6 31. Qd3 
Qxf4 32. Rf3 Qe4 33. Qxa6 Qxd5 += ) 25. ... fxg4 26. Rg3 {I don't see an 
escape for Black. White intends to ram black position by way of the 
advance f4-f5-f6 } 26. ... Ne7 {After this retreat White obtains an 
obvious positional advantage with material equality } ( 26. ... Rc7 27. f5
Ne5 28. f6 Bxf6 ( 28. ... Bh8 29. Qxh6 Rxc2 30. Bxc2 Qxc2 31. Rfg1 Qe2 32.
 Rh3 +- ) 29. Rxf6 Rxc2 30. Bxc2 Qxc2 31. Qxh6 Rc8 32. Rg1 Qe2 33. Rf5! 
Rc2 34. Rxg4+ Qxg4 35. Rg5+ Qxg5 36. Qxg5+ Kf8 37. Qh6+ Kg8 ( 37. ... Ke8 
38. Qf4 Re2 39. Kg1 e3 40. a4 ) 38. Qxd6 Nf3 39. a4 Rxh2+ 40. Qxh2 Nxh2 
41. Kxh2 Kf8 42. b5 axb5 43. a5 +- {analysis by A.Motylev} ) 27. f5! ( 27.
 Rxg4 f5 ) 27. ... Nxd5 28. Qxg4 f6 29. Qxe4 +/- {Black is lost. All his 
pawns are weak, the B on g7 is "dead" and White has the g-file for attack.
On top of that white knight is ready to come to e6.} 29. ... Nc3 30. Qg2 
Nxb1 31. Nd4! {Swift development of the attack } 31. ... Nc3 32. Nc6! Ne2 
( 32. ... Rc7 33. Rxc3 Re8 34. Rg1 +/- {/+-.} ) 33. Re3! +- Nf4 ( 33. ... 
Nd4 34. Ne7+ Rxe7 35. Rxe7 Rf7 36. Rxf7 Kxf7 37. Qd5+ ) 34. Rxf4 Kh8 35. 
Nxa7 Qc1+ 36. Qg1 Qc7 37. Rg3 Qb7+ 38. Rg2 Rf7 39. Rc4 Qxa7 40. Qxa7 Rxa7 
41. Rd2 Bf8 42. Rc8 Kg8 43. Rg2+ Kf7 44. Rgc2 1-0

[Event "Chelyabinsk 14.2"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2002.01.26"]
[Round "14.2"]
[White "Nijboer, Friso"]
[Black "Krasenkow, Michal"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2574"]
[BlackElo "2632"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2002.01.15"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 
8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 
14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 e4 16. Bc2 O-O 17. Rae1 Qc8 18. Kh1 Ng6 19. Bb1 Re8!? {
This move is introductory to counterplay in the center } ( 19. ... Nf4 20.
 Qg5 Nxd5 21. Bxe4 fxe4 22. Qxd5 +/- ) 20. Nc2!? ( {In the original game 
there followed} 20. f4 exf3 21. Qxf3 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 f4 23. Nc2 ( 23. Bxg6 
hxg6 24. Qxf4 Be5 ) 23. ... a5! 24. Rd1 Qc5 25. Nd4 {Almasi,Z 2610 - 
Krasenkov,M 2565 , Malmo 1994 } 25. ... Bxd4! 26. Bxg6 ( 26. Rxd4 Re8 ) ( 
26. cxd4 Qb4 27. Qf2 Qc4 ) 26. ... hxg6 27. Rxd4 Re8 28. h3 Re5 {, Black 
obtains equality)} ) 20. ... Nf4 { Wiping out the d5-pawn that could have 
helped to establish the white knight on the c6-square } ( {An attempt to 
activate central pawns promptly is inefficient} 20. ... f4 21. Nb4 ) ( 
20. ... f4 21. Nb4 Re5 22. Qd1 Qc4 23. b3 Qxc3 24. Nc6 f3 25. Nxe5 fxg2+ 
26. Kxg2 Bxe5 27. Rxe4 f5 28. Re3 Qb4 29. Kh1 Qh4 30. f4 Bxf4 31. Re2 Rf8 
32. Rg2 Qh6 33. Qe2 Kh8 34. Rgf2 Qh4 {1-0(41) Nijboer, Friso (2580) - 
Czebe, Attila (2502) / EU Ch 2nd (12), Ohrid MKD 2001} ) 21. Qg5 Nxd5 ( 
21. ... Nd3 22. Ne3 h6 ( 22. ... Nxe1?? 23. Nxf5 ) 23. Qxf5 Nxe1 24. Rxe1 
Re5 25. Qf4 f5 26. g4! fxg4 27. Nxg4 Rg5 28. Rg1 Qe8 += ) 22. Nd4 Ne7 23. 
f3 d5 24. g4! { In order to open the access to black king, White has to 
smash the opponent's pawn center at any cost } ( {in case of} 24. fxe4 {
White fails to open the b1-h7 diagonal for his light-squared bishop } 
24. ... fxe4 25. Qh5 Rf8 26. Nf5 Nxf5 27. Rxf5 Qe6 28. Rxd5 f5 ) 24. ... 
fxg4 25. fxe4 Ng6 ( {The potential of the b1-bishop is demonstrated in the
following variation:} 25. ... dxe4 26. Bxe4 Ra7 27. Rxf7! Kxf7 28. Bxh7 
Qb7+ 29. Be4 Qb6 30. Qh5+ Kf8 31. Rf1+ Bf6 32. Bc6 ) 26. Rxf7!? {A nice 
development of the attack} ( 26. Qxd5? Ne5 ) ( 26. exd5? Rxe1 27. Rxe1 
Bxd4 28. cxd4 Qd8 ) ( {As F.Nijboer points out, the quiet move } 26. Nf5 {
also leads to white advantage} 26. ... Qe6 ( 26. ... Re5 27. Qxg4 Qe6 28. 
h4 Re8 29. h5 dxe4 30. Re3! ( 30. Bc2 Qxa2 31. hxg6 ( 31. Bxe4 Qe6 ( 
31. ... Qxb2?? 32. Nxg7 +-- ) 32. Rf4 Kh8 33. hxg6 hxg6 34. Qh4+ Kg8 35. 
Nd4 Qd6 36. Rg4 b4 37. Qg3 Qd7 38. Kg2 bxc3 39. bxc3 Rc5 40. Re3 += ) 
31. ... hxg6 32. Nd6 e3 33. Nxf7 Rh5+ 34. Kg2 Qd5+ = ) 30. ... Bf6 31. Bc2
Qxa2 32. Nd6 ) 27. Qxg4 d4 28. cxd4 Bxd4 29. Bc2! +/- ) 26. ... Bxd4 ( 
26. ... Kxf7?? 27. Qxd5+ Ke7 28. Nc6+ Qxc6 29. Qxc6 +- ) 27. e5!! ( 27. 
Qh6?! { is not so effective} 27. ... Kxf7 28. Qxh7+ Ke6! ( 28. ... Kf6 29.
 e5+!! Rxe5 30. Rf1+ Nf4! 31. cxd4! Rf5! 32. Qh6+ Ke7 33. Re1+ Kf7 34. 
Qh7+ Kf6 35. Qe7+ Kg6 36. Rg1! Qe6 37. Rxg4+ Kh6 38. Qxe6+ Nxe6 39. Bxf5 
+- ) 29. Qxg6+ Kd7 30. cxd4 Qc6 { analysis by F.Nijboer} ) 27. ... Qd8! 
28. Qh6 Kxf7 29. Qxh7+ Ke6 30. Qxg6+ Kd7 31. cxd4 Kc7 32. Bf5! {Taking an 
important c8-square under his control } 32. ... Kb7? ( {Best defence here 
i} 32. ... Kb8! 33. Rc1 Rg8! 34. Qh5!? Qe7! ( 34. ... Rg5?! 35. Qh4 Kb7 
36. Qh7+ Kb6 37. Qh6+ Kb7 38. Be6 { 39. Rc5 +/- }) 35. Qh6 Ra7 36. Bxg4 
Rc7 37. Qb6+ Rb7 += {shown by F.Nijboer} ) 33. Rc1 Re7 34. Qc6+ Ka7 35. 
Bc8 Qb6 36. Qd6 Qxd6 37. exd6 Rg7 38. Rc5? {Letting a deserved win slip 
out of his hands } ( 38. d7 Rg8 39. Rc6 Kb8 40. Kg2 Ra7 41. Kg3 b4 ( 
41. ... Rc7 42. Rb6+ Ka7 43. Rxa6+ Kb8 44. Rb6+ Ka7 45. Rxb5 Rc2 46. Rxd5 
+- ) ( 41. ... Rd8 42. Kxg4 Rdxd7 43. Bxd7 Rxd7 44. h4 +- ) 42. Kf4 a5 43.
 Ke5 +- ) 38. ... Kb6 39. d7 Rg8 40. Kg2 Ra7 41. Kg3 Rc7 42. Rxd5 Rd8 43. 
Re5 Rc2 44. d5 Kc7 45. Re6 Rxd7 46. Bxd7 Kxd7 47. Rxa6 Rxb2 48. a3 b4 49. 
a4 b3 50. Rb6 Ra2 51. Kxg4 Rxa4+ 52. Kf5 Rh4 53. Rxb3 Rxh2 54. Ke5 Re2+ 
55. Kd4 Rd2+ 56. Rd3 Rxd3+ 57. Kxd3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chelyabinsk 14.3"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2002.07.13"]
[Round "14.3"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2697"]
[BlackElo "2722"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2002.07.13"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]

1. e4 {Ftacnik} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. 
Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O 
Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 e4 16. Bc2 O-O { We will finish our 
conversation about this particular branch of the Cheliabinsk Variation 
with two games played by P.Leko in the Dortmund candidates tournament; in 
those game the Hungarian GM managed to rehabilitate black position } 17. 
Rae1 Qc8 18. Kh1 Rb8! N {This seemingly modest move allows to prepare 
counterplay on the Q-side, that is associated with the b5-b4 advance, in 
the most effective way

The idea of this novelty is obvious - Black wants to create a quick 
counterplay on the queenside.} ( 18. ... Ng6 ) 19. f3 ( 19. g4 {was played
six days later by Topalov, but Black got a good play anyway:} 19. ... b4 
20. cxb4 Nxd5 21. gxf5 Kh8 {and White has no advantage, 
Topalov,V-Leko,P/Dortmund 2002} ) 19. ... b4 20. Nb1 {'?!' Ftacnik.} ( 20.
 cxb4? Bxb2 21. fxe4 {is a typical piece sacrifice. With black rooks on e8
and a8 this works out, but here it has less chances for success.} 21. ... 
Bxa3 22. Re3 ( 22. Bb1 f6 {stops the attack, keeping an extra piece.} ) 
22. ... Qxc2 23. Rg3+ ( 23. Rxa3 Qxe4 -+ ) 23. ... Ng6 24. Rh3 Rfc8 25. 
exf5 Ne5 26. Qxh7+ Kf8 {and the king escapes} ) ( 20. fxe4!? {Ftacnik} 
20. ... bxa3 ( 20. ... f4 {Ftacnik} 21. cxb4 Rxb4 22. b3 Qc3 23. Bb1 +/- )
21. exf5 Bf6! ( 21. ... axb2 {Ftacnik} 22. f6 Ng6 23. fxg7 Kxg7 24. Re3 
â†’ ) ( 21. ... Rxb2 {Ftacnik} 22. f6 Rxc2 23. fxg7 Kxg7 24. Rxe7 +- ) 22.
 Rxe7 Qc4 23. Rfe1 axb2 24. R7e3 Qh4 25. Qf3 += ) 20. ... bxc3 21. bxc3 
Bxc3 {'!?' Ftacnik. very concrete. Black will defend the king with the 
knight and queen, which will replace the bishop on the long diagonal. 
Ftacnik: 'Leko plays with a clear strategy of domination on the dark 
squares, white's c3 pawn was the last defender of the dark complex. '} ( 
21. ... Rb2?! 22. Bb3 +/- ) 22. Nxc3 Qxc3 23. fxe4! {White pieces 
desperately long to get to black king's residence } 23. ... f4! {A 
well-known motif: to keep the diagonal b1-h7 closed. An excellent 
defensive resource that allows black knight to get the e5-square at its 
disposal } ( {White retains the initiative in case of} 23. ... Qxc2 24. 
exf5 {is unclear} 24. ... Rb2 25. Qg4+ Ng6 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Qf3 Rxa2 28. 
Re7 Qf5 29. Qxf5 gxf5 30. h3 += ) 24. Bb3?! {'?!' Ftacnik.} ( {Here White 
should have already thought about maintaining the balance by means of} 24.
 Bb1!? {Ftacnik} 24. ... Ng6 ( 24. ... Qe5 25. Qxe5 dxe5 26. Bd3 ) 25. e5!
{seeking to get rid of the bishop that turns bad } 25. ... dxe5 26. Bxg6 {
Ftacnik} ( 26. d6 Rfd8 27. Rd1 Rxb1 28. Rxb1 Rxd6 ~ ) 26. ... hxg6 27. 
Qxe5 Qxe5 28. Rxe5 Rb2 29. h4 Rxa2 30. Rxf4 =, quiet ) 24. ... Ng6 25. Rc1
Qf6 {There is little White can do against opponent's domination on the 
black squares. In the next part of the game Shirov failed to create 
anything, while Leko successfully overtook the initiative and created 
decisive threats.} 26. Qf5 Qe7! 27. Rc4 a5! 28. h3 {This weakens square 
g3, which will play the decisive role later. On the other hand it is 
difficult to find a sensitive plan for White.} 28. ... Rb4 29. Rxb4 {'?' 
Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'Shirov is helping black to activate his pieces, white 
king will fall under strong attack.'} ( 29. Rfc1 {Ftacnik} 29. ... Rxc4 
30. Rxc4 Qh4 31. Rc1 Qg3 =+ ) 29. ... axb4 -/+ { Black positional 
advantage is clear. His knight is obviously more promising than the 
opponent's bishop, the e4-pawn may prove to be vulnerable, and white king 
may face problems in the future due to weakening of the dark squares 
around his fortress } 30. Bd1 {'?!' Ftacnik. The bishop is desperately 
looking for a job.} 30. ... Ra8 ( 30. ... Re8 31. Bh5 Qxe4 32. Bxg6 hxg6 
33. Qxf4 Qxd5 34. Qxb4 Re2 35. Qg4 Rxa2 =+ ) 31. Rf2 ( 31. Bh5 Rxa2 32. 
Bxg6 hxg6 33. Qxf4 Re2 -/+ ) 31. ... Qa7! 32. Rc2 Kg7 33. Kh2 ( {Once 
again an attempt to exchange the bishop for the knight does not work} 33. 
Bh5? b3! 34. axb3 Qe3 -+ {with inevitable mate. } ) 33. ... Qe3 34. Bf3 
Qe1! +- {The inevitable penetration finally happened. White cannot hold 
the position. Vulnerability of the white king's position becomes obvious} 
35. Rc7 Qg3+ 36. Kh1 Ne5 37. Bh5 Rxa2 38. Rxf7+ Nxf7 39. Qxf7+ Kh6 40. 
Qf6+ Kxh5 41. Qf5+ Kh6 42. Qf6+ Qg6 43. Qh4+ Kg7 44. Qe7+ Qf7 45. Qg5+ Kf8
46. Qd8+ Qe8 47. Qf6+ Kg8 ( {There is no perpetual check. For instance:} 
47. ... Kg8 48. Qg5+ Kf7 49. Qf5+ Ke7 50. Qe6+ Kd8 51. Qxd6+ Kc8 52. Qc5+ 
Kb7 53. Qxb4+ Ka8 ) 0-1

[Event "Chelyabinsk 14.4"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2002.07.19"]
[Round "14.4"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2745"]
[BlackElo "2722"]
[ECO "B33y"]
[EventDate "2002.07.18"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

1. e4 {Ftacnik} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. 
Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O 
Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5 e4 16. Bc2 O-O 17. Rae1 Qc8 18. Kh1 (
{Later White would try to develop his initiative by means of} 18. Bb1 {
Then the game may go on in the following way:} 18. ... Qc5 ( 18. ... Rb8 {
is already ineffective in view of} 19. Nc2 ) 19. Kh1 Qxd5 20. f3 Qe5 21. 
fxe4 fxe4 22. Qxe5 dxe5 23. Bxe4 Rad8 24. Rd1 f5 25. Bb7 Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Rf6
27. Nc2 Bf8 28. Ne3 Bh6 29. Nd5 Nxd5 30. Rxd5 Bc1 31. b3 Bb2 32. Rxe5 Bxc3
33. Re7 Rd6 34. g3 Rd1+ 35. Kg2 Rd2+ {1/2-1/2(69) Almasi, Zoltan (2644) - 
Leko, Peter (2713) / Amber-rapid 11th (2), Monte Carlo MNC 2002} ) 18. ...
 Rb8! {Lately Black was facing problems in this line and Leko's novelty 
might change its evaluation. Black goes for a quick ...b4.} 19. g4!? {
Ftacnik: 'Topalov is brave in his desire to refute Leko's successfull idea
from his match game against Shirov.'

By his energetic actions on the K-side White seeks to forestall his 
opponent's couterplay on the opposite side of the board } ( 19. f3 {is 
another principled move, played by Shirov:} 19. ... b4 20. Nb1 bxc3 21. 
bxc3 Bxc3 22. Nxc3 Qxc3 23. fxe4 f4 ( 23. ... Qxc2 24. exf5 â†’ ) 24. Bb3 
Ng6 {Usually if Black can achieve such a domination on the dark squares, 
he has no opening problems, to say the least.} 25. Rc1 Qf6 26. Qf5 Qe7 27.
 Rc4 a5 28. h3 Rb4 29. Rxb4 axb4 30. Bd1 Ra8 31. Rf2 Qa7 32. Rc2 Kg7 33. 
Kh2 Qe3 -/+ {0-1 Shirov,A-Leko,P/Dortmund 2002 (47)} ) ( {Sluggish } 19. 
Bb1 {(with an idea of Na3-c2-e3} 19. ... b4 20. cxb4 Rxb4 {gives Black 
good counterchances} ) 19. ... b4! {Both parties are energetic in 
implementing their plans } ( 19. ... fxg4? 20. Rxe4 Ng6 21. Rxg4 +/- ) ( 
19. ... Nxd5 20. gxf5 Nf6 21. Qg5 h6 22. Qg2 Qxf5 23. Bxe4 Qg5 24. Qf3 +/-
) 20. cxb4 Nxd5 {I have no doubts both sides analyzed this position very 
well, Leko having the advantage of doing it before the tournament though, 
in opposite to Topalov, who must have analyzed it only after the game 
Shirov-Leko, played a few days before the present game.} ( 20. ... Bxb2? 
21. gxf5 Bxa3? 22. Rg1+ Kh8 23. Rxe4 +- {is a demonstration of White's 
potential. Black's main task is to defend kingside, because usually he has
enough possibilities to create counterplay on the queenside later on.} ) 
21. gxf5 ( {To a position of dynamic equilibrium leads} 21. Bxe4 fxe4 22. 
Qxd5 Rxb4 23. Rxe4 Rxe4 24. Qxe4 Re8! {as it frequently happens in the 
Cheliabisk Variation, the a3-knight is offside, and this allows Black to 
obtain counterplay} 25. Qd5 Qxg4 26. Nc4 Qe4+ 27. Qxe4 Rxe4 28. Nxd6 Re2 )
21. ... Kh8! {A strong prophylactic move. Black does not hurry to harvest 
the b2- and b4-pawns but amortizes the opponent's threats on the K-side 
first of all, thus increasing the potential of his counterplay } ( 21. ...
 Bxb2? 22. Bb3 Nf6 23. Qg5+ Kh8 24. Nc4 Rg8 25. Qf4 +/- ) 22. Rg1!? ( {In 
case of} 22. Bxe4 Nf6 23. Qf3 Rxb4 { Black obtains adequate counterplay} 
24. b3 Rxe4!? 25. Rxe4 Nxe4 26. Qxe4 Qc5 27. b4 Qc3 28. Nb1 Qb2 =/& ) 
22. ... Bxb2 {White's problem is that he cannot open the diagonal b1-h7 
for his bishop.} 23. Qh6 {White systematically plays for the attack 
against black king's fortifications } ( 23. Bxe4 Nf6 24. Qh6 Nxe4 25. Rxe4
Qxf5 =+ ) 23. ... Qc3! {White must play carefully, since at one moment 
Black might just take the piece on a3.  Queen's joining in the K-side 
defence allows Black to consolidate the position } 24. Rxe4 {With a threat
of 25.Qh7! Kh7 26.Rh4#, that Black manages to parry in time } ( 24. Bxe4 
Qf6! ) 24. ... Qf6! {Ftacnik: 'Black is applying the same sound strategy 
of domination on the dark squares, white Na3 makes a sorry picture.'} 25. 
Qh3 ( {White may try to create threats to the black king in the endgame as
well} 25. Rh4 Qxh6 26. Rxh6 Bxa3 27. f6 {but even here Black's defensive 
resources are quite adequate } 27. ... Nxf6 28. Rxf6 Bxb4 29. Rh6 f5! ) 
25. ... Rg8! 26. Rf1 {After this move is clear that Black won the 
theoretical battle. Topalov was in a must-win situation and it influenced 
him from taking objective decisions.} ( 26. Qb3!? Rxg1+ 27. Kxg1 Bxa3 ( 
27. ... Nc3 28. Re3 d5 29. Nb1 ( 29. Qxb2? Ne2+ ) 29. ... Rg8+ 30. Kf1 
Nxb1 31. Bxb1 ) 28. Qxd5 ( 28. Qxa3 Qa1+ 29. Kg2 Rg8+ 30. Kf3 Qh1+ 31. Ke2
Rc8 32. Qb2+ Nc3+ 33. Kd2 Qxh2 {is just bad for White} ) 28. ... Bxb4 {
with a high probability of draw was the logical outcome.} ) 26. ... Bxa3! 
{The unexpected exchange of the bishop for a seemingly passive a3-knight 
(which, however, has been ready to enter the game via the a4-square) 
allows Black to seize the initiative } 27. Qxa3 Rbc8 {Now Black is better 
in spite of being a pawn down. All his pieces are active, while White has 
no co-ordination at all.} 28. Bd1 Nc3 29. Re3 d5! {Black has a strong 
initiative. Just as in the previous game, black knight proves to be 
stronger than the opponent's bishop, and his d-pawn rushes forward 
becoming quite dangerous } 30. Rg3 d4 31. Bf3 d3!? 32. Qb2 Qd4 33. Rd1? ( 
{The best defence is} 33. Qd2 =+ Ne4 34. Bxe4 Qxe4+ 35. f3 Qxf5 =+ ) 
33. ... Rxg3! {Improving the opponent's pawn structure without prejudices 
} 34. hxg3 Rc4! {'!' Ftacnik. 

 A powerful group of black centralized pieces ensures his decisive 
advantage } 35. Rf1 ( 35. Rd2 Rxb4 36. Qa3 Nb1 ) 35. ... d2 36. f6!? {'?' 
Ftacnik. An interesting practical chance, which almost worked out.} ( 36. 
Qb3 {Ftacnik} 36. ... Kg7! 37. a3 Ne4 -/+ ) 36. ... Qxf6 ( 36. ... Ne4 {is
a simple win for Black:} 37. Qxd4 Rxd4 38. Kg2 Nc3 39. Bd1 Rxb4 -+ 40. Kf3
Rb1 41. Ke3 Rxd1 42. Rxd1 Nxd1+ 43. Kxd2 Nxf2 ) ( 36. ... Rxb4!? 37. Qa3 (
37. Qc2 Rb6 38. Kg2 Rxf6 39. Rh1 h6 -+ ) 37. ... Rb8 38. Qxa6 d1=Q 39. 
Bxd1 Nxd1 ) 37. Kg2 Qd4 38. Qc2 {Now Topalov is back in the game. As it 
often happens, the pawn on f5 only disturbed white pieces from creating 
threats against black king.} 38. ... Rc7 {'!' Ftacnik.} 39. Qf5 f6 40. Rh1
d1=Q 41. Bxd1 Nxd1 -/+ {Black won a piece, but amazingly White has good 
chances to escape, since for the moment the knight on d1 is out of play 
and black king needs permanent protection (weaknesses on h7 and f6, easy 
to attack).

Black has a material advantage and subsequently manages to utilize it } 
42. Rh4 Qd8 43. Rh6 Rf7 44. Qe6 Rf8 45. Qe4 ( 45. Qf5 Qe7 ( 45. ... Rf7 
46. Qe6 Qf8 47. Rh4 =/& ) 46. Qd3 Qb7+ 47. f3 ( 47. Kh2 Nxf2 -+ ) ( 47. 
Kg1 Nb2 48. Qc2 â–³ Rd8 -+ ) 47. ... Nb2 48. Qc2 Qg7 49. Rh1 Rg8 50. g4 f5
51. Qxf5 Nc4 52. Rxh7+ Qxh7 53. Qf6+ {is an amazing drawish line.} ) 
45. ... Qd7 46. Qf3 Kg7 47. Rh5 Nb2 ( 47. ... Rd8! {Ftacnik} 48. Qe4 h6 
-/+ ) 48. Rd5 Qe6 49. Rd4! Rc8 50. Re4 Qc6 51. Kh2 Kf8 52. Qf4 {'!' 
Ftacnik.} 52. ... Kf7 53. Qf5 Rg8 54. Qxh7+ Rg7 55. Qh5+ Kf8 56. Qf5? {
Overestimating the position. After a skillful play from Topalov, who being
a piece down succeeded to keep the knight out of play and even win pawn 
h7, he finally collapses. Probably inspired by the last part of the game, 
he decides to continue, missing that Black's extra piece will come back 
and only Black has winning chances after that.} ( 56. Qh8+ Kf7 57. Qh5+ {
would have forced a draw.} ) 56. ... Nc4 -/+ {/-+} 57. Re2 ( 57. Re6 Rh7+ 
{maybe being tired Veselin missed this move, which is the only one, but 
enough for a win.} 58. Qxh7 Qxe6 -+ ) 57. ... Rg5 58. Qh7 Ne5 59. Qh6+ Kg8
{The game is over. White cannot defend against Black's threats.} 60. Qxg5+
fxg5 61. Rxe5 Qf6 62. Re2 Qf3 63. Rd2 Kf7 64. a4 Qb3 65. Rd6 Qxa4 66. Rb6 
Qa2 0-1

