Andrew Soltis - The Tchigorin Defense

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The Tchigorin Defense Copyright© 1995 Andrew Soltis All rights reserved

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Wilhelm Steinitz-Tchigorin, 6th Match Game 1889 S.F. Lebedev-Tchigorin, Correspondence 1 900

6 6 10

CHAPTER ONE Irregular Variations 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 A 3 e3 B 3 Bf4 C 3 cxd5 Illustrative Game (1) Schiffer-Baumhus, Bundesliga 1988

14

CHAPTER TWO The Old "Refutation" 4 Qa4 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NfJ Bg4 4 Qa4 BxfJ A 5 exfJ B 5 gxfJ CHAPTER THREE The Modern 3 NfJ Main Line 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NfJ Bg4 4 cxd5 BxO A 5 HfJ B 5 gxfJ (note: 5 dxc6 is in Chapter Four) Illustrative Games (2) Suirin-Matichenkov, Smolensk 1985 (3) Bareev-Kamsky, Tilburg 1991 CHAPTER FOUR Following in Pillsbury's Path (5 dxc6) 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NfJ Bg4 4 cxd5 BxfJ 5 dxc6 CHAPTER FIVE 3 NfJ Odds and Ends 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NfJ Bg4

14 16

17 20 22

23 24 27

n

29 32 34 38 38 41

4

TAB LE OF CONTENTS A 4 Nc3 B 4 Nbd2 C 4 e3 Illustrative Games (4) van Vely-Morozevich, Tilburg 1993 (5) Vukic-Gavric, Pale 1990 (6) Hugue-Rogers, Loyds Bank ( London) 1988 (7) Pillsbury-Tchigorin, London 1899

CHAPTER SIX White Takes the 3 Nc3 Risk 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 Illustrative Game (8) Sitarek-Gibbons, 14th World Correspondence Championship 1985-90 CHAPTER SEVEN The Modern 3 Nc3 Then 4 Nf3 Approach 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 Nf3 Nf6 A 5 e3 B 5 Q� C5BU D5B� E 5� F 5 d5 Illustrative Games (9) Conquest-Diugy, New York Open 1984 (10) Zuger-Rongguang, Lucerne 1989 CHAPTER EIGHT White Accepts the 4 d5 Challenge 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 d5 Ne5 A 5 Bf4 B 5� C5 U D 5 Q�

41 43 45 48 51 53 55 59 59 61

65

� � � � m

72 73 76 80

80 81 � M

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER NINE White Avoids c2-c4 1 d4 d5 2 NO Nc6 (How to play against the Colle System 2 e3 - and Stonewall 2 e3 then 3 f4 are in the notes) A3BU B 3 g3 Illustrative Game (12) Bator-Duckstein, European Club Championship 1990

5 87

�

89 91

6 INTRODUCTION The Tchigorin's Defense is the opening that won't go away. When Mikhail Tchigorin introduced it to master chess in the 1880's it often worked wonders. But it's detractors said that was a tribute to Tchigorin, not to his defense. Discarded by the opening authorities after his death, the opening has been periodically revived by original players - from Edgar Colle to David Bronstein to Tony Miles. With each revival, the defense is met with a new wave of theoretical criticism. Many masters, who learned early in their chess development not to block their c-pawns, just don't trust ... Nc6. But that doesn't matter, as long as there are imaginative players looking for a fighting defense to 1 d4. The opening just won't go away. The basic Tchigorin strategy is relatively simple: after White's first move, 1 d4, Black declares that the d-pawn will be a source of weakness as much as it is a source of strength. To attack it, Black needs three elements:

c6 that watches d4, (b) a Bishop that will capture onj3 after d4 with Nj3, and (c) the ability to discover an attack on d4 with his Queen by way of . . dxc4. (a) a Knight on White defends

.

Depending on how White responds to this elementary approach, Black will modify his development. For example, the attack on

d4

can be

supplemented by Black's Kingside pieces with ... Bg7 and ...Nge5-j5. Because the Queenside pieces are developed first, Black often needs to find King safety in the only available place for it - with ... 0-0-0. And in some cases Black may use his e-pawn as a battering ram (... e7-e5!?). Mikhail Tchigorin's original idea was to play ... Bg4 before .. Nc6. It .

doesn't work if White meets 1 d4 d5 with 2 c4. But when his opponents delayed advancing their c-pawn, Tchigorin was quick to attack the center with ...Bxj3, ... Nc6 and ... e7-e5. Here's a fine example of his basic formula. Bear in mind that this is a world championship match game.

Wilhelm Steinitz Tchigorin 6th Match Game, 1889 1 NO d5 Bg4 2 d4

INTRODUCTION

7

In a 1 886-7 telegraph match between London and St. Petersburg, Tchigorin had convinced his team to try Black's second move mainly, as he later explained, "to avoid the usual paths of development in this opening." Even then masters wanted to get their opponents out the books. 3 c4 The principal drawback to Black's move order is that it allows 3 Ne5, which White avoids here. We are soon back in territory more closely identified with what later became known as the Tchigorin's Defense. 3 Bxf3 4 gxf3 dxc4! 5 e4? ...

This is an error which allows Black to carry out his plan of demolishing d4. Better was 5 e3, which Steinitz later adopted. eS! 5 6 dxeS On 6 d5 Bc5 the dark squares are highly vulnerable (... Qh4). Qxdlch 6 7 Kxdl Nc6 If White could play Bxc4 and bring his King to safety quickly, his pressure on the light squares would mean more than Black's piece activity or Queenside majority. But Black keeps the initiative (8 Bf4 Rd8ch and Nge7-g6). 8 f4 Rd8ch 9 Bd2 King moves allow 9 . Nd4 (ch). Black apparently didn't play ...

...

...

.

.

8

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

8...0-0-0ch because he didn't want to give White Bh3 as check and didn't want his Kingside pawns to be vulnerable.

9 ... l ORgl 1 1 Bxc4

BcS Nge7

Tchigorin noted that 1 1 Rxg7 Ng6 12 Bxc4 Nxf4 13 Rxf7 gives Black the better of it after 13...Nxe5 14 Rxf4 Nxc4 or just 13 ... Nd3.

1 1 ... 12 Kcl 13 Rg2 14 NcJ

Ng6 Bxf2 Bb6 Nd4!

This move is important because the Knight can land strongly onj3.

15 Nd5 16 Nxb6

NO

Better, according to the winner, was 16 Bc3, although he believed 16...Nxf4 17 Rxg7 Ne6 still favored Black.

16 ... 17 Rxd2 18 Rxd8ch 19 Bxf7

Nxd2 ub6 Kxd8 Nxf4

The position has clarified quite a bit. Black will win if he can grab the h-pawn, creating two Kingside passers, and, at the same time, keep White's Queenside pawns under surveillance.

20 Kd2 21 BbJ 22 e6

Rf8 Ng6

INTRODUCTION

9

White now activates his Rook and King at the cost of the h-pawn.

22 ... 23 Rgl 24 Ke3! 25 Rg5?

Ke7 Rf2ch Rxh2

This was fatal, according to Steinitz. The Rook now ends up as a spectator on

b5.

He recommended 25 Rfl Ne5 26 Rf5 as best, although

26...Rh3ch 27 Ke2 Rxb3! keeps Black's advantage.

25 ... 26 Kd4 27 Rb5 28 a4

Rh3ch RfJ Nf4 h5!

Not allowing himself to be lured into 28...c5ch? 29 Ke5 Nd3ch 30 Kd5 and Black has technical problems.

29 aS 30 axb6

h4 c6!

The winning move. White's Rook cannot penetrate the Queenside now and the h-pawn decides.

31 Rf5 32 KcS

Ne2ch Rxf5ch!?

Good enough to win was 32...Rxb3. Black prefers the pawn race.

33 exf5 34 Ba4 35 Bxc6 36 b7

h3 h2 bxc6 hl(Q)

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

10

Qclch

37 b8(Q)

White res i&ns Be warned: this opening Is not for evel)'one. Many players are uncomfortable developing their Queenside pieces before the Kingside ones. They don't like castlins last

•

- or on the Queenside, another common idea

in the Tchigorin's Derense. To play it also requires an original approach to matters of of strategy. Most players don't like to give up Bishops for Knights and prefer to have more pawns in the center than their opponent. The Tchigorin's is not for them. It is also not for players who are reluctant to see their pieces pushed to the side of the board - - or off of it. In some key variations, Black must be willing to sacrifice a Knight that has been exiled to

a5.

Here's how the

inventor played these positions:

S. F. Lebdev Tchigorin Correspondence tournament 1 900 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 J NcJ dxc4 4 d5 Na5!? 5 Qa4ch White goes straight after the stalemated Knight which doesn't seem to have any way ofbeing maintained on a5 or of being protected against

b4

or

b2-

Bd2.

5 ... 6 b4

c6

In another Lebdev-Tchigorin game from this tournament, White played 6 dxc6 Nxc6 7 e3 Bd7 8 Bxc4

e6 9

Nf3 Nf6 10 0-0 Rc8 l l Qdl and

Black concluded that it seemed he had gained a full move.

6 ... cxbl 7 axbJ e6 (See next diagram)

INTRODUCTION

11

White has various ways of picking off the Knight, but all grant Black excellent compensation. For example, 8 Bd2 Nxb3! 9 Qxb3 exd5 was known, even in 1900, to be good enough for Black. White prefers:

8 Bb2 9 Qxa5

Qb6! Qxb3

Black has the passed Queenside pawns to work with, but he also has considerable pressure on the enemy King, which is 13 moves away from castling.

10 Rb1 1 1 Qa1 12 dxc6 13 Rcl

Bb4 Nf6! Ne4

White apparently counted on 13. .. Nc5 14 Qbl! with advantage, e.g. 14 ...Na4 15 Ba1 Qxb1ch 16 Rxb l Bxc3ch 17 Bxc3 Nxc3 18 cxb7.

13 ... 14 NfJ

a5!

White would like to play 14 f3, but Black would then ram the a-pawn down his throat: 14 ... a4!! 15 fxe4 a3 16 Kf2 axb2 17 Qxa8 bxc1(Q) 18 Qxc8ch Ke7 19 Qc7ch Kf6 and Black wins -- an incredible bit of analysis.

14 15 Nd4 16 e3 17 Bxa3 •..

a4 Qd5 a3

Anything else loses at least the exchange.

17 .. . 18 Bxb4

Nxc3!

TIIK 'I'(�Jti(�ORIN DEFENSE

u

Al ..t 1111lltl111t II IM lh«l� Rxn:l.

Rxal Na2!

II... 19 R11l

After this nice move, shutting off the

b4

Bishop, the game heads

speedily to a natural conclusion. Black can afford to have his King tickled by the Bishops.

20Bb5 21 Ba5ch 22 0-0

Kd8! Ke7 e5

Now 23 Nf3 bxc6 makes it easier.

23 e4 24 Rxa2 25Bxc6 26 Ra4

Qxd4 bxc6 Be6 Qd3!

The Black King now ends up safe and sound on g6 -- but not so the one currently on g 1.

27 Bb4ch 28 f4? 29 fxe5ch 30Bd5

Kf6 Rc8 Kg6

With a Rook, Bishop and pawn, White seems to have adequate compensation for the lost Queen. However...

30 Rcl! White resigns ...

INTRODUCTION

13

After 3 1 Rxc l Black wins with checks at e3, cJ andf4, followed by 34...Bxd5, winning because of the fourth rank pin. And after 31 Bel, Black has 3 l...Qe3ch 32 Bf2 Rxflch 33 Kxfl Qd3ch 34 K e l Bg4! and it's all over. The moral is: keep an open mind and be willing to consider the bizarre -- and you'll do quite well with Tchigorin's Defense. We'll organize our look at this unique opening in this way: Chapter One: Irregular Variations (3 e3, 3 Bf4, 3 cxd5) Chapter Two: The Old "Refutation" 4 Qa4 Chapter Three: The Modem 3 Nf3 Main Line (4 cxd5) Chapter Four: Following in Pillsbury's Path (5

dxc6)

Chapter Five: 3 Nf3 Odds and Ends Chapter Six: White takes the 3 Nc3 Risk Chapter Seven: The Modem 3 Nc3/4 Nf3 Approach Chapte r Eight: White Accepts the Challenge 4 d5 Chapter Nine: White avoids c2-c4.

(�IIAP'n:R ONE lrreaular Variations I d4

l c4

d5 Nc6

Of the three irregularly played lines, (a) 3 e3 is too timid and is now seen mainly in the games of B-players and below, (b) 3 Bf4 makes more sense but it still is a rarity, and (c) 3 cxd5 is a relatively common move below the master level that can be dangerous if handled carelessly by Black. You should pay the most attention to the third possibility.

(a) 3 e3 3 e3 This move constitutes an admission by White that his ambitions in this game will be very modest. It carries with it a threat of 4 cxd5 Qxd5 5 Nc3, gaining time. But there are several good moves to anticipate that.

(See next diagram)

CHAPTER ONE

3 ...

15

e5!

And this is the best of them. Black is at least equal now, following 4 Nfl exd4 5 Nxd4 Nxd4 6 Qxd4 Nf6. If, instead, 4 Nc3, Black will continue with the pinning strategy that characterizes the Tchigorin, 4... Bb4, e.g. 5 Qb3? exd4 6 exd4 Nxd4!

(7 Qxb4 ?? Nc2ch)

or 5 cxd5 Qxd5 as in section

(c) below.

4 d.xe5?! The safest policy is 4 cxd5, also transposing into section (c) below.

4 ...

d4!

This is the most aggressive plan available, seeking an endgame in which White has all sorts of holes on the vulnerable Queenside.

Good enough for equality is 4...Bb4ch 5 Nc3 Nge7. But with a mini­ initiative thanks to his slight lead in development, Black has reason to play for more.

5 exd4

Qxd4

Much better than 5 ... Nxd4 because after 6 Qxd4 Nxd4 Black threatens 7... Nc2ch. thanks to the absence of Queens on the board.

6 Qxd4 Other moves are no improvement

(6 Nj3 Qxdlch 7 Kxd/ Bfi

and

...Nxe5 or . . . 0-0-0ch).

6 ...

Nxd4

If White tries to cover c2 with his King, Black answers with 8...Bf5 and 9...0-0-0.

7 Bd3

Bg4

This last is a little finesse to provoke 8 fl, placing a pawn on a square that interferes with White's development.

16

TfiE TCHIGORI N DEFE NSE

ID or '-'OilriO, M Ne2'7 Bxc2 9 Bxe2 Nc2ch loses material, and 8 h3 Bh5 u J&4 n,.t. 10 Rxaft hxJ6 limply creates a new problem on c2. Be6 a... Thora 11 1011Mithinato be laid about 8 Bh5 (and a later . . Bg6). But lhG IGHI II J&ood onough. 9 Bel A bll bcllcr 11 9 Ncl 0-0-0 10 Nxd4 Rxd4 which occurred in Green­ ltlullnno, New York 1983. White made use of his eighth move and gave huck 1he pawn with II Be41 Rxc4 12 BeJ Bc5 13 Ke2 Bxe3 14 Kxe3. He nuuutged to draw after 14 f61 15 exf6 Nxf6 1 6 Nc3 Rhe8. ...

.

. . .

9

...

0-0-0

This position is significant for the Tchigorin's Defense because it appeared during the variation's revival in the 1920's in a game between two up-and-coming grandmasters - - Reti-Bogolyubov, Kiel l921. White found nothing better than 10 Bxd4 Rxd4 11 Ke2, after which Black demonstrated a growing advantage with l l...Ne7 1 2 Nd2 Ng6 1 3 Bxg6 hxg6 and 1 4 ... Bf5, thanks to the two Bishops. Turning now to our second irregular variation:

(b) 3 Bf4 3 Bf4 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6)

17

CHAPTE R ONE 3 Bf4

The Bishop move is somewhat logical: the object of Black's attack is

d4,

so White wants to bring out his Bishop before solidifying matters with

e2-e3.

d.xc 4

3 ...

But this move attacks d4 and clears for

..

. Nfo-d5. Black is already in

good shape.

4 d5 On 4 N f3 Black equalizes with 4 ... Nf6 and 5 ...Nd5, e.g. 5 Nc 3 Nd5 6 Bg 3 Bf5.

4

•••

e5!

The thematic punch that appears in a number of Tchigorin lines. As in similar situations, 5 dxc6 Qxd lch 6 Kxdl exf4 is at least equal for Black.

5 Bg3 g6 and

The Knight is headed for

Nce7 perhaps/4. Typical play, leading to

at least equality, would be 6 Nc3 Ng6 7 e4 and now 7 ... a6 (to prevent

Bb5ch) 8

Bxc4 Bc5. White probably does better with 7 e3 a6 8 Bxc4, but

8... Nf6 9 Nf3 Bd6 gives Black a nice game also. Finally, let's consider the third irregular response to 2 . .. Nc6:

(c) 3 cxd5 ( After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6) 3 cxd5

Tlllt TCH IGORIN DEFENSE

Ill

Thl1 11 • vory 111111rnl move because it works so well against other

N,ftj .f cxc/Jl; 2. ..c5 3 cxd5l) and appears to gain lllllf h)' h•UIIIhll lho Q\IOOn.

llltllllllr MMJUd movo1 (J

...

J...

Qxd5

Nnw 4 Nu.1 Qxd4 11 quite unsound.

4 N fJ Wllh 4 cl While Is again indicating his pacific mature. Black can Ot llllllllt 111011 cn1i ly with 4. . .es S Nc3 Bb4. Then (, Ud2 Bxc3 7 bxc3 exd4 8 cxd4 Nf6 followed by .

..

Bf5

or

IlM-I nnd perhaps .. Ne4. For example, 9 Ne2 0-0 10 Nf4 Qd6 11 Bd3 and .

nuw IJ...Nb4 (and 12 Bbl c5). After 12 Bxb4 Qxb4ch 13 Qd2 Qe7 14 Qc2 \:(, JUnek stood well in Gross-Gibbons, Saratoga 1978.

4 ...

e5

Once again the proper prescription. Now 5 dxe5 Qxd l ch 6 Kxdl Bg4 and 7... 0-0-0ch gives Black easy play even if he doesn't regain his pawn (which he should).

5 NcJ The only attempt at a White advantage lies with this move

(5 e3 exd4

6 exd4 Bg4 and . .. 0-0-0).

5 ...

Bb4

And, as usual, Black should not relinquish his commanding Queen position

(5... Qa5?l) when he can make this pin. 6 Bd2

Now 6 dxe5 Bxc3ch! 7 bxc3 Qa5 regains the pawn with a nice game

(8 Qb3 Nge7 9 e3 Be6).

CHAPTE R ONE

19

Bxc3

6 ...

The main point of this move is that White loses a pawn after 7 bxcJ.

7 Bxc3

e4!

White also allows this annoying advance if he captures the other way. It is thematic for Black to keep the position somewhat closed (compared with 7... exd4? 8 Nxd4) but here 7.. e4 has the added point that he can push .

the pawn to

e3 next move.

8 Nd2 After 8 Ne5, the advance is more dangerous: 8 Ne5 eJ 9 fxeJ Nxe5 10 dxe5 Be6 with excellent compensation due to White's messed up pawns. More promising for White may

be

9 0, hoping to encircle the e­

pawn later on. After 9...Nge7 10 QdJ Nxe5 II dxe5 QxdJ II exdJ Bf5 Black has enough compensation for any lost pawn

(1 3 d4 0-0-0 14 Bc4 Be6

as in Kharitonov-Malyutin, Smolensk, 1991). And see Illustrative Game 1 for the immediate 9 QdJ.

8

•..

Nf6

The immediate 8 . e3 allows 9 fxeJ Nf6 10 e4! Nxe4 11 Nxe4 Qxe4 .

.

12 d5 and White has the upper hand since his Bishop comes alive.

9 e3

0-0

Now 10 Be2 Qg5 can create problems for White

10 Qc:2

(1 1 0-0 Bh3).

Re8

Not much new in this variation has arisen since Petrov-Ravinsky, USSR 1940(!), which went l l Bc4 Qf5 (more exact may

be Jl... Qg5)

12

Nfl Qg6 13 NgJ Be6 and ended in Black's favor soon after 14 Bxe6 Rxe6 15 QbJ Rd6 16 0-0 Nd5!.

JU

'I'IIV. TC'tiiGORIN l>li:FENSE IU.tJSTRATIV ..: GAME (I) llrhtffntr·R•umhul, Bundesliga 1988

I d4 l f4 3 cxd�

d5 Nc6 Qxd5

4 Nf3 5 NcJ 6 Bd2 7 Bxc3 8 Ne5 9 QdJ?!

e5 Bb4 BxcJ e4! eJ

This is an indifferent defense, but 9 Nxc6 exflch lO Kxf2 Qxc6 (Tennant-Michaelides, New York 1979) is hardly an improvement.

9 ... 10 Kxf2 1 1 Qf3

exflch Nf6

The apparent point of White's defense is to challenge the Black Queen on her wonderful outpost.

Nxe5 1 1 ... Ne4ch 12 dxe5 (See next diagram)

CHAPTER ONE

13 Kel 14 Qxc3

21

Nxc3 0-0

White has a bad King, bad development and bad pawns. His opening has been a disaster. Now 15 Rd 1 Qxa2 and 15 e3 Re8 begin the loss of material.

1 5 b3 16 Rd1

Bf5 Qe4

Black uses his control of the light squares to swing his Queen to the Kingside,

h4

in particular. White's last chance was to get the Queens off the

board with something like 17 Qd4.

Or 19 Qg3 Qb4ch

17 Rg1 ? 18 g3 (the 19.. Qxg3ch .

Qh4ch ending isn't bad either) 20 Kf2

Rad8 and the Black heavy pieces invade.

18 ... 19 Rg2 20 Rd4

Qxh2 Qh1 Rad8!

White had hoped for 21 Rh4, trapping the Queen, but this would now be met by 2l...Rd1ch 22 Kxd1 Qxflch and 23... Qxg2. Many grandmasters would resign a position like this -- to other grandmasters.

Bh3 21 e3 Bxfl 22 Rf2 Qg2 23 Rxfl Qg3ch 24 g4 White resigns. After the second pawn falls (25... Qxe5) White has no hope.

22 CHAPTER TWO The Old "Refutation" 4 Qa4

1 d4 2 c4 3 NO

d5 Nc6

Grigory Levenfish, one of the strongest Soviet masters before World War II, maintained that this was the best third move for White, since it discourages both 3 ...e5 and 3 ...dxc4 -- both possible ideas after 3 Nc3.

3 ...

Bg4

This is the refined version of the Tchigorin idea: to pressure

d4

by

way of ... Bxj3. It should be noted, however, that 3 ...e5 is playable since 4 cxd5 Qxd5 transposes in to variation (c) of the last chapter. The real test of 3...e5 is 4 dxe5 or 4 Nxe5 Nxe5 5 dxe5, offering to go into Albin Counter Gambit positions. But in each case Black can try for a

5 .. dxc4). 4 Qa4

non-Albin game with 4...dxc4 (or

.

The fate of this move illustrates the capriciousness of opening theory. The Tchigorin's Defense had been analyzed at the highest levels before Alexander Alekhine tried this novel Queen move in 1925 and was rewarded with a brilliant victory over Edgar Colle. For the next 50 years, 4 Qa4 was considered something of a main line. Almost forgotten today, this line appeared in opening books up until the 1970's in prominent display.

4 ...

BxO

This was the purpose of Black's third move, so why not take? Black will build a solid pawn structure now on light squares. Now we should consider (a) 5 exf3 and (b) 5 gxfl.

23

CHAPTER TWO (a) 5 exfJ 5 exfJ

This damages White's center in order to get the /1-Bishop into the game quickly. Black should continue solidly.

5 ...

e6

6 Nc3

N &e7!

This plan of development revitalized the Tchigorin's. Black will fianchetto the remaining Bishop to attack

d4

(in coordination with a later

. ..Nf5).

7 Be3 Another plan common in such position is

c4-c5

and

Bb5

or

Qb3.

But

in the absence of additional pressure on the Queenside, Black can meet 7 c5 with 7...g6 and castle into safety, e.g. 8 Be3 Bg7 9 Qb3 Rb8 and . . . Nf5 or . . 0-0 followed by ...b6 is coming up. .

7 8 cxd5 •••

&6

Black, once he as castled, will be able to play ... dxc4 usefully. For example, 8 Be2 Bg7 9 0-0 0-0 10 Rd1 dxc4 1 1 Qxc4

(1 1 Bxc4 Nxd4)

1 1...Nd5.

8 ... 9 0-0-0

exd5

After 9 Bb5 Black can unscramble his Queenside with 9...Bg7 10 0-0 0-0 and .. . Qd6/... Nd8-e6/. . . c7-c6. In Fuster-Bronstein, Budapest-Moscow match 1949, Black obtained the upper hand after 1 1 Bxc6? Nxc6 12 Qb5 Nxd4 13 Bxd4 Bxd4 14 Rad l c6!.

9 ...

Qd7

24

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE Black carefully prepares the option of Queenside castling, but 9...Bg7

can also be played.

Bg7

10 Bb5 ll Bg5!

This is the best way for White to exploit his decision at move five. Now 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 Rhe 1 is threatened, and 11...0-0-0 12 Bxe7 costs him a pawn (although it is not clear that it isn't a good sacrifice).

ll...

f6

Black adopts a conservative approach.

12 Bf4 Here 12... 0-0-0?! would follow Katishonok-Kavalerov, Leningrad 1990, which led to equal play after 13 Rhe1 Qf5 14 g3 Kb8.

12

...

0-0

This makes more sense as it allows Black to punch the pining Bishop back with 13...a6 (and perhaps

... b7-b5).

Black has no problems on the

horizon. Since many players don't like fixed pawn structures like the one arising out of 5 exO, greater attention should be paid to:

(b) 5 gxfJ (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NfJ Bg4 4 Qa4 BxfJ) 5 gxfJ

25

CHAPTER TWO This makes a bit more sense since the

e2-e3

d4

pawn can

be protected

by

and, if White has any hopes of Queenside castling, control of the g­

file will be a natural asset.

5 ...

e6

Once again the solid policy stands out. Black will render g-file pressure insignificant by playing ... g7-g6 and ... Bg7.

6 Nc3

6 ...

Nge7

The fianchetto makes more sense than the pin here, although after 6...Bb4 7 e3 Nge7 8 Bd2 0-0 Black is doing OK, e.g. 9 Qc2 Ng6 10 f4 Nh4 1 1 0-0-0 Ne7 12 Kb 1 c6 (Kir. Georgiev-Morozevich, Tilburg 1993).

7 e3 Here 7 Bf4 might be answered by 7. ..dxc4 8 e3 (or

7 ...

8 Nb5)

8...Nd5.

Qd7

Black could also continue with the immediate 7...g6.

8 Bdl 9 Be2

g6

Here 9 0-0-0 is riskier than in section (a)

because

White will lack

squares for his Rooks, while Black can favorably open the position with ... dxc4 and . .. a7-a6/... b7-b5. Note that on 9 h4 (or later on

10 h4 , 11 h4 ,

etc.) Black will keep the Kingside closed with 9...h5.

9

•..

Bg7

White's choice of middlegame plan is coming up soon, but there does not appear to

be a way to

obtain an advantage. John Watson suggests 10 b4

0-0 1 1 b5 Nd8 and now 12 c5 is met by 12...e5!

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

26

While should try to contain that center break with 12 f4, but then

12 c.5 (13 bxc6 Ndxc6 14 c5 b6 or 13 dxc4 d4) gives Black excellent ...

chances.

27 CHAPTER THREE The Modern 3 NfJ M ain Line

1 d4 2 c:4 3 NfJ 4 c:xd5!

d5 N c:6 Bg4

This is now recognized as by far the most promising choice White

has - although it may still not bring him a significant advantage. BxfJ 4 ... -

Not much choice here: 4...Qxd5? 5 Nc3 favors White rather obviously. The capture onj3 poses the same choice that we saw in Chapter Two. This time, however, he has three alternatives. We'll examine (a) 5 exf3?! and (b) 5 gxf3 in this chapter. For 5

dxc6

see the next chapter.

(a) 5 exfJ?! This has even less to recommend it than in the comparable 4 Qa4 position from the last chapter. Black's Queen will have a commanding

d-pawn now. Qxd5

central post and constant pressure on the isolated

5 ... The

d4-pawn

is under immediate attack and the 6 Nc3 Qxd4 7 Be3

gambit is handled simply by 7. .Qb4 (or .

Qb4).

7 Qb3 Qb4

or

7 Qe2 0-0-0 8 Be3

Moreover, there is no convenient way of defending it except:

6 Be3

28

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE As usual in the Tchigorin's Defense, White is one move away from

obtaining a fine game with 7 Nc3. But White is usually one away from an advantage in most semi-open games.

6

...

e6!

I t makes little sense to dissolve White's only weakness with 6.. e5. .

7 Nc3 And here the pinning 7. Bb4 is also playable, but Black has better ..

prospects with the simple...

7 ...

Qd7

Black threatens to put the d-pawn to death with 8. 0-0-0 and/or ..

..

.

Nge7-j5. John Watson pointed out how barren White's chances are here: 8 d5

exd5 9 Nxd5 0-0-0 followed by ... Nf6, or 8 Qb3 Bb4 with excellent chances for Black.

CHAPTER THREE

29

(b) 5 gxf3 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NO Bg4 4 cxd5 Bxf3) 5 gxf3 With the Tchigorin's Defense revival of the 1980's this recapture has been the favored response of such players as Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov -- and a whole lot of lesser lights.

5 ...

Qxd5

Clearly the only good move.

6e3 And this i s clearly the best defense of the attacked d-pawn. After 6 Be3?! 0-0-0 7 Nc3 Qa5 (8 d5 N/6) the d-pawn is doomed.

Black's biggest choice of the opening is coming up here: does he play the open game or the semi-closed one?

e6!?

6 ...

Closed i t is. With 6.. e 5 7 Nc3 B b4 8 Bd2 Bxc3 9 bxc3 w e get a .

somewhat different battle in which Black eventually exchanges his e-pawn for the c-pawn. Lately, this line has suffered a number of serious defeats but that may be the fault of the players playing Black. For a good illustration of his options see Illustrative Game 2.

Qh5

7 NcJ

With no real pressure on the center here, there is little point to 7...Bb4, which is only a temporary expedient and leads to an eventual ...Bxc3. On

h5

the Queen watches

squares.

8 f4! ?

f3

and the other weakened Kingside

30

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE White may do better with a Bishop move. For example, 8 Be2

prepares 9 f4 and 10 Bfl. This is probably best, so that after 8...0-0-0 9 f4 Qh4 10 Bfl Black can reorganize his pieces with

IO... Nce7!? 11 Qa4 Kb8 and ... c6-c6 if

allowed. Then 12 Qa5 can be met by 12 ...Nc8 or just 12 ...a6 l 3 h3 Nf6 14 b4 Ned5 15 Nxd5 Nxd5 (Cech-Landenbergue, Prague 1989).

8 ...

Qxdlch

The White King will be quite safe behind his shell of pawns in the ending, and he has two half-open files for his Rooks. But Black can obtain sufficient counterp1ay by shifting a Knight to f5 (and perhaps h4) while preparing for ...g7-g5 with ...h7-h6.

9 Kxdl

9 ...

0-0-0

Now lO Ke2 has been tried a few times with the idea of avoiding d­ file pins and of putting the /1-Bishop on

g2.

Black gets plenty of

counterchances, however, with 10... Nf6 11 Bg2 Ne7! and ...Nf5. For example, 12 Bd2 Nf5 13 Rhc1 Kb8 14 Na4 h6 and

. ..g5

(Giigoric-Sahovic, Bled/Portoroz 1979). Similarly, 12 Ne4 Nxe4 13 Bxe4 h6 14 Bd2 g5 15 fxg5 hxg5 16 Rag1 f5 (Brunner-Short. Solingen 1986).

10 Bg2 Another method of development is lO Bd2 Nf6 11 Bb5, which pushes Black in the direction he wants to go: 11...Ne7 12 Ke2 Nf5 (Karpov-Miles, Nugojno 1986).

10 ...

Nce7!

31

CHAPTER THREE

This is another form of the regrouping plan mentioned above. It also frees the c-pawn to advance, which explains White's next move. He cannot allow l l ...c5.

1 1 Kel Not 11 Kc2 because White wants to use a Rook on the c-file.

The ..

.

g7-g5

1 1 ... 12 Bdl

Nf6

12 ...

h6

break is essential to Black, who suffers from a spatial

inferiority that would ultimately prove fatal if he doesn't get scope for his Rooks. Also here 12 ... Nf5 13 Rhc1 Kb8 14 Na4 and only then 14 ...h6 has been played. This proved to be a good plan in Panchenko-Khudyakov, Kiev 1987

(15 Nc5 Bxc5 16 dxc5 Rhg8 17 c6 b6 18 a4 a6 19 Rc4 g5

and Black

eventually won).

1 3 Nb5 This idea is designed to bring the Knight into play at

e5

via

a3-c4.

After 13 Rhc1 Kb8 we would transpose into the previous note if White continued 14 Na4 h6.

13 ... 14 Na3

Kb8 g5!

We are following Bareev-Kamsky, Tilburg 1991 which saw Black achieve full equality after 15 fxg5 hxg5 16 RagI Nf5. 3.

See Illustrative

Game

THE TCH I GORI N DEFENSE

32

I llustrative Games (2) Svirin-Matichenkov, Smolensk 1985 1 NfJ Nc6 One of many ways of reaching the Tchigorin's. Now on 2 e4 Black can continue 2 ... e5 and defend a Ruy

Lopez.

2 d4 3 c4 4 cxd5 5 gxfJ 6 e3 7 Nc3 Absolutely wrong is the surrender of

d5 Bg4 BxfJ Qxd5 e5 Bb4 d5 with

7 ...Qa5? 8 d5! and

White has the edge.

8 Bd2 9 bxc3

BxcJ Qd6

This move has replaced the immediate 9...exd4 as the main line of the 6 ... e5 variation. An example of the older line is 9 ... exd4 10 cxd4 Nge7 11 Bg2!? 0-0-0 (here EC02 says "unclear", but Black is really better

because of his quickly

developing Kingside attack) 12 0-0 Rd6 13 f4 Rg6 14

f3 Rd8 15 Rf2 Rdd6 16 Qb3 Qh5 17 Rei Rh6 and Black won in 23 moves, S. Williams-R Dicks, correspondence 1994. Now, after 9...Qd6, 10 Qb3 0-0-0 11 0-0-0 Nge7 12 Kb l Qf6 followed by doubling Rooks on the d-file will put some Black pressure on the White center

(13 Rgl Rd6 14 Kal Rhd8 15 Bel exd4 16 cxd4 Kb8

and

Black is aiming for ... c7-c5 as in Rian-Van Riemsdijk, Thessaloniki 1989).

10 Rb1

b6

CHAPTER THREE

33

Despite the success of Black in the last note, many players don't like castling into a half-open b-file controlled by the enemy. For this reason, 10 . .b6 may be preferable to 10 ...0-0-0. .

1 1 Rg1 Or the Kasparovian 11 f4!? exf4 12 e4 Nge7 13 Qf3 0-0 14 Bxf4 Qa3 with confused chances.

1 1 ... 12 Qa4 13 h4

g6 Ne7 Rd8! ?

The general rule that Black should keep the Kingside closed suggests 1J ...h5 was better.

0-0

14 h5

Nevertheless, Black has few King-security fears because of the inability of White to get his Queenside pieces to the other wing.

exd4 Ne5! move (17 dxe5?? Qxd2

15 Rg4!? 16 cxd4 The point of Black's 13th

mate). Now 17 Rf4

g5 18 Bb4 cS.

17 Rg3 18 f4! 19 Rh3 With obvious threats to capture on

Nf5 Nc6 Rfe8 d4

-- whether or not there is a pin

on the e-file. White's forces, split into the two wings, simply don't coordinate for proper defense.

20 Kd1 Qf6 21 Kcl Nce7 22 hxg6 hxg6 Black disdained a sacrifice on d4 in favor of preparing 23 ... c5. Nd5 23 Rb2 Nxf4! 24 Bg2 But this looks simpler. He will now double Rooks on the open d-file.

Nxd4 25 exf4 Re6 26 Bfl (See next diagram)

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

34

27 Rd3 28 Be3 29 Qxa7?

c5

Red6

A bad move in a difficult position. Now 29 ...c4 30 Rdd2 c3 or 30 Rbl Nb3ch! would win faster.

29 ... 30 Rxd4 31 Bel

c4 Rxd4

Or 31 Bxd4 Qxd4 32 Be2 Qc3ch 33 Rc2 Qal mate and 33 Kbl Qelch.

31 ... R4d6 32 Rxb6 Qc3ch White resigns (3) Bareev-Kamsky, Tilburg 1991 1 d4 d5 Nc6 2 c4 Bg4 3 NfJ 4 cxd5 BxfJ Qxd5 5 gxfJ 6 e3 (See next diagram)

CHAPTER THREE

6

35

e6

•••

It isn't seen much, but 6... Nf6 is an alternative to moves by the epawn. After 6...Nf6 7 Nc3 Qh5 we get a position much like the main line after 8 f4 Qxd1ch 9 Kxd1 and now 9...e6, transposing. This occurred in Khenkin-Frog, Moscow 1985, and led to a draw after 10 Bg2 h6 11 Ne4 Nxe4 12 Bxe4 f5!? 13 Bxc6ch bxc6 14 Rg1 g5!.

7 Nc3 8 f4 The old plan of 8...Qh4 and a later

Qh5 Qxd1ch . . g7-g5 has .

never been refuted,

but the text is more solid. There is still a lot of room for experimentation in this opening.

9 Kxdl 10 Bg2 1 1 Ke2 12 Bd2 13 Nb5

0-0-0 Nce7 Nf6 h6

This is the beginning of a maneuver to get the Knight to e5, where it

attacks the hard-to-defend j7 pawn. The older plan of

Na4-c5

looks better, but Black can also meet 13

Racl Kb8 14 Na4 with 14 . b6 here. .

.

Kb8 13 ... 14 Na3 g5! (See next diagram)

36

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

This is Black's best bet for counterplay. Since White cannot afford to allow 15 ... gxf4 he must open half of the h-file for his opponent.

15 fxg5 16 Rag1

hxg5

Thanks to his 14th move, Black is equal after 16 Nc4 Nf5 17 Ne5 Rh7!. Note that White's hl-Rook

has

become a prisoner to the defense of

h2.

16 ... 17 Nc4 18 BfJ

Nf5 Be7 Nd5

Now, of course, 19 e4? allows 19...Nxd4ch.

19 Ne5 20 Be4

Rh7

It is hard to come up with a good plan for White here. His only credible target is on g5 but he needs a minor piece to attack it.

20 ... 21 NO 22 Bc2

(6 Rh6 Nh4

Anticipating 23 e4 and trying to eliminate a defender of

23 a3 24 Ne1 !

h2.

Bd6

White ends up with the worst of it after 24 Nxh4 Rxh4 2 5 h3 Rdh8.

24 25 Bb3 26 Nd3! ..•

c6 Ng6

CHAPTER THREE

Now 26

...

Rxh2 27 Rxh2 Bxh2 gives White

37

an initiative from 28 Rhl

and 29 e4.

26 27 e4 ...

Rdh8 Ndf4ch

Cautious but exact play by Black, who avoids 27... Nc7 28 e5! fxe5 29 Bxg5 which can only bring trouble.

28 Bxf4 29 Nxf4

Nxf4ch Draw

. CHAPTER FOUR Following in Pillsbury's Path (5 dxc6)

1 d4 2 c4 3 NO 4 cxd5! 5 dxc6

d5 Nc6 Bg4 BxfJ

With this move, White says he is willing to give Black an excellent Bishop diagonal in return for a nice pawn center. Yet for many years the move 5 dxc6 was considered a blunder. In the 1950's, Vasily Panov -- he of the Panov

Attack -- wrote "After this move Black quickly has the

advantage."

Bxc6

5 ...

6 Nc3 White cannot be stopped from building his center by

7 Bg5 followed by Qd3 or f2-j3 and e2-e4). Black

(6... Nf6 can

be met

should therefore make

plans for attacking the center once it is fully established.

6

e6

•••

Black will be able to attack

d4 with

(... Bb4-a5!-b6) and e4 with his f-pawn, but that

minor pieces

heavy pieces along the d-file. He can also attack is quite risky.

7 e4 Without this move, White will find it difficult to move his Bishop off of

fl.

For example, 7 Bf4 Nf6 8 e3 Bb4 9 Qb3 Nd5 10 Bg3 0-0 and in

Teichmann-Tchigorin, Cambridge Springs 1904, Black won in crushing style after 11 Bd3 Qg5 12 Qc2 fS 13 Be5 Rf7 14 0-0-0 Bxc3 15 bxc3 b5 and ... Qe7-a3ch.

39

CHAPTER FOUR

Nevertheless, 7 e4 received a question mark, e.g. in a 1951 Soviet biography of Tchigorin. There 7 e3 was recommended with 7 ...a6 ("!") being the follow-up ("to prevent

8 Bb5"). However, 7...Nf6 looks fine (8 Bb5 Bxb5 9 Nxb5 c6 10 Nc3 e5! and if 11 dxe5, then 11... Qxd1ch and 12... Ng4). Bb4 7 ... Again, a pin a Ia Tchigorin. After 7...Nf6 8 f3 Black has only tricks to keep him from disadvantage

(8... Bb4 9 Be3 0 -0 10 Bc4 ReB 11 0 -0? Nd5!

worked in Pinchuk-Kishinev, USSR 1974, because 12 exd5 exd5 attacks two pieces favorably.

8 fJ Clearly not 8 Bd3?? Qxd4 or the clumsy 8 Qd3 Nf6.

8

••.

Qh4ch

Tchigorin's Defense gained a place in the opening books thanks to a defeat by the great man himself of Harry Pillsbury, at St. Petersburg 1895-6. That game saw 8...f5 9 e5? Ne7 and Black took control of the light-colored squares. Later, a major strengthening of White's play appeared in the form of 9 Bc4! fxe4 10 0-0, e.g. 10...exf3 11 Bxe6 with many threats. Probably too many. The text leads to a slight weakening of the White Kingside and, more important, the addition of a Rook at

d4.

9 g3

9

•••

Qf6

d8 to

pressure on

40

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE Now, for example, 10 Bc4 is met by 10...0-0-0 1 1 Be3 Bc5! with

powerful pressure on the center

(12 e5 Qg6 13 Bd3 Qh5 14 dxc5 Bxj3,

according to Watson).

10 Be3

0-0-0

Black can use the pin on the d-file to add .. attack on

d4 (11 Bg2? Bc5 12 Ne2 e5

.

e6-e5

and ... Bc5 to the

and Black has the edge). White

cannot slip his Queen easily out of the pin because the f-pawn is loose after, say, 1 1 Qc2??. Better, of course, is 1 1 Qe2 after which both l l...h5 and l l...Qg6 (preparing .. ,P-j5) look good. For example, l l ...Qg6 12 Bh3 Kb8 13 Qc4 Bxc3ch 14 bxc3 Ne7 15 Qc5 Rhe8 with a nice game for Black (Bayer­ Baumhas, Bundesliga 1989).

1 1 Bd3 This appears to be the best way of handling the pin on the d-pawn.

1 1 ...

Ba5!

And this is just as certainly the best way of increasing pressure on The Bishop goes to

b6 next

d4.

move.

12 0-0

12 ...

Bb6

Now, for example, 13 Ne2 allows 13 ...e5 strongly. White's best is 13 e5 Qe7 14 Be4, but Black breaks his bind on the center with 14... Bxe4 and 15...f6! regardless of how White retakes. Black then stands quite well, e.g. 15 fxe4 f6 16 exf6 Nxf6 17 e5 Nd5.

41 CHAPTER FIVE 3 N fJ Odds and Ends White has a few other possibilities at move four that, while neither a new main line or an old one, should still be examined in detail by anyone who wants to adopt Tchigorin's Defense. Generally, Black obtains sufficient counterplay to equalize if he takes the opportunity to pressure the enemy center or weaken his Kingside (... Bb4, ... dxc4, ... Bxj3).

d5 Nc6 Bg4

1 d4 2 c4 3 N fJ

Here we'll consider (a) 4 Nc3, (b) 4 Nbd2, and (c) 4 e3.

(a) 4 Nc3 Another oddity is 4 Bf4, which takes aim at c7. Black might consider the ambitious 4 ...Bxf3 and 5 ... e5 ! ?, e.g. 5 gxfJ e5 6 dxe5 d4 with a good version of the Albin Counter Gambit, or 6 cxd5 Qxd5 7 dxe5 Bb4ch 8 Nc3 Qc4. But the simple 4 . . .e6 has its appeals, and it worked out well for Black in van Wely-Morozevich, Tilburg 1 993, after 5 e3 Bb4ch 6 Nc3 Nge7 7 Rei 0-0 8 Bd3 Ng6 9 h3 Bh5 10 Bh2 Nh4!?. See Illustrative Game 4.

4

•..

BxfJ!?

Although not as good as after 4 Qa4, this capture retains its basic logic here. Also playable is 4 . . . e6, but then 5 Qa4 is annoying (not5 e3 Nf6 6 Qa4 because of 6 ... Nd7 with equality, e.g. 7 c5 a6 8 Be2 Be7 9 h3 Bjj! Belov-Pavlov, Bulgaria 1989). Note, by the way, that after 4 . . . e6 White probably has nothing better than 5 e3, transposing into note (c) below. -­

THE TCH I GORI N DEFENSE

41

5 exfJ For once, this recapture seems better than 5 gx:f3, which can be met once again by Bronstein's fianchetto plan (5 gxf3 e6 6 e3 Nge7 and 7... g6).

5 ... e6 6 cxd5 Putting pressure on d5- and b7- pawns, and the a4-e8 diagonal appears to be White's best chance for an edge. After 6 Be2 Nge7 7 0-0 g6 Black will continue with 8 . . .Bg7 and . . . dxc4, threatening the d-pawn.

6 ...

exd5

Now 7 Qb3 Nxd4 8 Qxb7 Rb8 and 9 . . . Nc2ch may be playable for Black, and in fact it may be winning, but 7. . . Bb4 is a lot safer and simpler (8 a3 Qe7ch 9 Be3 Bxc3ch 10 Qxc3 0-0-0 - and not 9 Be2 ? Nxd4! 10

Qa4ch b5l).

7 Bb5 Adding pressure with 7 Qa4 can be delayed a move, since 7 Qa4 allows Black to avert problems on the diagonal with 7 ... a6 (although 7... Nge7 is perfectly good, as in Chapter Two).

7 ...

Bb4

The cold-blooded 7 . . . a6 8 Bxc6ch bxc6 may be another way of equalizing, but it looks ugly. Yet after 9 0-0 Bd6 lO Qa4 Qd7 11 Reich Ne7 Black had good chances as in Illustrative Game 5.

8 Qa4 Mikhail Gurevich claims a small edge for White with 8 Bxc6ch bxc6 9 0-0.

8 ...

Qd7!

Now, however, Black avoids the worst of the Bxc6 problems because he can meet 9 Bxc6 with 9 . . . Bxc3ch 10 bxc3 Qxc6 1 1 Qxc6 bxc6 and, if anything, Black is a bit better. Note also that 9 Qxb4 Nxb4 10 Bxd7ch Kxd7 leads to a drawish, Bishop-of-opposite color ending.

9 0-0 (See next diagram)

43

CHAPTER FIVE

.

" �

a

� u.

-

Nge7 9 Black should be equal after this unless there are problems from . 10 Bg5 White can meet 10...0-0 with 1 1 Bxe7. f6 10 ... 1 1 Bd2 Bd6 Thus far we are following M. Gurevich-Miles, Groningen 1 992, which turned in White's advantage in the endgame after 12 Rfel 0-0 13 Bd3 a6 1 4 Ne2 Ne5? 1 5 Qxd7 Nxd7 16 Bf4!. He has better chances staying the sharp middlegame of 14 ... f5, preparing to push the pawn further. Gurevich notes that if White stops that with 15 f4, then 15 ...Ne5! is a good ending. ...

..

(b) 4 Nbd2 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NO Bg4) 4 Nbd2 (See next diagram)

44

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

Not much new has arisen in this line in the past 20 years: it's still too unambitious to offer White anything. 4 ... dxc4 Exposing d4 to attack is the most natural way for Black to continue, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with 4. .. e6 either. 5e3 It would seem that 5 Qa4, threatening 6 Ne5, in a better bid for advantage. But 5 ... Bxf3 6 Nxf3 Qd5 ! centralizes the Queen powerfully and threatens 7 ... b5. Then 7 e4!? Qxe4ch 8 Be3 e6 (Pieper-Emden-Andruet, Bundesliga 1987) leaves White searching for compensation. 5 ... e5 Once again, this move takes advantage of the pin on the j3-Knight. Now 6 dxe5 Nxe5 7 Qa4ch is handled by 7. . . Bd7 8 Qc2 Nd3ch and a later . . . Bc6. Black here returns the pawn for excellent piece play. 6 Bxc4 (See next diagram)

CHAPTER FI VE

45

exd4 6 .. . 7 exd4 Nf6 With the White Knight misplaced on d2, he has no claim on advantage. Black castles in two moves and should have good middlegarne prospects.

(c) 4 e3 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nf3 B &4) 4 e3 The only good thing about this move is that if Black responds aggressively with 4 e5, experience has shown that White obtains the upper hand with 5 Qb3. 4 e6 (See next dia&ram) ...

...

46

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

Now we have a Queen's Gambit Declined with three extra features: (1) White's cl-Bishop is locked in by his e-pawn, (2) Black's g4-Bishop is not, and (3) Black's c6-Knight is misplaced. On balance, this situation should not give White much to cheer about. 5 Nc3 Other moves lack bite: (a) 5 h3 Bf5 ! and Black gets the best diagonal on the board for a light-squared Bishop. See Illustrative Game 6. (b) 5 Qb3 Bxf3 6 gxf3 Bb4ch and now 7 Nc3 transposes into our main line below, while 7 Bd2 can be met by 7 ...a5, since 8 Bxb4 axb4 gives Black a terrific pawn structure, as does 8 a3 a4. 5 ... Bb4 The Tchigorin prescription. Against quiet play, Black gains sufficient play on light squares to equalize, e.g. 6 a3 Bxc3ch 7 bxc3 Nf6 8 Be2 0-0 9 0-0 Ne4 10 Qc2 Nd6! (Spiridonov-Mechkaraov, Bulgaria 1952). 6 Qb3 Nothing else challenges Black. For instance, 6 Bd2 Nge7 7 Bd3 Bf5 ! and Black is ready to trade both his Bishops and leave White with a bad Bishop versus good Knight middlegame. The immediate 6 Bd3 has another problem, and that is 6 ... e5 !, threatening 7 ... e4. BxfJ 6 ... Nge7 7 gxfJ 8 Bd2 There is no better way of developing this Bishop. 0-0 8 .. .

CHAPTER FIVE

47

9 f4 Other ideas have proven ineffective: (a) 9 Bd3 Rb8 10 cxd5 Nxd5 1 1 0-0-0 and now Black's ninth move is explained by 1 l ...Bxc3 12 Bxc3 b5! with good play. See Illustrative Game 7. (b) 9 a3 forces an exchange Black is happy about - 9 ... Bxc3 10 Bxc3 Rb8 1 1 Rg1 Ng6 12 0-0-0 Qd6 13 Rg3 dxc4 14 Qxc4 b5 and 15 ... b4 was more than enough in Burn-Tchigorin, Berlin 1897.

(c) 9 Rg1 telegraphs White's intention to castle Queenside. After 9 ...dxc4 10 Qxc4 Rb8 1 1 f4 b5 Black is OK, as shown by another Tchigorin game (12 Qe2 Ng6 13 Rg5 a6 14 Qg4 Be7 vs. Burn, Paris 1900). Rb8 9 ... Black's plan is to exchange on c4 and ram the b-pawn up the board. 10 0-0-0 dxc4! 1 1 Bxc4 b5 (See next diagram) --

48

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

Now 12 Bd3 Bxc3 13 Qxc3 (Pillsbwy-Tchigorin, St. Petersburg 1 985-96) 1 3 . . . Qd5 looks promising for Black. It's remarkable how a century later White's doesn't seem to be able to improve on certain lines.

Illustrative Games (4) van Wely-Morozevich, Tilburg 1993 d5 1 d4 2 Nf3 Nc6 Bg4 3 Bf4 4 c4 An odd order of moves, since White usually plays c2-c4 early on if he intends to do it at all.

4 ... e6 5 e3 Bb4ch 6 Nc3 If 6 Nbd2, Black would be tempted to develop his Knight on f6 and later occupy e4. Nge7 6 0-0 7 Rcl 8 Bd3 Ng6 •.•

Now 9 Bh2 allows Black to break in the center with 9 . . .e5.

9 h3!

Bh5

Not willing to get drawn into 9 . . . Nxf4 10 Bxh7ch Kxh7 I I hxg4ch. White's next move threatens to trap the Bishop with 1 1 g4.

10 Bh2

Nh4!

CHAPTER FI VE

1 1 g4 12 QxfJ 13 Bxg6

49

NxfJch Bg6 hxg6

On some Queenside openings, notably in the Slav Defense, Black can profitably retake with the f-pawn so as to (a) minimize White's attacking chances on the h-file and (b) create his own counterplay on the f-file. But here 13 . . . fxg6 would seriously undermine e6 and therefore d5.

14 cxd5 15 Kfl !

exd5

Castling Kingside was questionable, particularly if White wants to open the h-file for his Rooks. His King will be quite safe on g2. Note that he now threatens both 16 Nxd5 and h4-h5xg6.

15 16 h4 17 Rxc3 ...

Ne7 Bxc3 c6

This solves Black's problems in the center. If he doesn't get mated he'll be just fine.

18 h5 1 9 h6

g5

Since l 9. . . g6?? is impossible (20 Qf6) Black must consent to the opening of the h-file.

f6! 19 20 hxg7 Kxg7 (See next diagram) ..•

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

Black can now challenge the h-file with ... Rh8, exploiting the fact that White's Rooks are not connected.

21 Bg3 22 Kg2 23 R3cl

Qd7 Rh8 Rxhl

A curious decision. Black decides to use his remaining Rook in the center and give White the only fully open file.

24 Rxhl 25 Qe2?! 26 fJ 27 Ret

Qe6 ReS Ng6

White appears to have reorganized his pieces and pawns well, but Black's next move reveals that he can still claim the initiative.

27 ... 28 gxf5 29 e4! 30 Qe3

fS QxfS Qd7

White will emerge now with the "perfect center", pawns at d4 and e4. can advance -- without being blockaded -- they may turn the late middle game in favor of the Bishop over the Knight.

If they

30 .. . 31 Kgl 32 fxe4 33 d5

dxe4 Qf5 Qg4

CHAPTER FI VE

51

Now 3 3 . . . Nh4 o r 33 . . . Nf4 might have been interesting, but the game sped towards a time-trouble decision with:

33 ... 34 Qc3ch 35 exd5 36 Qe3

cxd5 Kh6 ReS! Rd8

White cannot protect both the pawn and Bishop (37 Rdl ?? Qxdlch;

37 Qd2? Qxg3ch).

37 d6!? 38 Qfl 39 Kfl 40 Re4 White resigns

Rxd6 Nf4 Rf6 Qdl ch

In view of 4 1 Rei Qd3ch 42 Kgl Nh3ch.

(5) Vukic-Gavric, Pale 1990 1 Nf3 Nc6 d5 2 d4 Bg4 3 c4 Bxf3 4 Nc3 5 exf3 e6 exd5 6 cxd5 a6!? 7 Bb5 Black, i n effect, declares that White's last move is dubious.

8 Bxc6ch

bxc6

52

THE TCH I GORI N DEFENSE 9 0-0 10 Qa4 1 1 Retch

Bd6 Qd7 Ne7

Who has the greater weaknesses? Black believes that d4 will be at least as weak as c6 and more easily attacked. --

12 b3 13 Ba3

0-0

A good plan: whatever attacking chances Black had with the Bishop -- and whatever bad-Bishop liability White had - is about to be erased.

13 ... 14 Bxd6 15 Racl

aS Qxd6! Rfb8

Suddenly Black, who has trapped the enemy Queen on a4, appears to stand quite well on the Queenside. He now begins an original attack on the other wing.

16 a3 1 7 g3 18 h4?

hS Qf6

The f-pawn can't be taken (18. . . Qxj3 19 Rxel) but 18 Kg2 was still the right move here.

18 . 19 Kg2 20 f4 21 ReS 22 Ndl ..

g6 Kg7 NfS Qd6 Ra6!

53

CHAPTER FIVE

With targets at b3 and d4, White's defenses are being pushed to the limit.

Rab6 23 Nb2 Rb5 24 Rc3 Ne7! 25 Nd3 The threat of . . . Nc8-b6 now forces White's hand. 26 b4 u:b4 27 Nxb4 R8b6 NfS 28 Re2 Rb1 29 Nd3 30 Re8? A passive defense would not have fared much better (30 Rcl Nxh4ch 31 gxh4 Qg4ch). Qd7 30 ... 31 Qa8

31 ...

Nxh4ch!

Now 32 gxh4 Qg4ch 33 Kh2 Qxh4ch 34 Kg2 Qh l ch and mate next.

Rh1ch! 32 Kh2 33 White Resigns It's mate after 33 Kxhl Qh3ch. Cute.

(6) Hugue-Rogers, Loyds Bank (London) 1988 dS 1 d4 Nc6 2 c4

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE 3 NO Bg4 4 e3 e6 Bf5 5 h3 6 a3 This is played to stop .. Nb4-c2. Nf6 6 ... a6 7 Nc3 And this is a handy move which enables Black to play . . . Bd6 without .

Nb5 harassment. It's odd how often these "beginner's moves" appear in master games. White now decides to punish Black for failing to play another one, . . h 7-h6. .

8 Nh4 9 Nxg6

Bg6 hxg6

A good alternative plan in such positions is h3-h4 and g2-g3 followed by Bd3 and the promotion ofh4-h5 at the right moment.

10 Bel 1 1 Bxc4 12 b4

dxc4 Bd6 b5!?

The normal procedure is such positions is 12. . .e5 and if 13 d5, then 1 3 ... Ne7.

Ne7 13 Bb3 14 e4 e5 15 f4 This is tactically attractive (15... exf4 16 e5) but fails for a simple reason that White seems oblivious to.

15 ...

exd4

55

CHAPTER FI VE 16 Qxd4 17 Qfl?

Nc6

The Queen should have gone to e3 or d3.

Nxb4! Bxb4 With threats of 19.. Bxc3ch and 19 ...Nxe4 facing him, White is 17 ... 18 axb4

.

forced.

19 Bd2 20 QfJ

Qd3!

Black would have castled against 20 Rei as well.

20 ...

0-0-0

Now 2 1 Qxd3 Rxd3 22 Rei Rhd8 would have been ominous. But it would have been better than. . .

21 0-0-0??

BaJ mate

(7) Pillsbury-Tchigorin, London 1899 d5 1 d4 Nc6 2 c4 Bg4 3 NfJ e6 4 Nc3 Bb4 5 e3 (See next diagram)

56

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

6 Qb3

BxfJ

White was threatening 7 Ne5 Nxe5 8 Qxb4, winning a pawn.

7 gxfJ 8 Bd2 9 Bd3

Nge7 0-0

Two years earlier, at Berlin, Tchigorin had won in 27 moves against Amos Burn after 9 a3 Bxc3 10 Bxc3 Rb8 1 1 Rhg1 Ng6 12 0-0-0 Qd6 1 3 Rg3 dxc4! and . . b7-b5-b4. Afterwards 9 0-0-0 was recommended as strongest -- but evidently the American champion did not agree. .

9 ... 10 cxdS .

Rb8!

White anticipates the by-now-familiar Tchigorin freeing plan of . . dxc4 and . . b7-b5. .

10 ... 1 1 0-0-0 12 BxcJ

Nxd5 Bxc3 bS!

Black must strike quickly on the Queenside or be overwhelmed. After 1 3 e4 Nf4 14 d5 he is in trouble. But Black can insert: 1 3 ...b4 ! and if 1 4 Bd2, then 1 4 . . . Nxd4 15 Qc4 Nb6 16 Qxb4 c5 ! with advantage.

Rb6 13 Bd2 14 Rdg1 aS 15 (4 (See next diagram)

57

CHAPTER FIVE

White feels he must stop 1 5 . . . e5 and he is probably right.

15 ... 16 Rg3 17 Qd1

fS a4 Ncb4

Now 1 8 Bel Rc6ch is unacceptable.

18 Bxb4 19 Rhg1 20 Bb1 21 bxa3 22 Qb3

Nxb4 Rf7 a3! Nd5 b4

Now Black meets 23 a4 with 23 . . . c5 24 dxc5 Rc6 with a strong attack.

23 axb4 24 Qd3 25 dxc5 26 Bel 27 fJ

Rxb4 c5

Qa5 Qxa2

This last move clears the second rank for White's Rook, which can play a defensive role.

27 28 R1g2 29 c6! •••

Rc4 Rd7

The best try in a lost position.

29 ... 30 Qd4 31 Kd2

Rxc6 Qa3ch

58

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

31 ... 32 Kxcl 33 Kbl 34 Rxg7ch 35 Rg8ch White resigns

Rxclch! Nxe3ch Rxd4 Kf8 Ke7

CHAPTER SIX White Takes the 3 Nc3 Risk dS Nc6

1 d4 2 c4 3 Nc3

We are gradually moving into more aggressive responses by White : as 3 NO is more challenging than 3 e3, so does 3 Nc3 have more bite than 3 NO.

By

bringing out his own Queen Knight, White is exploiting Black's

inability to defend the attacked d-pawn with ... c7-c6.

3 ...

dxc4

Of course, if Black defends d5 with 3...e6? he will have no compensation for blocking in his forces with

. Nc6. ..

There is, on the other

hand, something to be said about 3... Nf6. The text, which unveils an attack on

d4, is more in keeping with the spirit of the 4 e3

Tchigorin.

This quiet protection of the d-pawn

has

more point than in

comparable 3 NO positions. White will continue with 5 Bxc4 while Black tries to decide what to do with his c8-Bishop (4... Nf6 5 Bxc4

4

Bg4 6 Qb3).

eS

•••

Thematic. Now 5 dxe5? Qxd lch and 6... Nxe5 gives Black an excellent endgame.

5 dS If White has to protect his center with 5 NO exd4 6 exd4 he can't claim an edge. Play might then continue 6...Bg4 7 Bxc4 Nf6 8 0-0 (8 Qb3 Qe7ch and 9.. . 0-0-0) 8...Be7 and 9.. 0-0. Nce7 5 ... .

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

60

There is a tradition in the Tchigorin's Defense, dating back to St. Petersburg in the 1880's, of Black shifting the Knight to a5 when it is attacked by a White d-pawn. In some of the analyses the Knight winds up getting trapped on the rim, but gaining a few pawns as compensation. Whether it is enough compensation is a subject of debate for decades (e.g. 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 d5 Na5 5 Qa4ch c6 6 b4 b5 7 Qxa5 Qxa5 8 bxa5 b4). We recommend you try to avoid . . . Na5 in favor of more fluid maneuvers, such as . . . Ne7-g6.

6 Bxc4

Nf6

Black's Knights have a role to play on the K.ingside, particularly on

f4, via g6.

7 Nf3 What is best here? After 7 Bb5ch, White tries to exchange off his bad Bishop (7. . . Bd7 8 Qb3! Rb8 9 e4). Yusupov-Henly, Lone Pine 1 98 1 (with 6... Ng6 in place of 6... Nf6) went 9 . . . a6 10 Bxd7ch Qxd7 1 1 Nf3 Bc5 1 2 0-0 Nf6 13 Qc4 Bd6 14 Ne2 Nh5 ! with slightly better chances for White.

7 ... 8 Qc2

Ng6

Now on 8 Bb5ch Bd7 9 Qb3 Black can offer the b-pawn with 9 . . . Bd6, e.g. 10 Bxd7ch Qxd7 1 1 Qxb7 0-0 12 0-0 e4 and . . . Qg4 with attacking chances, or 10 e4 0-0 1 1 Bxd7 Qxd7 12 0-0 b6 (Loftsson-Gibbons, 1 978).

8 ...

Bd6

The Bishop is a better piece than it appears on this square. After a well-timed ... e5-e4 the Bishop obtains one of the best diagonals on the board.

9 Bd2

CHAPTER SIX

61

Preparing to castle Queenside, where the King might be safest. After 9 0-0 0-0 10 b3 Re8 Black prepares a Kingside attack with . e5-e4 and . .

. . Ng4!.. Nh4. .

9 ... 10 0-0-0

0-0

White can make his King position more secure with Kbl!Rcl, while taking aim at c7.

10 ...

a6

A good multi-purpose move. It safeguards against Nb5xc7 (or Nxd6)

and also prepares the . . b7-b5-b4 thrust that worked so well in Tchigorin's games. For a good example of Black's resources, see Illustrative Game 8. .

Illustrative Game (8) Sitarek-Gibbons, 14th World Correspondence Championship, 1985-90 dS 1 d4 Nc6 2 c4 3 Nc3 d.xc4 4 e3 e5 Nce7 S dS Nf6 6 Bxc4 Ng6 7 NfJ Bd6 8 Qc2

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

62

9 Bd2 Essentially, White wants to avoid e3-e4 - even though the advance would benefit this Bishop significantly because it surrenders f4 to a Black Knight and gives up White's chances of occupying the white squares (like e4,j5) with minor pieces. --

9 ... 10 0-0-0 1 1 h4

0-0 a6

With the center semi-closed, White meets a perceived wing attack (... b7-b5-b4) with an advance on the other wing. Black, however, can stop this easily.

1 1 ... 12 Rdg1 ! 13 Bb3 14 Ng5

Bg4! b5 Ne7

A typical maneuver (bringing a Knight to e4) that Queen's Gambit Declined positions.

14 ... 15 Nge4 16 Nxe4

occurs

in many

h6 Nxe4 e5!

An excellent stroke: White doesn't want to open the c-file, but he can hardly allow 17 c4. ...

17 dxe6 18 Qd3 19 Bel

ReS Rxe6eh

CHAPTER SIX

63

Who is trapping whom? White thinks he is taking advantage of Black's cheap threats to line up a Queen and Bishop battery against h7.

19 ... 20 g4?

BfS

Now 20 . . . Bg6 2 1 h5 or 20. . . Bh7?? 2 1 Nf6ch are avoidable. But White had missed:

20 21 Kb1 •..

Bb4 ! !

The point is that 2 1 . . .Qxd3 was threatened by Black's last move, and

that 2 1 Qxd8 could be met by 2 l . . .Bxe4 ! . Then White has a Queen for a Bishop -- but faced with 2 2. . . Rxc2ch and 22 . . . Rxd8. His best chance would be 22 Qxf8ch KxflJ but then 23 Bxb4 Rxc2ch 24 Kdl Rxb2 looks awful for him.

21 22 Bxd3 23 Bxe4 24 Bxc6 •..

Qxd3 Bxe4 Bxd2 Nxc6

The position has clarified dramatically and the resulting endgame must favor Black because of the minor pieces.

25 g5?! 26 h5 27 Rxg5 28 Rgg1

Kh7 hxg5 f6

White's only chance lies in trading off a pair of Rooks and then penetrating to the vulnerable Queenside. His Kingside adventurism is a flop.

64

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE 28 ... 29 Rd1 30 a3 The Knight

can

Rd8 e4! Ne5

be anchored at j3, effectively killing White's Rook

play.

31 b3 32 Rh3 33 Kc2 34 Kb1 As Black pointed out in Chess Life,

NfJ Kh6 Nelch Rd3 on 35 Ka2, Black responds

35 . . . Bc3 and wins.

35 Rg3 36 Rg6ch

37 Rxg7

aS! Kxh5 b4

It is this b-pawn that ultimately decides the game. Again, 38 axb4 axb4 39 Ka2 loses to 39 . . . Bc3 40 Rxd3 exd3 and 4 l . . .d2.

38 axb4 39 Rg1 40 Ka2 41 Kb1

axb4 Rxb3ch Ra3ch Bc3

The real threat is. . .

42 Rgxe1 b3! White resigns Mate on al. A very nice game by one of the great exponents of the Tchigorin's Defense.

CHAPTER SEVEN The Modern 3 Nc3 then 4 NfJ Approach

1 d4 2 c4 3 Nc3 4 NfJ

d5 Nc6 dxc4

For years this was considered a somewhat cowardly evasion of the "main line", 4 d5, and an admission that White's plan of pressuring d5 was not well thought out. Today the situation is somewhat altered: 4 Nf3 has become perhaps even more popular than the advance. One advantage of it is that on 4 d5, Black's most exact move may be 4 . . .Ne5, but after 4 Nf3 White takes the e5square away and threatens to push the Knight to the side of the board with 5 d5.

4

•••

Nf6

Here White has one of the broadest choices he faces in all of the Tchigorin's Defense. His alternatives include developing moves and pawn advances : (a) 5 eJ, (b) 5 Qa4, (c) 5 Bf4, (d) 5 Bg5, (e) 5 e4 and (f) 5 d5.

(a) 5 e3 5 e3 This strongly resembles the last chapter if Black continues 5 . . . e5 6 d5 Ne7. A good alternative -- and more "Tchigorin-ish" - is the pinning strategy:

5 ...

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

66

6 Bxc4

e6

Now 7 0-0 is a book line in the Queen's Gambit Accepted (usually reached by way of 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nj3 Nf6 4 e3 Bg4, etc.).

7 BbS

7 ...

Bb4!

To gain access to d5 (8 a3, Bxc3ch 9 bxc3 0-0 10 0-0 Qd5 and perhaps . . . Qh5).

8 Qa4 If White inflicts some pawn damage first (8 Bxc6ch bxc6 9 Qa4) Black does the same (9. Bxj3 10 gxj3 Qd6). ..

8 ... 9 gxfJ

BxfJ

Or 9 Qxb4 Bxg2 10 Rg1 Be4 and Watson evaluates the position as good for Black after 1 1 Rxg7 Bg6 12 e4 Nd7 (threatening to trap the Rook with . . Qf6) 1 3 Bxc6 bxc6. .

9 ...

Qd6

The Queen stands well here, where it eyes both wings.

l0 Bd2

0-0

Black will capture on c3 when provoked and use d5 as a jumping-off spot. He should stand well (11 a3 Bxc3 12 bxc3 Qd5 13 Be2 Qg5 or 12 Bxc3 Nd5, Yakhin-Boleslavsky, USSR 1964).

(b) S Qa4 (After l d4 dS 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 NfJ Nf6) S Qa4

67

CHAPTER SEVEN

This reaches another Queen's Gambit Accepted position, one usually found via 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 NO Nf6 4 Qa4ch Nc6 5 Nc3 .

5 ...

Nd5!

This maneuver, threatening to keep the pawn with 6 . . . Nb6 gained widespread attention when it became the most memorable TN to emerge from the 1 963 Botvinnik-Petrosian World Championship match. . ,

I n a game played late i n that match, Black equalized easily after 6 e4 Nb6 7 Qdl Bg4 8 d5 (or 8 Be3 Bxj3 9 gxj3 e6 and .. Qh4) 8 . . .Ne5 9 Bf4 Ng6 10 Be3 e6 and a draw resulted. No better is 10 Bg3 e5 ! 1 1 dxe6 Bxe6 12 Qxd8ch Rxd8 13 Bxc7 Rd7. .

6 Qxc4 Black simply keeps the pawn after 6 Ne5 Nb6 7 Nxc6 Qd7 !, e.g. 8 Ne5 Nxa4 9 Nxd7 Bxd7 10 Nxa4 Bxa4 1 1 e3 Nc6 and 12 . . .b5 as in Odendahl-Diugy, World Open 1 985. Also insufficient is 6 Bg5 because of 6 . . . Nxc3 7 bxc3 Qd5 and Black is ready to consolidate his Queenside with . . . b7-b5. In Klaman-Taimanov, Leningrad Championship 1963, White tried to upset Black's intention with 8 e4, but after 8 . . . Qxe4ch 9 Be3 Bd7 10 Qxc4 Black played 10 . . . e6 and completed his development with a safe extra pawn.

6 ... 7 Qd3

Nb6 e5

After this move Black should equalize easily: 8 dxe5 Qxd3 9 exd3 Bf5 followed by Queenside castling should win back a pawn with good chances.

8 Nxe5

'1' 1 1 11: TCII IGORIN DEFENSE

AI

Black can take on d4, but there is a neater way of accomplishing the goal of material equality.

8 ...

Nb4!

Now 9 Qd1 Qxd4 10 Nfl is a doubtful complication (JO . Qd6 11 e4 see Illustrative Game 9). .

Bg4

--

.

9 Qd1 10 Qxd4

Qxd4! Nc2ch And Black reaches an even endgame (11 Kd1 Nxd4 12 e3 Ne6

--

and

Davies-Stempin, Polanica Zdroj 1989 was drawn here).

(c) S Bf4 (After 1 d4 dS 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 Nf3 Nf6) S Bf4 This seems like a natural developing move but it runs into the same maneuver that equalizes against 5 Qa4.

NdS! S ... ( See next diagram)

CHAPTER SEVEN

69

Now 6 Nxd5 Qxd5 7 a3 Bf5 8 e3 e6 and 7 Bxc7 e5! (with 8. .. Bb4ch coming up) both favor Black according to Watson.

6 Bg3

Bg4

Black can try 6 ...Bf5 to stop 7 e4 (because of 7... Nxc3) but 7e3 appears to give White the better chances.

7 e3 ..

On 7 e4 B xf3 8 gxf3 Nxc3 9 bxc3 Bd6 1 0 Bxc4 0-0 followed by . Na5 and . c7-c5 should be OK for Black. ..

7 e6 A more stubborn defense is 7. . . Nb6, keeping the c4 pawn and .••

restricting White's development.

8 Bxc4

Bd6

And Black continues his smooth development with castling Kingside and perhaps . . Nxc3/..e6-e5. Note that 9 Nxd5 exd5 10 Bxd5 fails to IO. . . Bb4ch. .

(d) 5 Bg5 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 NfJ Nf6) 5 Bg5 This makes considerably more sense than 5 Bf4 since it puts the Bishop on a pinning diagonal after the inevitable . . . e7-e5 or ... e7-e6. Bg4 5 ... 6 d5 (See next diagram)

70

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

On 6 Ne5 Black should equalize with 6 . Nxe5 7 dxe5 Nd7. And 6 e3 BxO 7 QxO e5 or 7 gxf3 e6 8 Bxc4 Be7 is also quite nice for Black. .

.

BxfJ

6 ...

Black inserts this because he may want to use e5 for the Knight, e.g. 7 gxf3 Ne5 8 Qd4 Nfd7 9 Bh3 c5 10 Qe3 (Vinot-Bonneville, correspondence 1983).

7 exfJ

Ne5

Also playable is 7. . . Na5 8 Bxc4 Nxc4 9 Qa4ch c6 or 8 Qa4ch c6 9 b4 b5 with another version of the piece sacrifice (10 Qxa5 Qxa5 11 bxa5 b4).

Ned7

8 f4

On 8 . . .Nd3ch 9 Bxd3 cxd3 10 Qxd3 c6 Black may well be all right, but I 0 Qb3 poses problems.

g6

9 Bxc4

And Black completes the fianchetto and castles, followed by preparing to break in the center with . . Nb6 and ... Qd7 (and perhaps . RadB or ... c7-c6). .

(e) 5 e4 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 NfJ Nf6) (See next diagram)

..

CHAPTER SEVEN

71

Another Queen's Gambit Accepted position arises (normally seen by way of 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nj3 Nf6 4 Nc3 Nc6).

5 e4

Bg4

As usual, Black must put pressure on d4 to justify his second move.

6 Be3 Regaining the pawn with 6 d5 Ne5 7 Bxc4 Nxc4 8 Qa4ch allows Black rough equality, according to Euwe, by way of 8 ... c6! 9 Qxc4 Rc8. The main point is that 9 dxc6 loses to 9 . . . Nb6! 10 c7ch Qd7.

6

...

e6

A more conservative approach than 6...Bxf3 7 gxf3 e5, which gives White too much play from 8 d5 and 9 Qa4ch.

7 Bxc4 8 Qcl

Bb4 Qe7

A relatively new try for Black is 8. . .0-0 9 Rdl Bxf3 10 gxf3 and now 10 . . . Nh5 with the Queen headed for h4 and the c6-Knight headed for g6. Now on 1 1 e5 Black can reposition his other Knight on f5 with 1 1 . . .Ne7 12 0-0 Nf5 13 Kh1 Qh4. In van der Sterren-Lobron, Munich 1994, Black blundered with 14 Rg1 Rad8? 1 5 Ne4! Be7 (else 16 Bg5l) 16 Rg4 Qh3 17 Nd2 and 1 8 Bfl . But 15 . . . Qh3 seems to improve Black's chances considerably.

(See next diagram)

72

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

9 Bb5! Other moves seem to allow Black an easy life: (1) 9 0-0-0? Bxc3 10 bxc3 Qa3ch 1 1 Kb1 Nxe4 12 Qxe4? Bf5 or 1 1 Kd2 e5 1 2 d5 Na5 and in Bouwrneester-Boey, correspondence 1 977, Black won soon after 1 3 Be2? 0-0 14 Nxe5 Nxe4ch! . (2) 9 Rd1 0-0 1 0 0-0 and now 1 0. . .e5 1 1 d5 B xf3 1 2 gxf3 Nd4! i s a sound sacrifice for control of the dark squares such as f4 (13 Bxd4 exd4 14 Rxd4 Bd6 and ... Nh5).

9

..•

0-0?

Best is 9 . . . Bxf3 lO gxf3 0-0 with good chances.

10 Bxc6 1 1 Ne5 12 f3

bxc6 c5 Bh5

And in Finegold-Denefle, Paris 1989, White obtained the edge with 1 3 Nc6. As noted, Black's improvement lies at move nine.

(f) 5 d5 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 NO Nf6) Na5 5 d5 ( See next diagram)

73

CHAPTER SEVEN

6 Bg5 The latest try. Black does not appear to be in any danger after the piece sacrifice (6 Qa4ch c6 7 b4 b5 8 Qxa5 Qxa5 9 bxa5 b4 and JO. cxd5). More interesting alternatives are: ( I ) 6 e4 e6 7 Qa4ch is an attempt to improve on the last line, but allows 7 . . c6 8 b4 cxb3 ! and if 9 axb3, then 9 . . . Qb6 10 Qxa5? Qxa5 1 1 Rxa5 Bb4, forking Rook and Knight. (2) 6 b4 is another version: 6...cxb3 7 axb3 e6 8 Qd4 c6 9 dxc6 Qxd4 10 Nxd4 Bb4 ! and Black is clearly better (Blees-Boersma, Amsterdam 1 986). ..

.

6 ... 7 Bxf6?!

h6

This makes life easy for Black. After 7 Bh4 Black will have to liberate his pieces in another manner. Perhaps 7 . .e6 8 e4 Be7 is then best. .

7 8 e3 •.•

exf6

Also unavailing is 8 Qa4ch c6 9 0-0-0 Bd7 and Black stands excellently.

8 9 Bel .••

Bd7 b5

Black has the better prospects, as shown in Illustrative Game 10.

Illustrative Games (9) Conquest-Diugy, New York Open 1984 dS 1 d4 dxc4 2 c4

74

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE 3 NfJ 4 Qa4ch 5 Nc3 6 Qxc4

Nf6 Nc6 Nd5

6 ...

Nb6

Aside from this, 6 Ndb4 is a try for more than the equality which 6 Nb6 assures. ...

...

7 Qd3 8 Nxe5

9 Qb1 ?! 10 NfJ 1 1 e4 12 a3

e5 Nb4

Qxd4! Qd6 Bg4! BxfJ

CHAPTER SEVEN

75

Now Black's superior pawns are one of several factors which add up to a win for him. He also has a Kingside to attack and the use of the d-file for his pieces. 13 gxfJ Nc6 14 NbS Qe7! 15 Be3 0-0-0 16 Bh3ch Kb8 1 7 0-0 Qh4 Black swings the heavy pieces (... Rd6-g6 or -h6) against the White King with great speed. a6 18 Kg2?! 19 Nc3 Rd6 Nc4! 20 Ne2 21 Bf4 White has to find some manner of protecting h2 and shielding his King -- and this Bishop seems to do the job. Rg6ch 21 ... Nd2 22 Bg3 23 Qa2 Nxfl Qf6 24 Rxfl With an extra exchange, Black needs only to trade off a Rook and two minor pieces to guarantee victory. Nd4! 25 f4? 26 Nxd4 Qxd4 27 Rel DeS

76

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE Bb6 Rf6 h5!

28 b4 29 Bf5 30 Bg4 This wins a piece because of . h5-h4. .

.

31 e5 Rfb6 32 Rd1 Qc3 White resigns

(10) Zuger-Rongguang, Lucerne 1989 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 Nf6 3 Nc3

This is an alternative move order that is best avoided because it can lead Black into other complications (e.g. 4 Bg5).

4 NfJ 5 d5 6 Bg5 7 Bxf6

dxc4 Na5 h6 exf6

This solves the problem if how Black was going to get his }8-Bishop onto the board.

8 e3 9 Be2 10 0-0

Bd7 b5 Bb4?

CHAPTER SEVEN

77

This allows White to get back into the game. With 10 . . . f5 Black guarantees an edge (1/ Nd4 a6).

1 1 Nd4 12 Bg4!

a6

The exchange of Bishops helps White considerably, since c6 and jJ and then possible invasion squares.

12 ... 13 Bxd7ch 14 Ne4

g6 Qxd7 Be7

Black later pointed out 14 . . .Qe7, which allows 1 5 Qf3 fS 16 Ng3 and 17 e4, giving White plenty of compensation.

15 QfJ And this is better than 15 Qd2, which allows 1 5 . . . Qxd5 16 Qxa5 Qxe4 1 7 Qxc7 0-0 with a good game.

15 ... 16 Ng3

fS

The cute 16 d6 fails tactically to 16 . . . fxe4 1 7 Qxe4 ReS ! 1 7 Qxe7 Qxe7 18 dxe7 c5 ! .

1 6 ... 17 e4 18 Nxe4 19 Rad1 20 Nc2?

Rd8 fxe4 0-0 b4

After this White begins to go downhill quickly. After the more exact 20 Rfe1 he still has a reasonable game.

20 ...

fS!

78

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE 21 Ng3 22 Nxb4 23 d6

Bf6 Bxb2 Q f7

24 RdS? White apparently didn't like 24 dxc7 Qxc7 25 Nd5 Qf7 so he tries to advance the pawn to d7 -- where it dies a quick death.

24 ... 25 d7 26 Nxa6

Nb7 Nd6 Rxd7

Black consolidates without difficulty from here on (27 Nxc7 Rxc7 28

Rxd6 c3 and the pawn races on). Re7 27 NcS Bg7 28 Na4 29 h4 f4 30 Ne2 NfS (See next diagram)

CHAPTER SEVEN

79

31 g3 Or 3 1 Rfdl Nxh4 32 Qg4 g5 and wins. fxg3 31 ... 32 fxg3 Rxel! White resigns The new handwriting on the wall reads "33 Qxe2 Qxd5 loses a piece while 3 3 Rxf5 allows 3 3 . . . Bd4ch 34 Kh l Qxf5."

80 CHAPTER EIGHT

White Accepts the 4 d5 Challenge Now we proceed with the variation that some would-be Tchigorin's Defenders are afraid of, the one in which they have to start retreating the Knight from c6 at move four.

d5 Nc6 dxc4

1 d4 2 c4 3 Nc3 4 d5

This is the oldest challenge to 3 .. dxc4 and the most aggressive. NeS 4 ... The more adventurous will prefer Tchigorin's 4 ...Na5 over this more modest idea of Vassily Smyslov's. Black is willing to have his Knight driven to g6 now, so that he can follow up with ... e7-e5 and .. . Bc5 or . . Bd6 with play on the dark squares. For example, 5 Nf3 plays right into Black's hands -- 5 . . . Nxf3ch and 6 . . e5 secures him a fine game. Here the path diverges into four: (a) 5 Bf4, (b) 5 f4, (c) 5 e4 and (d) 5 Qd4. .

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.

(a) 5 Bf4 The position takes on something of the character of the Nimzovich Defense (1 e4 Nc6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 d5 Ne5). Ng6 5 ...

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This tempo-gaining retreat secures Black the time he needs to get his house in order. 6 8g3

e5! 6 Now 7 dxe6 was played in Gligoric-Smyslov, Amsterdam I97 I -- the game that sparked a Tchigorin's Defense revival. White eventually got his pawn back after 7...Bxe6 8 NO Nf6 9 Nd4 Bd7 IO e3 Bb4 I I Bxc4. But Black, with smooth development ( 1 1...0-0 12 Qc2 g6 13 h3 Qe7 14 0-0 Bxc3! 15 bxc3 Ne4 16 Bh2 c5) soon had the advantage. 7 e4 This is more in keeping with the Queen's Gambit Accepted policy, but should not lead to anything significant for White. Bd6 7 This Bishop can take up a better diagonal on c5 once all the c-file dangers have passed. a6! 8 Bxc4 Black will now continue ... Nf6, ... 0-0 and -- when White develops a Knight on e2 orj3 - with ... Nh5-f4, or just . Ng6-f4. •••

••.

..

(b) 5 e4 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 d5 Ne5) 5 e4 This natural move was Frank Marshall's favorite answer to Tchigorin's 4 ... Ne5. Marshall wanted to bring his Bishop to f4 as quickly as possible, since then c7 is vulnerable to Nb5.

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

82

5

...

e6

6 Bf4 Other moves (e.g. 6 f4, 6 Qd4) allow Black to return the extra pawn by . . Nd3ch. For example, 6 Qd4 Nd3ch 7 Bxd3 exd3 is nothing special for White (8 Nj3 exd5 followed by 9 .. Nf6 and 10... 0-0). Ng6 6 Since 6 Bf4 is a more useful move than 6 f4 or 6 Qd4, there is no reason to rush into . Nd3ch. Nf6 7 Bg3 And this is better than trying to get into Gligoric-Smyslov a tempo down with 7 . e5. exd5 8 Bxc4 9 Bxd5! .

.

••.

..

. .

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White is willing to allow 9 ...Nxd5 10 Nxd5 in order to get such a well-centralized Knight. 9 ... Bd6 Black would like to play . . . Bb4 but 9 . . . Bb4?? loses a piece to 10 Qa4ch and the intermediary 9 ...c6'n allows 10 Bxf7ch. 0-0 10 Nge2 1 1 0-0 Bxg3 We are following Toth-Gobet, Reggio Emilia 1 983, which turned in White's favor after 12 Nxg3 Ng4? 1 3 h3 N5e4 14 f4 c6 15 Bb3 Nd3 16 f5 Nge5 17 f6. Better is 12 ...Nxd5 and if 13 Nxd5 c6 followed by 14 . . .Be6 with excellent prospects. After the superior 13 exd5 Black has more problems, but they seem to be solved by 1 3 . . . f5 !? followed by . . . a7-a6, ... Qd6 and ... Bdl.

(c) 5 f4 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 d5 Ne5) 5 f4 So many lines in the Tchigorin's Defense resemble those of entirely different openings. Here we have a kind of Alekhine's Defense Four Pawns Attack.

5 ... Ng4!? This strange move is an attempt to gain time (with the threat of 6 . . . e5 and 7 . . . Bc5) so that Black can gain a foothold in the center before his pieces are pushed back.

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THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

By comparison, 5 . . .Ng6 runs into problems with 6 e4, after which 6 . . . e6 (or 6... e5) 7 dxe6 Qxdl ch 8 Kxdl ! and Black must retake on e6 with a pawn since 8 ...Bxe6 allows the 9 f5 fork. 6 e4 Clearly the most natural move, preparing 7 Bxc4 or 7 h3. eS 6 Black has 7 ... Bc5 on hand, so the best reply for White appears to be: 7 f5 By attacking the Knight White appears to gain the initiative. After 7 Nf3 Black can offer a pawn by playing 7 . .. Bc5, and then 8 Nxe5 Nf2 9 Qa4ch Bd7 10 Qxc4 Bb6 with fine play. 7 h5! This suggestion of Smyslov now appears to be best. Do 8 Bel Here the former world champion's analysis ends, but Black has his choice after 9 Bxg4 of offering a gambit (9... hxg4 10 Qxg4) or simply retaking safely on g4 after 9 . .Qh4ch. In the face of 9.. .Nt2 White has nothing better than this. •.•

•••

.

(d) 5 Qd4 (After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 NcJ dxc4 4 d5 NeS) 5 Qd4 Finally we turn to this centralizing tempo-gainer. It is so imposing that thus far the outlandish-looking 5 ...f6 has been considered almost a main line (!). Na6 5 ... However, Black can obtain a good game with relatively normal moves. (See next diagram)

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6 e4 With 6 . . . e5 coming up, White might prefer 6 Qxc4 so that he can respond 6 . . . e5 7 dxe6 Bxe6 8 Qb5ch, winning a pawn. This suggests 6 ... a6 is best and now instead of 7 h4 h5 8 Bg5 (Watson) Black should continue 7 ... e6, and if 8 h5 then 8 . . Ne7. eS 6 7 Qxc4 a6 Preparing to post the Bishop at d6. As usual, this Bishop resembles an oversized pawn on this square, but does a good job of anchoring the only Black pawns that may be attacked, the e5 and c7 pawns. .

•.•

Note that 7 . . . Bd6 immediately allows 8 Qb5ch Bd7 9 Qb3 and White, with a minor threat of l O Bb5, has improved his Queen position. 8 Nf3 Here 8 Qa4ch has no point because of 8 .. Bd7. 8 Bd6 9 h4 (See next diagram) .

...

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THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

This has been considered White's best choice for 20 years. After quiet play (9 Be2 Nfo 10 0-0 0-0 11 Be3 Nh5) Black has reasonable prospects. After 9 h4 White threatens to shoot the h-pawn up the board, creating holes in its wake. Perhaps best is 9 . . Bg4 and then 10 Qb3 BxO 1 1 gxf3 Rb8 or 10 h5 N6e7. .

87 CHAPTER NINE White Avoids c2-c4 So what happens if White does not advance his c-pawn? So much of Black's counterplay, as we've seen, comes from . . . dxc4 and the attack on d4. What options does the second player retain then? If White avoids -- or delays -- the advance of his c-pawn, the position takes on a more closed nature. Neither side exerts much direct pressure on the enemy center. This reduction in the center tension tends to benefit Black: he can continue with the same Tchigorin plan of . . Nc6 and . . . Bg4 without being troubled by pins along a4-a8 or attacks on d5. And his Knight isn't kicked off c6 by d4-d5. In short, he should have an easier time equalizing. .

1 d4

d5

Now against 2 e3, the Colle System, Black will play 2 . . . Nc6 and prepare to push his e-pawn two squares (3 Bd3 e5! and 3 Nj3 allows 3. . . Bg4). Or going for the Stonewall Attack with 2 e3 Nc6 3 f4, when Black plays 3 . . .Bf5 and has no problems. He will continue with . . . e6,. . . Bd6 and . . Nf6-e4. When the time is right for him to activate his Rooks he can play Nb4 (if it attacks c2 with the help of ...Bj5) or . Ncel and . . . c7-c5. .

...

.

.

2 NO

2

•..

Nc6

Now 3 c4 transposes back into Chapter One. There are, of course, other useful Black moves -- including 2 . . . Nf6 and 2 . . . Bf5. But with 2 . . . Nc6 Black stays within the Tchigorin framework.

88

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

(Remember, Tchigorin himself wanted to meet 2 Nj3 with 2... Bg4 but often developed problems after 3 Ne5l). We now turn to the two main alternative forms of development for White -- (a) the classical, with Bf4, Nbd2 and e2-e3 -- and (b) the fianchetto, with g2-g3 and Bg2.

(a) 3 Bf4 White wants this Bishop here to stop . . e7-e5. Note that 3 e3 Bg4 4 Bd3? e5 or 4 Ne2 e6 lead to positions that arise after 2 e3 and were mentioned earlier. Bg4 3 ... Now 4 c4 would transpose back into Chapter Five, note to White's fourth move. This unusual move order (rather than 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6 3 Nj3 Bg4 4 B/4) appeared, in fact, in van Wely-Morozevich, Tilburg 1993. 4 Nbdl By not putting pressure on d5 White is relinquishing one of his basic anti-Tchigorin plans. A more optimistic idea is 4 e3 e6 5 c4, which can give White a very small edge after 5 ...Bd6 6 Bg3 Nf6 7 Nc3 0-0 8 cxd5 Nxd5 9 Be2 and now 9 ... Nce7 10 0-0 Bxg3 and 1 l ...c5 (Anastasian-Malyutin, Azov 1991). 4 e6 5 c3 With the Knight at d2 rather than c3, White has virtually no pressure on d5 after 5 c4. Black might reply with the more adventurous 5 ... dxc4 6 e3 e5 and 7 Qa4 Qd7 8 Qxc4 Nf6 and 9 . . .Nd5. 5 ... Nf6 6 e3 Bd6 7 Bb5 This seems to be White's best strategy -- working against the Queenside pawns with Bxc6 and Qa4. Routine developing play such as 7 Bd3 0-0 8 0-0 leaves Black with an easy time after 8 ...Ne7 and . . c7-c5 (e.g. 9 Qc2 Bfi). (See next diagram) .

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0-0 7 8 Bxc6 Otherwise Black has a nice Ne7-f5-d6 maneuver later on and White has no clear way of activating his Rooks. 8 ... bxc6 BxfJ! 9 Qa4 Better than 9 ... c5 10 Ne5. 10 Nxf3 cS This was Larsen-Kristiansen. Danish Championship 1 991, which continued with balanced chances after 1 1 dxc5 Bxc5 12 0-0 Bd6 13 Rad1 Bxf4 14 exf4 c5. •••

...

(b) 3 g3 (After 1 d4 dS 2 NfJ Nc6) 3 g3 (See next diagram)

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

90

The fianchetto development is another conservative but quite playable system for White that doesn't trouble Black much. 3 ... Bg4 Again the Bishop is best placed here. Black may now toy with the idea of Queenside castling -- and a Kingside attack -- with ... Qd7, ... 0-0-0 and . Bh3. 4 Bg2 This position arises naturally out of other move orders. For example, 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 Nc6!? and now to stop 3 ...e5 White usually replies 3 d4 (and then 3... Bg4 4 Bg2). Qd7 4 ... S hJ Forcing the Bishop to choose between its original diagonal (and its hopes of ... Bh3xg2) or the dl -h5 line. s ... Bf5 Probably best. Now White cannot castle without hanging the h-pawn. 6 a3 (See next diagram) ..

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This keeps open the option of a Queenside pawn stonn in case Black castles Queenside. It also stops . Nb4xc2. h6 6 ... a6 7 b4 This occured r in Bator-Duckstein, European Club Championship 1 990. See Illustrative Game 1 1 . ..

Illustrative Games (11) Bator-Duckstein, European Club Championship 1 990 d5 1 d4 2 NO Nc6 Bg4 3 g3 4 Bg2 Qd7 (See next diagram)

92

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

5 h3 More energetic is 5 c4, and if 5 ... dxc4 then 6 d5 0-0-0 7 Nc3, but 7 . . . e6 8 e4 exd5 9 exd5 Bb4 may be dangerous for White. Bf5 5 ... 6 a3 Not to his liking is 6 c4 Nb4. h6 6 ... 7 b4 a6 Once again we see the "beginner's moves" with the Rook pawns being played by both players. White's plan -- of b4-b5 -- is the more active one so far, and Black has to search for a way to conduct the middlegame. e6 8 c4 9 Nc3 Nge7 10 0-0 g5

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This is his choice: he hints at opening lines with ... g5-g4 and adds pressure to d4 with Bg7. But White acts first. ub5 1 1 b5 Na5 12 cxb5 Qd8 13 Ne5 14 g4 Perhaps 12 e4 was a better choice. White is playing for an j2-/4-./5 pawn rush. Bh7 14 ... f6! 15 f4! Bg7 16 Bd3 Qd6 17 Nc5 18 e4! White appears to have a commanding game in the center, but now makes a serious oversight. 18 ... b6 fxe5 19 e5? Bxe5! 20 fxe5 White apparently missed 2 1 dxe5 Qxc5ch. Now, however, 2 1 Be3 Nc4 would have been annoying, so White goes in for a desperado... Bh2ch 21 Nxe6 Qxe6 22 Kh1 23 Nxd5?! ...

Instead of regammg material with 23 Kxh2, White plays a combination based on 23 ...Nxd5? 24 Rei .

94

THE TCHIGORIN DEFENSE

0-0-0! 23 ... 24 Rel Qxelch! Black now gets a Rook and piece for the Queen - and his minor pieces become very active. 25 Qxel Nxd5 Kb8 26 Qe6ch 27 Kxh2 Or 27 Bxd5 Rde8 28 Qf7 (28 Qxh6 ?? Be4ch) 28 ...Bd6 29 Bd2 Re2 with dangerous threats (30...Rxd2; 30... Bg8). Nb3 27 ... 28 Bxd5 White counts on 28 ...Nxal 29 Qc6 Rxd5 30 Qxd5 and he keeps a material edge. Bg8! 28 ... 29 Bxb3? Semi-desperation. White should have tried 29 Qe3 Bxd5 30 Rbl Rhe8 3 1 Qf2. Bxe6 29 ... Rxd4 30 Bxe6

The Bishops are surprisingly clumsy (31 Bb2 ? Rd2ch; 31 Be3 Re4). 31 Bf5 Re8 Rdl 32 Kg3 The threat is 32 . . . Reel . There is no defense in 33 Bc2 Rgl ch and 34 . . .Reel, or 33 Bb2 Rd2 (threatening mate on e3). Reel 33 Kfl Rflch 34 Bd2

CHAPTER NINE White resigns

95

7! s