ISSUE 3

MODERN CHESS
MAGAZINE

Alapin Variation of Sicilian Defense - Part 2

Endgame Series - Attack with an Isolated

Part 3 Pawn - Part 2

The Secrets The Importance

of the Sicilian of the Initiative
Dragon - Part 3 in the Endgame
Table of contents
3 Attack in Positions with an Isolated Pawn - Part 2 (GM Viktor Gavrikov)

4 Honfi – Dorfman (Pecs-A, 1976)

7 Advance of the „f“ pawn
7 Botvinnik – Vidmar (Nottingham 1936)
9 Advance of the „h“ pawn
10 Kotov – Khalilbeili (URS-ch, Yerevan 1955)

12 Alapin Variation of Sicilian Defense – Part 2 (GM Petar G. Arnaudov)

20 Dragon Variation in Sicilian Defence - Part 3 (GM Nikolay Ninov)
33 The Importance of the Initiative in the Endgame (GM Boris Chatalbashev)
33 Carlsen,Magnus (2877) - Naiditsch,Arkadij (2709)
35 Ulibin,Mikhail (2500) - Gurevich,Ilya (2410)
36 Spielmann,Rudolf - Rubinstein,Akiba
38 Dervishi,Erald (2290) - Skembris,Spyridon (2505)
40 Zvjaginsev,Vadim (2455) - Onischuk,Alexander (2495)

42 Endgame Series - Part 3 (GM Davorin Kuljasevic)

42 Electric pawns – Part 1 - 2
44 Kininger – Richter
45 Common square – Part 1 - 2
47 Common square – knight
47 Common square – bishop
48 Ki. Georgiev - Rusev
 Attack in Positions with an
Isolated Pawn - Part 2
GM Viktor Gavrikov
Dear Readers,
In the present issue of Modern Chess, we
continue to examine the positions with "isolani".
The first article of the course was designed to
deal with three of the most important attacking
possibilities in such positions - rook transfer to
the kingside, knight sacrifice on "f7" square and
pushing of the isolated pawn. In this article, I am
going to bring to your attention another three
fundamental attacking ideas for the side which
plays with an isolated queen's pawn - transition
into symmetrical pawn structure, advance of the
"f" pawn and advance of the "h" pawn.1)
Transition into symmetrical pawn structure. The
transition into symmetrical pawn structure is a
topic, the importance of which is often
underestimated in the chess literature. Such
transition can arise in positions where the piece
which blockades the isolated pawn is
exchanged. When we play a position with an
"isolani", the possibility of transition into
symmetrical pawn structure after an exchange
on "d5" ("d4") is always in the air and we should
consider it in every moment. That's why we are
obliged to examine a new pawn structure, even
though it doesn't seem to have anything to do
with the isolated pawn. Under what
circumstances should we give preference to the
symmetrical pawn structure? That is the
question I am most often confronted with when
explaining the present topic to my students.
Although the answer is rather complex, I will
offer some general directions. Those of you who
have read the first article of the course know
that when we play with an isolated pawn, our
long-term plan is to launch a kingside attack.
According to the basic chess principles, side
attacks are successful when the situation in the
center is stable. In the same line of thought, the
transition into symmetrical pawn structure
favours the side which is planning to attack the
opponent's king. On the other hand, in positions
with symmetrical pawn structure, our typical
space advantage doesn't exist anymore.
Moreover, there are is no pressure on the "e"
file. In order to use the advantages of the
symmetrical pawn structure, we should be
ahead in the development and our pieces must
be more active. Only then can we organize a
strong kingside attack which compensates for
the fact that the space advantage is lost. Also, it's
important to mention that the transposition to
symmetrical pawn structure is generally
favourable when the opponent's kingside is
weakened. The abovementioned ideas are
brilliantly illustrated by the game Honfi -
Dorfman played in 1976. Let's take a look at that
instructive game. The position we are interested
in arises after the moves:
3
Honfi,Karoly (2460) - Dorfman,Josif D (2405) A popular alternative is 
Pecs-A, 09.1976





Now the kingside is well protected but the "c6"

The diagram position is extremely popular and
knight has no good squares. Given the fact that
Black's only constructive idea is connected with
the manoeuvre , White must play 
followed by  attacking set up along the "b1 -
h7"diagonal.



can arise from a number of opening variations

such as but not limited to Panov attack in Caro-
Kann defense, Semi-Tarrasch defense, Alapin
variation in Sicilian defense and etc. That's why
deep understanding of that position could help
us improve our opening repertoire.

 The idea of Black's last move is to free

the "e7" square for the knight. Afterwards, black
is planning to strengthen the control over the
key "d5" square by playing moves like b6 and
 or even   In general, one of the main
problems for Black consists in finding a suitable
square for the "c6" knight. Even though Black
has managed to solve the above-mentioned
problem, his last move has one very important
negative side. When there is no knight on "f6"
square, the "h7" pawn becomes a target in many
variations.
Very interesting move. In favourable
circumstances, White is ready to enter in a
position with a symmetrical pawn structure. In
the diagram position, the positional threat is
 with the idea to provoke weaknesses on
the kingside. As we already know, the weakened
kingside is a sign that a possible transition into a
symmetrical pawn structure could be
advantageous.

4

A doubtful move. In spite of Black's intention to
increase the control over the critical "d5"square
by means of , White has some additional
possibilities connected to an eventual transition
into a symmetrical pawn structure.
It was preferable to continue with  Now, at
any moment, Black is ready to recapture on "d5"
with a piece.
 The most typical reaction in response
to the attack against the "h7" pawn. As we have
already pointed out in the first article of our
present course, Black is not advised to play the
move h7–h6. This move not only weakens the
"b1 - h7" diagonal, but at the same time bishop
sacrifices on "h6" are always in the air.
 As a rule, in such kind of positions,
the exchange of the black-squared bishops is in
White's favour. The weak dark squares on the
kingside make the transition into symmetrical
pawn structure extremely tempting. Better was
 In this position, White should probably
go for the plan connected with the advance of
the "h"pawn.

 Just in time! This exchange is
necessary, because everything is ready for the
change of the structure - White is ahead in
development and his pieces are more active,
whereas the Black's kingside is very weak.

A typical middlegame position has arisen. White
can already claim a clear advantage. His knight
dominates Black's bishop which is restricted by
his own pawns. In addition, we should mention
that White's plan is extremely clear - after
putting his knight on the important "e5" square,
White can proceed with doubling his rooks
along the "e" file. Later, the queen must be
transferred to the kingside with the idea to
execute the typical h2–h4–h5 pawn advance. At
the same time, Black is doomed to passivity.
5

Black's idea is to relocate the bishop, but he
wastes too much time.
Maybe it was better to play , but even in
that case, White can proceed with his initial
plan.
 When White's pawn reaches the
"h5"square, Black's king is always in potential
danger. Now only the queen must enter the
attack.

The "d2" square is very suitable for White's
queen. From here, the queen not only protects
"b2" and "d4" pawns, but at the same time is
ready to use the weak dark squares in Black's
camp. A possible idea is the advance g2–g4
followed by  and


Mistake in a difficult position.
 The right idea is executed in a wrong
way. Now, with a precise play, Black can enter a
Queen endgame where he is only a pawn down.
White should have played the precise !
In this position, we should consider the
following forced sequence: 2




 White has
four pawns for the bishop. His position is
completely winning. 
6
 "a2–g8" diagonal. One of the biggest advocates
of the plan connected with the "f" pawn advance
is the creator of the Soviet Chess School, the
World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. As an
example, I am going to examine one of his games
in which he executed the abovementioned plan
in a very instructive manner.

Botvinnik,Mikhail - Vidmar,Milan Sr
Nottingham (13), 25.08.1936



Mikhail
Botvinnik goes for his favourite plan in such
kind of positions - and . Black has
 This move loses on the spot. to be very precise, in order not to find himself in
big trouble.
Only the tenacious 
  It's understandable that Black wants
 could have left some chances of to block the "d4" pawn as soon as possible.
survival. However, his last move is not flexible enough,
because by playing in this way, he shows his
 cards too early. Now, nothing can stop White
 from building his attack on the kingside.
With a mate to follow.
1–0 Black could have tried the move , but
even then, he would not have managed to solve
Advance of the ”f” pawn his problems. Let's see how the game could
The advance of the "f" pawn is another standard continue:
approach in positions with an isolated queen's

pawn. In order to better illustrate this idea, let
me draw a parallel with the knight sacrifice on
"f7" which was examined in our previous article.
As some of you may recall, there are three
necessary conditions to make a knight sacrifice
on "f7" - White's white-squared bishop must be
on the "a2 - g8" diagonal, Black's white-squared
bishop must not be on the "c8 - h3" diagonal and
there must be a considerable pressure along the
"e" file. However, sometimes only the first two
conditions are met (very often the rook is not on
"e1", but on "f1"). In such situations, the side
which plays with "isolani" can't sacrifice his
knight on "f7", because there is no pressure
along the "e" file. In this type of positions, the
idea to advance the "f" pawn by f2–f4–f5
becomes very attractive. This idea has two main  A key move! Remember that when your
goals: - activate the rook on "f1"- weaken the opponent closes theb1 - h7" diagonal by means

7
of g7–g6, your light-squared bishop must be Black could have tried to provoke some
relocated to the "a2 - g8" diagonal.  exchanges, but White is still able to go for a
The queen occupies its optimal position. Now, as favourable version of the symmetrical pawn
you can easily see, all the conditions for a knight structure:
sacrifice on "f7" are met - White's light-squared 
bishop is situated on the important "a2 - g8" 
diagonal, while Black's light-squared bishop is
not on the diagonal "c8 - h3". Moreover, the
pressure along the "e" file is very strong. Now,
White is threatening to play  followed by
 and  Here, I would like to bring to
your attention several possible lines, which
illustrate White's attacking resources in such
kind of positions.  This move is designed
to parry White's direct threats. Even though,
given the fact that White is ahead in
development and his pieces are more active, he
could go for a symmetrical pawn structure. Also,
Black's weakened kingside favours this
transition. (The move  loses on the spot,
because of  Now, after
the careless  In spite of the simplifications, White retains
White has at his disposal an original mating some edge due to the activity of his pieces.
idea: 


Now, the move  could be met by 


 White has a pair of bishops, controls the
open "e" file and exercises a considerable
pressure against the weak "d5" pawn. His
advantage is undisputable. The move  is
clearly better. Black tries to exchange as much
pieces as possible.
 Even in this position,
In this position, the awkwardly placed "b4"
makes Black's life difficult. At the same time,
White is very well prepared for the advance of
his "f" pawn - he controls the "a2 - g8" diagonal,
whereas Black's light-squared bishop is not on
the "c8–h3" diagonal.

8

The exchange of the light-squared bishops
always favours White. It's important to point out
that when Black's light-squared bishop is not on
the board, the advance of the "f" pawn becomes
much more dangerous, because after the
weakening

Now, the f4–f5 threat becomes obvious.
 The move  Loses on the spot,
because of  White is
winning effectively. 

 After this move, White's attack is
unstoppable.
Even though his position is already very
difficult, Black should have played 
Last mistake in a difficult position.
However, we can hardly come up with a better
suggestion.




After this effective strike, the game is over.



1–0
Advance of the „h-pawn“
As the reader already knows, when we play with
an isolani, our long-term plan is to launch a
kingside attack. In certain positions, however, in
spite of the fact that our pieces are transferred
to the kingside, we may still be unable to create
any serious threats against the opponent's king.
Most often, this is explained by the lack of
weaknesses in our opponent's camp. A classical
way to deal with a pawn fortress is to strike
with our own pawns. In this line of thought, the
9
only pawn that we can advance, without 
exposing our king to possible dangers, is the "h"
pawn. Very often this pawn is a kind of
"kamikaze" that sacrifices his life in order to
clear the way for the other pieces. It's important
to mention that the march of the "h" pawn is
much more effective when our opponent has
already played the move g7–g6. Generally, we
can provoke that advance by putting our queen
and bishop on the "b1 - h7" diagonal. All the
typical attacking ideas connected with the
advance of the "h" pawn are perfectly illustrated
in the classical game "Alexander Kotov - Sultan
Khalilbeili played in 1955. In the diagram
position, White can't make use of the typical A very precise move! As I have already
ideas that we have already examined. Moreover, mentioned, White tries to provoke the move g7–
I don't see a way to increase the pressure g6 after which his "h" pawn enters the fight with
created by our pieces. That's why Kotov decides a great effect.
to go for the advance of his "h" pawn.
Important idea! After the
Kotov,Alexander - Khalilbeili,Sultan exchange of the dark-squared bishops, White
URS-ch FL Yerevan, 1955 can make use of Black's weaknesses. At the same
time, the queen is ready to be transferred to the
kingside.

Premature is because Black has at his

disposal the natural  and white queen is
forced to go backwards.

White
has an obvious pressure - the opposition along
the "e" file is very dangerous and the pawn on
"g6" is a critical point.

White goes for a dubious

manoeuvre. He is planning to provoke the
 exchange of the dark-squared bishops by means
 of , but that threat could be parried quite
 easily.





10

Here is the problem! It becomes clear that to
move  will be met by the simple f7–f5.
This passive move gives White the
possibility to compensate for his previous
mistake.
More precise was , With a
counterplay. Black is threatening to play 

Just in time! The light-squared bishop has done
his job on the "b1 - h7" diagonal. Due to the
unprotected position of  White is currently
threatening to take the knight. The opposition
along the "e" file is also very annoying.

A picturesque position! The "h" pawn has
completed its mission. Now, White's attack is
more dangerous than ever.
 A mistake in a very difficult position.
However, White can go for rook transfer to the
kingside against pretty much everything.
 With a dangerous attack.
 White has a fantastic version of
the symmetrical pawn structure. Their attack is
unstoppable. I leave the rest of the game without
comments.
 Or 







1–0
11
 Alapin Variation of Sicilian
Defense – Part 2
GM Petar Arnaudov
Dear Readers of the Modern Chess Magazine,
In front of you is the continuation of the series
on Sicilian defense with  or so-called Alapin,
or Bulgarian, variation. As in the previous issue
we discussed , now we will focus on
another main move  The repertoire that I
propose is quite aggressive due to the fact that
in all variations, White seeks to acquire the
initiative. In the present article, I set out to cover
all possible attacking ideas and manoeuvres. In
the following analysis, I chose continuations that
lead to positions with an isolated pawn, in which
the vast majority of our readers must feel
comfortable, considering how well they are
explained in the articles of GM Viktor Gavrikov.
We wish you a pleasant reading and good luck.

Black immediately attacks the white center

The most obvious and strong move. The
variations with delayed d4-advance are popular,
but against a well-prepared player do not
promise advantage. Our repertoire is focused on
the main continuation.
This sharp
variation is not preferred by everybody and
does not provide for any substantial advantage
for White, which is why we decide not to include
it here. However, those interested are
encouraged to investigate further. 1/2 (41)
Adams,M (2740)-Wojtaszek,R (2733) Biel 2015
12
 a)
  1–0 (45)
Pavasovic,D (2586)-Ruck,R (2551) Plovdiv
2003; 
 1–0 (38) Pap,M (2488)-
Kovacevic,A (2486) Kraljevo 2015)

 1–0 (44) Bartel,M (2627)-
Beshukov,S (2416) Dubai 2015)

 1–0 (44) Sveshnikov,E (2595)-Fercec,N
(2455) Bled 1998;

b) 
 1–0 (54)
This position might occur from quite different Mamedov,R (2660)-Wojtaszek,R (2716)
orders. ( Black does not have the time for Shamkir2014

such a slow development! 
Only thanks to this new move can Black retain
some chances.  With a
better game.  with a
better position for White) 


1–0 (32) Stevic,H (2620)-Kozul,Z (2588) Porec

2014;

White has a winning position, due to the  This is a critical position for the
enormous advantage in development. 1–0 (47) variation. Over 10 different continuations have
Godena,M (2548)-Ivanisevic,I (2636) Geneve been tested here. The White‘s idea is to organize
2011))  an attack on the kingside.

13
 

A relatively new and rare move that in recent

1–0 (41) Zhigalko,S (2660)-Jianu,V (2555)
years has been used by a number of leading
grandmasters. The basic idea is, after c3 White Legnica 2013;
will take with a piece on "c3". (
 
 With unclear game, White has hopes  After this move, the knight on a5
for an attack, but also weaknesses. If Black remains sidelined, all other black figures on the
manages to stop the pressure on his king, he will
eighth row. 
have a more pleasant endgame 0–1 (36) Vachier
 The Black‘s position is already
Lagrave,M (2758)-Grischuk,A (2810) Beijing
2014)  quite difficult, but this move allows Zhigalko to
win immediately.
  White has obvious
advantage. d3 is very dangerous and not easy 
for Black to prevent the attack. 
 Important regrouping, if White manages
to put a piece on g5, he might develop a very
dangerous initiative. 



Nice miniature of the Belorussian Grandmaster.

1–0 (20) Zhigalko,S (2689)-Maletin,P (2575)
Khanty - Mansiysk 2011) 
The White’s plan is to place the rooks on open
files and then to proceed with an attack.
With a decisive attack)

14
 1–0 (48)

Lugovskoy,M (2431)-Maksimenko,A (2466)
Panevezys 2015;

 ( After this move White

retains a slight advantage. 
 The rook can be
easily involved in the attack through the third
row. 
 All white pieces are ready for
the attack! 


White has advantage that was successfully

materialized in the game. 1–0 (43) Starostits,I
(2470)-Moreno Ibanez,M (2084) La Roda 2013)
 ( This
developing move proved inaccurate, after which
White quickly develops initiative.



Great game that clearly shows how dangerous

can be the White‘s attack! 1–0 (23) Zhigalko,S
(2675)-Karthikeyan,M (2504) Dubai 2015;
This move has
been analyzed after 
 If Black tries to save
a tempo and plays b7, then White can play f4
before 0–0 
 with a strong attack!)


The whole point of White’s idea 



 1–0 (27) Karpatchev,A
(2462)-Stephanus,J (1991) Metz 2008; 

15
 An improvement that brings big advantage to
White  With multiple
threats;

 the only

move 

This naïve move loses immediately 


Followed by a great defeat in the game: 1–0 (29)
Stevic,H (2502)-Kristovic,M (2346) Bizovac
2005) )  This is the main
position of this sharp variation 

White has more than enough compensation for
With total domination and winning position for
the sacrifice of the piece;
White: 1/2 (36) Vajda,L (2582)-Manik,M (2448)
 The best
Slovakia 2009; 
defense 
 All white pieces are involved in the
attack. Let us follow the game until the end, so
that our readers can see how quickly Black‘s
position falls apart 

 1–0 (27)
Can,E (2464)-Ludwig,D (2400) Vung Tau 2008)
 1–0 (23) Kanmazalp,O (2287)-
Strikovic,A (2557) Instanbul 2010 

Already known maneuver, the rook on the third

row is ready to create trouble for the black king.
1/2 (39) Esserman,M (2426)-Liang,A (2299)
Philadelphia 2015


 An
important move that helps Black solve his

16
opening problems.  
 1/2 (67) Savic,M (2509)-Atalik,S (2551)
Veliko Gradiste 2015




The main continuation   We

included this move as an alternative as it leads
Here, Black can choose between 3 main to a position with an isolated pawn, already
continuations. introduced and explained at length in the
 articles of Viktor Gavrikov. 
 With a
typical position for the structure with isolated
pawn.)  1/2
(32) Nisipeanu,L (2674)-Radjabov,T (2723)
Bucharest 2013) 
 with a
nice position for White 1–0 (76) Pap,M (2501)-
Atakisi,U (2409) Novi Sad 2009)
 This endgame is quite dangerous, White
has a long-term initiative in it.  This
move results in a small but lasting advantage for
White 

 0–1 (54) Soors,S (2394)-Grandelius,N

(2600) Reykjavik 2014)  This endgame
is quite dangerous, White has a long-term
initiative in it. slow 
 With a great position for Black 0–1
(29) Skawinski,A (2358)-Volokitin,A (2654)
Warsaw 2015)

 With an excellent
compensation for the pawn sacrifice
 French Grandmaster A.
Istratescu proved in his two games that the
position without the queens is quite complex
and Black is far from a draw. 
 With

17
a promising position. 1–0 (33) Istratescu,A
(2664) - Greenfeld,A (2545) Bastia 2013

White has spatial advantage and plans on
opening the queenside with 
 

An interesting idea of the Romanian

Grandmaster that was used in a few games (
An interesting move that creates enough
troubles for Black. The “a” pawn strive to move
to “a6” 

 1–0 (36) Vajda,L (2545)-Leburgue,S
(2188) Basel 2007) 
1–0 (46) Istratescu,A (2647)-Hamdouchi,H
(2627) Pau 2012;  This move is considered 
in another order   With a
more favorable position for White: 1–0 (31)
  This move leads to a Howell,D (2519)-Mikhalevski,V (2598) Ottawa
position with an isolated pawn. 2007) 

 With initiative for
White.)  With a
dangerous attack. 1–0 (23) Stevic,H (2592)-
Sandhoefner,F (2246) Austria 2009;

 With the idea 
 White has spatial advantage
and good chances for an attack on the kingside.
1–0 (41) Soors,S (2407)-Lacroix,B (2189)
Charleroi 2015) 
 White has an easy game and
pressure on the „c“ file. 1–0 (50) Stevic,H
(2596)-Kozul,Z (2631) Opatija 2015


 With two threats: 
 The idea of this move is to intensify the  With two
pressure on „d“ pawn and to slow the powerful bishops and open files for the rooks;
development of the dark-squared bishop. Now, the game for White is quite easy. 1–0 (41)
13g4 is weak because  Mammadov,Z (2427)-Givon,A (2220) Batumi
2010) 

18
 Taking the pawn is usually a 0 (36) Degraeve,J (2559)-Hamdouchi,H (2589)
mistake, White quickly develops strong Nimes 2009) 
initiative through:   1–0 (53) Naroditsky,D (2587)-Oparin,G
 White has a winning position) (2546) Riga 2014
 
With a difficult game with chances for 
both? Looks like a loss of a tempo, but 
actually Black has troubles after that move. Now
 is a mistake and after  White gains
a dangerous attack 
With big compensation 1–0 (52) Vajda,L (2603)-
Shirov,A (2708) Zuerich 2012


 Taking with the queen is also an
option, but gives the possibility to quickly
organize an attack 


White has a strong initiative. 1–0 (63) Potkin,V

(2557)-Bryzgalin,K (2474) playchess.com INT
2006

 

 The only move 




Remember this manoeuvre that includes the
rook on the third horizontal!!! This is an
important idea that occurs repeatedly in this
variation 
 1–0 (59) Fridman,D
(2569)-Uwira,O (2264) Griesheim 2006


 this move leads to a better endgame for
White 
 The possession
of the “d” file and a better pawn structure give
advantage to White. 1–0 (75) Belov,V (2627)-
Hausrath,D (2519) Biel 2009;

 With checkmate in some moves 1–0 (27)
With an enormous advantage in the endgame 1– Howell,D (2698)-Ansell,S (2360) London 2015

19
 Dragon Variation in Sicilian
The text, just like , is aimed against .
Defense - Part 3
White definitely has to take measures.
GM Nikolay Ninov

Thus 

is considered as good for Black, even though he

will be forced to - the elimination of
White's dark-squared bishop overweighs the
temporary inconvenience with the king. In reply
to 
In the first two reviews of the Dragon, IM Spas
Kozhuharov dealt with the aggressive Rauzer  The game Skold - Botvinnik, 1962, saw
set-up with  and , followed by castling the humble 
to the long. It is now time to examine the more
positionally oriented plans for White.



 


 with a dream position
for Black;

20
  The attempt to keep the bishop by 
is relatively the best, though Black has the
initiative after  is a blunder to

 followed by 
Black would better precede swapping the
bishop by the intermediate 

with an obvious advantage - a much better pawn
structure and a pair of bishops. Here is how it
was converted in Koyias - Kir. Georgiev, 1992:









- the central e4–pawn left defenseless and
White resigned; After  White typically
continues with  and an advance of the f-
pawn - at once or after the preliminary .
These opportunities are under ECO indexes
– and will be the subject of this article. I
have been surprised to come across authors
labeling the ensuing lines as harmless for Black.
In fact they (after the natural development of
the knight to c6) can be classified as a Reversed
English Opening and the extra move at the
disposal of the opponent can hardly be
underestimated. Also, any work on the item will
be incomplete without studying the games of
our unforgettable friend GM Julian Radulski
(1972 - 2013). A player with a very original
approach to the game, he has always been able
to reveal hidden attacking resources for White.
Not surprisingly this time, I will often refer to
his games, especially keeping in mind that some
of them constitute his greatest tournament
successes.
21

Sometimes White prefers 
The famous game Alekhine - Botvinnik,
Nottingham, 1936, continued with  (a
typical reaction to the retreat of the knight, but
more flexible is  keeping an option like
  - this concrete and
strong solution was introduced into practice by
Tukmakov in 1979) 

 In his original annotations Botvinnik
wrote that he had experienced difficulties
in his earlier tries with 
but objectively it is better than the text - for
example  and now:  (the more
passive  was first seen in Kan - Botvinnik
in the same 1936. Since then, in most of the
games with featuring this move, Black left with a
cramped position after  (or  at
once) )  The key to a
counterplay - Black strikes before the opponent
has completed his development. Here is a
sample line demonstrating what can happen in
case he is insisting on advancing the kingside
pawns with a king stuck in the center:


a logical improvement upon 
 which is given as unclear in ECO


 and Black is
finally ready to eliminate the nasty d7–pawn.
 

22
is yet another reasonable alternative, as White can try to prepare the text move by
 frees the central e5–square for the  after which Black has several reliable
enemy knight.  alternatives: 
Many years later the practice proved that
 
spells danger for Black. On the contrary,


offers excellent chances to Black, according to
Botvinnik. 


seems to be the best shot at equality. After

 

and the reigning champion had to reconcile

himself with the perpetual check after




The impatient exchange only gives to

White a free hand in the center, as shown by


 with an increasing pressure in
Radulski - Bozinovic, Belgrade, 2006.



is a natural reaction to any set-up on the part of

White with e2 and d2 in order to obtain a pair
of bishops. 

 took place in Psakhis - Ubilava and Black

could equalize by the natural sequence 

 with a comfortable equality for Black.;

23

Probably the best square for the queen - it is
both pressing on b2 and stops the intended
march of the f2–pawn. 
 and here Timman gives
 as a possible improvement upon
his game with Topalov.)  (it is also
possible to stifle White's aggression with the
vigorous , as in Rod.
Perez - Tregubov, 2000)   is
losing material after 
and here, in order to stop the thematic 
Black may even rely on the untried ,
forcing   is a familiar motif)
and the exemplary line 
- all the central squares are controlled by pawns
and he can feel safe. Generally speaking, White's
11th move should not be cause for concern for
the second player, as it reinforces his entire
pawn structure.  (White goes for the
Maroczy bind, which may well be his best bet)
(a curious idea is ,
sacrificing a piece for 3 pawns after
 worse is

or with mutual chances.
This line can be recommended to players who
like unbalanced situations and feel strongly
against defending with less space.) 

(a multi-purpose move, after which Black is
ready to strike with both  and )
24

 b5 with sufficient counterplay
in Timoscenko - Makarichev, 1979. The position
remained balanced after 

 
 Illescas - Gulko, Leon, 1992.) 
 with
a small edge for White in Unzicker - Eliskases,
1952. In general, Black is well-advised to avoid
this type of position, in which he has constantly
to count with   mass
exchanges are inevitable: 
 is leading to full equality by
force - 


A key move, similar to the Rauzer/Yugoslav
attack with

 By a temporary pawn sacrifice, Black is
solving all the opening problems.
 does not
promise much in the view of 



and it is time to sign a draw.;  
is the more popular way to enable the advance
of the f-pawn. As already mentioned, the usual
reply to such a retreat is , but Black has
also tried: 
a) The ambitious , questioning immediately
the knight, has understandably many followers.
However, it is obliging, for the opponent can
later make use of the weakened queenside - the
b5–square in particular. An important subtlety
is revealed after the automatic reply 
and  allows 
preparing  In Zozulja - Delchev, Lodi,
2007, White did not sense the potential danger
and after  the
natural turned out to be an instructive
tactical mistake in view of the powerful
 (the
point!) 

 and Black confidently converted his extra
exchange.; 
b) The queenside advance  is quite
typical for the Sicilian, but here it does not pose
concrete problems to White and his center. He is
in time to build a desired set-up after



 with a pleasant White's edge in
Negi - Akshat, 2009.;
 
25
This was my choice when I played Radulski as
Black in the 2nd round of the 2011 Bulgarian
Individual Championship. The game continued
with  transposes
to Fedorov - Topalov, Wijk aan Zee, 2001, in
which Black continued in the same original
manner - 
 (very often in
the Dragon, Black's best is to take himself -
and no followed
by 
 At that point I was very optimistic
and underestimated Julian's ingenious tactical
operation, based on the weakened dark squares
around my king. (Instead, much more precise
was , limiting White's resources, e.g.

  does not completely stop
 and the game peters
out to a draw after 


 and,
although Black's prospects may be higher in the
long run due to the extra exchange, bringing his
bishop into play can be a long-term process.)
1 objectively, this natural move must also
be adorned with a question mark. (With about 2
minutes left on the clock it was inhuman to
discover 
 and to assess it as a
winning for White, regarding the mighty
centralized knight) 


 0–1 Radulski - Ninov, BG-ch, Bankia,
2011. This victory opened the way to my second
GM-norm. But for Julian that championship was
much more memorable - he replied to the poor
start with 7(!) wins and 4 draws to claim the
title and his first gold medal. Alas, the next
(20th!) participation in the final appeared to be
his last event ....;

This move brings us to another important
crossroads. White is ready to win the battle for
the central d5–square by putting his bishop on
f3, from where it will stop the d6–d5 break and
enable  The quick march of the g-pawn
can also be very annoying for the second player.
He must therefore create counterplay of his
own. A popular reply is  but Black has
also other ideas at his disposal.
26
The main move is  and here the path diverges. The best way to
illustrate each of the two routes for the bishop
will be to go through the exciting games of Julian
Radulski: 

taking the g4–square under control and

planning  with  next.

a) The vigorous  deserves attention, for 


 runs into 

or as we have already seen via the move
order  White has to follow
it with  and only now  or the
brave 

Black can opt for the typical transfer of a piece

to the c4–outpost. A strong counterattacking
idea lies in , intending to meet the
straightforward  with 
 White's main move is 

A difficult position for an assessment - the

courageous  is very close to the enemy king,
but at the same time it is far away from its own.
A lift of the queen to h4 seems extremely
dangerous, but Black is able to defend, as shown
by.

27
The game saw  (the elegant  would have still led to a
well – deserved draw after 

1–0 Radulski - Recuero Guerra, Barcelona, 2008)

 (As a rule in the Sicilian, once the
knight is chased from c3, then  follows.
Black had apparently been afraid of 
However, Black had a defence in the spirit of the
famous 24th game from the first match Karpov –
Kasparov - 

The vulnerable f7–pawn must be defended - (the
tempting  is refuted by the stunning

 )

 with a probable
repetition) 


 (The Spanish
IM was doing well in the highly complicated
struggle and  with a beautiful perpetual
after   could have
crowned his efforts.) 
 

, repelling the attack. Indeed, White's

initiative seemed overwhelming and everyone
can understand the Indian GM decision against
the typical central break.)  (Good or
bad,  had to be preferred)
 Black has
executed the two missed opportunities, but, to
his sorrow, he is desperately late to change the
unfavourable course of the game.

28







 and 1–0 in
Radulski - Gopal, Cappelle la Grande, 2010. This
important last-round win was essential for one
of Julian's biggest successes - a tie for the 2nd
place in one of the strongest opens.; 
 
is less subtle than  It is curious that
White has twice ignored the intended jump to c4
by playing  and not without success. And
there is one more opportunity, which was
resurrected in 2012 and may reveal a tactical
flaw of the knight manoeuvre – 
, winning
two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn. So far
Black lost both games, in which the bishop took,
while after the relatively best 
in - K. H. Grigoryan the
Armenian GM had to show his best defensive
qualities in order to save the game. Black is
therefore left with  where he must
know well his steps through the complications
after  and no
or


is the most popular continuation, so is 
for Black.  (stops only the first plan
 

29
(the engines are insisting on the energetic
,
proving an equality after 



 was necessary, but Black apparently was
too afraid of 

 (and yet another unsuspecting opponent
of Radulski found himself in a hopeless
situation) 
 (a decisive penetration, assured by the
strong 27th move) 
 1–0
Radulski - Malka, Fontenilles, 2011) As
mentionedis much more complicated:
(Nevertheless, 
is a good alternative and the easier one to
handle. Practice has shown that (or
 similar to the
aforementioned Fedorov - Topalov)
 can
result in a nice version of the Hedgehog)
 is
comfortable for Black, who is ready to seize
space on the queenside.) is effectively
met by 
 
 The next step is to break
with in order to free the long diagonal and
further support the powerful knight. 
 ! The game Armas -
Riemersma, 1987, saw ( is
good enough
(a neat refutation 

 and Black went on to win.; 
 
 Black is ready to complete his
operation with so 
and here Black cannot complain either -


, based on 

with very strong initiative for the sacrificed
pawn.
30

 Objectively the best way to meet the
created threat of 
An essential variation is 
 and
Black is fine after 

 The seemingly risky  is
playable - 
 (the tactical
justification of Black's move is shown by


 1/2
Radulski - Chatalbashev, Sunny Beach, 2006;
 cannot impress at all -
 , the same applies
to 




 1–0 Radulski - Dvirnyy,
Spoleto, 2011.
  is dubious because of



 The only way to claim
an advantage! 
and Black has a clear plan to occupy the
excellent central e5–outpost by his knight and
redirect his errant bishop to c6. Once again two
bishops and a knight are clearly stronger than a
queen, especially when they will be supported
by the rooks along the semi-opened g-file.;

 offers an interesting sacrifice of an
exchange, but after White
can hardly expect more than a sufficient
compensation for it, as shown by 
or
(unn
ecessarily risky is 

etc. with a probable
repetition after 

 The only chance to prolong the game,
for trading the bishops will only enable the
opponent to mobilize his forces, while now
Black has still to neutralize Most of the
games ended peacefully, here are some
examples apart from the main reply 
31
 (a deviation
from an earlier game M. Petrov - P. H. Nielsen,
Helsingor, 2011, which ended in a draw as well
after 





 and draw was signed in M.
Petrov - M. Vutov, BG-ch, team, 2015.




and
Radulski - Azarov, Bad Wiessee, 2010, finished
in a logical draw after some 15 moves.



One could expect a more
cautious move like , especially when a
draw was sufficient for winning the gold medal,
but not from Julian! The game suddenly reaches
a new and extremely sharp phase.



 would have been much safer,
e.g. 


 ,
aiming at the blockading f1–square, was
preserving winning chances. In this case the
king could take a long route to g1, getting rid of
the f2–pawn along it.


Once again Black is playing with fire.


Stockfish prefers  and does not find a
shelter for the king - 



 and the
opponents in Radulski - Berbatov, BG-ch, 2011,
at last agreed to a draw. An exciting fight till the
last pawn! We could finally congratulate Julian
with his well-deserved title! In fact, he could test
his young opponent a bit more:

 and Black had to play a few more
precise moves - 

 I believe this article will
not be the last tribute to the exceptional person
and chess player Julian Radulski. At least, when
time comes to deal with the main lines of the
Ruy Lopez, we will definitely have to remember
his win from 2004 as Black against the future
European champion Ivanchuk! So far various
set-ups after  for White against the
classical Dragon have been examined. Here we
have just seen that the ones with  have
their venom. Anyway, Black has reliable
antidotes to them. In the next, 4th part our
review we will move on to the other plans
connected with castling to the short.
32
 The Importance of the Initiative Carlsen,Magnus (2877) - Naiditsch,Arkadij
(2709)
in the Endgame Tromso Olympiad Open (7), 09.08.2014
GM Boris Chatalbashev


White is a pawn up, but the win is far from easy.

In that phase of play dynamic factors normally
decrease. There are fewer pieces (active or not),
the vulnerability of the kings is seldom an issue
of primary importance, the material advantage
Carlsen was probably concerned that the
position after 
 might be tough to break.
 The most
active move is the best 


is much more important than in middlegame.

Also in the endings, it happens quite often that
one side stays rather passive and this is not
always a bad thing. It can be temporary, for
example when defending weaknesses, or
permanent - when creating a fortress. Still, in
the majority of the cases, the initiative is an
crucial thing in the finals! The reason is the
appearance of new dynamic factors - pawns
might promote and the kings enter into play,
often serving as an extra piece. And so many
endings depend on a single tempo! In our first
example, we will see how even the World and White has very good chances to convert, for
Champion underestimates the hidden dynamics example 
in the position and gives away the initiative. 

33
Of course all this requires careful calculations.
There is no way White can be sure of winning
here, but the initiative is on his side.
 The computer
suggests that last winning attempt was 

with f4 idea. Not so easy for humans, though.

Now the active knight will be supported, d pawn
becomes very dangerous. Probably Carlsen
blundered this. Even though the position is
objectively about equal, there is no doubt who
has the initiative and therefore much easier
play.
That nice move is clearly better than
when White
is still in control.
 White can not play himself
as after the move is not possible
anymore, there is check on.
 The knight on is a monster, imagine if
there was no pawn on d line, Black would be
mating next with 


It is not easy to offer any explanation... Generally
White has to exchange rooks, as the Black`s one
is better, supporting the passed pawn. But after
that Black will go for b5 pawn, not e5, so why
give it away? Probably around here the World
Champion realized that not only had the win
slipped away, but he now had to be careful
about the draw. And he just made a nervy move.
An aftermath of the shock 
34


There was still some study-like draw
 

0–1

Ulibin,Mikhail (2500) - Gurevich,Ilya (2410)

Wch U20 Santiago (6), 1990

 but White had to find many a lot

more moves that were far from obvious - not
realistic after everything that happened in the
game so far.




 An incredible move in equal position.

White thought his passed pawns would be more
dangerous than those of his opponent...

 But as we know there is





another dynamic factor - King's activity, here
really serving as an extra piece! Black rightfully
decides that tempos are more important than
the material, c pawn does not matter much. The
King will support his pawns and White's Majesty
on g3 is just kibitzing.

35




0–1
Spielmann,Rudolf - Rubinstein,Akiba
St Petersburg, 1909
The initiative is of great importance in rook
endings. Quite often the right way to play is to
sacrifice a pawn in order to activate the rook or
the king. Especially concerned is the defending
side. Here is a classic and very instructive
example.
 With so many weak pawns in White's
camp, Black is clearly better. His first task is to
activate the rook.


But he should not get greedy  wins a
pawn, but lets the initiative slip away  the
rook goes behind the passed pawn
 and with
the passive rook on a8 Black can not win.

Passive. Just a look at his weaknesses should be
enough to convince White that he can hardly
survive that way. Instead, he should be
searching for ways to activate his own rook,
keeping an eye on the enemy's pawns.


or

 White is a pawn down, but the
activity of the pieces is in stark contrast
compared to the game.? 
 Another move just doing
nothing.
 would have restrained black pawns on the
kingside.
 Consistent. After activating the rook and
the king, now Black calmly improves his
structure.
Of course the trap  is too
obvious. With "a" pawn alive, no way Black
considers entering pawn endings.
36

Nice prophylaxis. Black moves one pawn out of
the line of possible attack, so that after 47.b7 he
can take a3 and h3 pawns in exchange for g7. No
need to hurry with d4 pawn, it is bound to fall
anyway.
 


 is hopeless.

More out of necessity, but White finally goes for
some active counterplay. The pawn ending after
is lost 


There is a principle that such pawns should get
blocked at the first possible moment, not letting
them advance further.
 Again losing time, though
the road towards draw was not easy. And again
it was connected with a pawn sacrifice, just to
make Black's pieces take passive positions.
The main variation goes like this. 




 From a
37
practical point of view Black was obliged to go 
for this, even if it was losing. 



 
Rubinstein showed great technique, of course,

was the last chance to continue fighting. and White really deserved the loss, missing so
many chances for active counterplay.

 0–1

 Dervishi,Erald (2290) - Skembris,Spyridon

 (2505)
Ano Liosia op (7), 1996

Everything looks very gloomy for White. He is a

pawn down. Black is threatening  If white
rook moves somewhere on "e" file then  and
at some point, will follow. Black will move
his pawn onto and try to support it with the
king. Note that White will have no counterplay
in that case, all black pawns are defended.

Precise, not letting ???????




38
 


So White sacrifices another pawn! 


 Very important is that  is not
working 

 The king arrives on f1 just in time.





Now we see what the idea behind was.

Black king is not free to go to the other part of
the board, as white rook will always be
attacking.
And pawn is weak too. So White's sacrifice
has made both black pawns weak and he always
will have enough counterplay because of that.

39








The moral of the story: Even if being on the
defending side precludes you from fighting for
the initiative - still look for counterplay, still
look for active ideas! Even in endgames, passive
play rarely gets rewarded.

Zvjaginsev,Vadim (2455) -
Onischuk,Alexander (2495)
Berliner Sommer 11th Berlin, 1993
This example shows that even in the quietest
endings, those of opposite-coloured bishops, the
initiative and dynamic factors may play a
decisive role.

This move does not save Black, the question is -
could he make a draw by entering into bishop
ending?
After White must play 
(The position after is
drawish, but the best approach for Black is the
active forcing either a pawn exchange or
in case of or positions where white
pawns get easily blocked. If Black chooses a
passive set-up instead, it is still a draw, but
much more difficult. 
Agan
White should not count the material, the most
important thing is the passed pawn. And it must
come as close to the promotion square as
possible. (after 
black pawn on stays alive. White king will go
40
to the queenside and black one to the kingside, In endgames with rooks and opposite-colored
having the possibility of  to divert the bishop bishops there are often mating threats. Here
and attack white pawns.) or after  Black has to give away f
 The winning pawn anyway, otherwise he will get mated
plan is as follows - White pushes , takes 
pawn, then goes with the king to the queenside.
In the meantime, his bishop defends h4 pawn 
from e1 square, thus preventing an advance of
black f pawn.) There is not enough time
for Black to reach pawn with the king (in that
case he could give his bishop for h pawn and
draw) 

So, as we see, White should win the ending, but

most energetic and initiative play is required.
One slow move and it would be just a draw.





41
 Endgame Series - Part 3   is just a mirror image of the
game continuation, while  is basically
GM Davorin Kuljasevic
the same as  Then White can play

 but Black can not take either pawn as they

protect each other from a distance, in a way
reminiscent of an electric current. Black is
therefore forced to defend passively with

 since  steps out of the square of f-

pawn  and White promotes the pawn.

  would allow pawns to win

without the help of white king after 

Electric pawns – Part 1

and Black is in zugzwang! 

 White wins by patiently bringing his king

to the field of battle.



When I was learning chess, it was common to

call pawns that are one file apart "electric
pawns". I believe the reason for this vivid name
lies in their defense strategy. To better illustrate
the concept, let us look at the following scenario:
Black decides to attack with, say,
and f-pawn is ready to become a queen.

42
Electric pawns – Part 2 Not falling for the trick.

Many beginners would be tempted to play the

In this position, Black has a trump of his own -
connected passed pawns. Generally speaking,
connected pawns are more desirable in
endgames compared to any other pawn
formation. Yet, in this particular position,
"electric pawns" are no less dangerous. Both
sides have to thread carefully.
ambitious  but they would soon realize
that it was not such a good idea because after
! the pawns suddenly lose their
"electricity" and become just regular weak
pawns ready to be picked up. Technically
speaking, the problem for White is that the
"common square" of these two pawns does not
reach eighth rank. More on that shortly.
 and after picking up the last
white pawn, Black will win by bringing the king
to  and sacrificing his h-pawn, followed by
 and pawn promotion.;
or the mirror image 

 A tricky move.

We have seen in the previous example what
happens if Black tries to take on electric pawns
by the horns:  and now he is forced to
sit with  However, here white king is
obviously unable to help its pawns, so the
passive  is forced too. A
draw becomes inevitable after the repetition:
 (Just not )  
etc. Ultimately, it is difficult to win most 
endgames without the helping hand of one's 
king.



and neither side can make any progress, so the

position is drawn.

43
Kininger – Richter Paradoxically, stepping in front of the passed
pawn is the only way to win.
 would not lead anywhere after
or


 The point is that after 

black rook can not deal with 2 pawns advanced
past the third rank (see the previous issue!). For
example  is even simpler for Black

 pawns can manage on their own,
so black king is moving out of their way.
 The last trap. (Otherwise,
 wins.) 
In this sharp rook endgame both sides have
passed pawns and active pieces, but Black has
one extra pawn, so chances are on his side.
Notice how Black’s pawns are one file apart, just
like in previous 2 examples.

 Pushing the pawn to the second rank will

tie down White rook.


Alternatively, 
 would basically transpose to the
game position.

 Black is facing (The hasty would allow White a nasty

some practical issues as White rook is harassing skewer combination: 
both the king and the pawn. However, there is a  with a draw.)  and Black has
solution: a winning vs.  endgame.

 

The point!

44
 The pawn can not be taken due
toand White will not have an opportunity
to sacrifice his rook for the pawn.

Again, the pawns can win on their own, so black
king is getting out of checks.
 and White resigned in view of

 with a draw.

0–1
Common square – Part 1
In this position white passed pawns are two files
apart. Let us draw an imaginary straight line
between these two pawns (covering squares b4,
c4, d4 and e4). Then, let us take that line and
imagine a square stretching from it towards
black king. We would get a square bounded by 4
corners: b4–e4–e7–b7, reaching the 7th rank. Do
you see it? OK, now let us push the pawns one
step further:
 Pawns are on the fifth rank. Using
the same geometric logic, where does the square
reach this time? It is bounded by corners b5–e5–
e8–b8. So it reaches the eight rank. This,
according to the "common square of the pawns"
rule is enough for victory. Let's make sure of
this:
 

 At this point white pawns' common
square over-extends the eight rank (with a bit of
imagination, we could even say that the square
reaches the 9th rank!), so black king can stop
only one of them, but not the other one.



and White indeed wins.
45
Common square – Part 2 


while simultaneously keeping an eye on the

In the same position Black to move wins after
 because white pawns can not create a
common square reaching the 8th rank. Right
now their common square reaches only the 7th
rank. So if White pushes one of the pawns:
other pawn. White can not achieve the desired
common square that reaches the eight rank
(pawns on e5 and b5) and therefore is losing.
would be a mistake as the king would be
too far from the b-pawn. 
 and White wins.

 Obviously would be the wrong pawn to  A diversion attempt doesn't work this
push since  time due to and Black
wins trivially.; The trickiest try is neutral is in the square.; The attempt to stall with
and if Black wants to win, he doesn't work either. Black wins with
should reach out for pawns with Now  and he is
again in time.
after he needs to find a precise backward
move which is the key to winning this and Black is
endgame. Now White can not set up the pawns winning.
on e5 and b5, meaning that the common square
of the pawns doesn't reach the eight rank.
Therefore, the position is winning for Black,
rather than White as in the previous example.
(Instead  would allow White to
promote the pawn) 

Then Black stops the e-pawn from
advancing with






46
Common square – knight
A familiar sight, only this time knight is the
defending piece. The outcome of the game will
depend on whether the pawns can create a
common square that reaches the eight rank.
Therefore
 Immediately wins for White.
While  would allow Black to block the
pawns ! right before they achieve the
commonsquare. or
 and draw.
 Similarly to the king, the
knight is also defenseless against two pawns
whose common square over-extends the eighth
rank.
  and White promotes pawn
to a queen.

and passed pawns finally win the battle against
the knight.
Common square – bishop
Compared to king or knight, bishop is a long-
range piece capable of exerting its power from a
distance. Yet, even it can sometimes succumb to
the power of passed pawns.
 Reaching the eighth rank common square
should be automatic by now.
 would allow Black to block both pawns
with the bishop. 
  is not any better:

 Again, we see a light piece that can
not defend against pawn promotion.
 or even 


and White wins.
47
Ki. Georgiev - Rusev
BUL-ch 2013, 03.07.2015

so Rusev had to resign.

If you have paid attention in the previous
This position was reached in a game between chapter on breakthrough, you might
Grandmasters Kiril Georgiev and Krasimir Rusev immediately go for
in 2013 Bulgarian Championship. From a drawn

rook endgame, Rusev (Black) entered a pawn
endgame, where he incorrectly assessed his
chances. Black to move is losing by one tempo.

 This move was not played in the game

and is losing as well, but it does contain a
devious trap based on the common square of
passed pawns.
The game saw Black going directly for kingside
pawns with 
 followed by ,  and
marching the a-pawn, wins for White. The
reader can assure himself that White wins the
pawn race by one tempo.)

which seems to be just winning. Instead,
prevents the game move, but is too slow
 wins on the spot.

For example 
and white pawn is faster.) and Georgiev finished  wins like in the game.)
the game in style with a breakthrough:  and now
the simplest is:  White king
put its body in front of Black's only passed
pawn. The pawns can do the rest.
 (Breakthrough) 
 etc.

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After  ...but  would allow  with
checkmate on the next move.






A shocking resource. Black king steps into the

square of white pawns  is too naive.

 In case White goes for the g-

pawn with  Black will win promoting the g-pawn into queen and winning.
by   the usual 
breakthrough: 
etc.



He is suddenly winning as he created the

common square of g- and c- pawns that reaches
8th rank. Meanwhile, White's connected pawns
on the kingside are useless. We can extend the
analysis for a few more moves:

49