No.

0, January 1, 2009

OPENINGS
what’s hot and what’s not?
XIIIIIIIIY
Was Topalov’s Nxf7 the 9r+-wqk+-tr0
9zpl+n+pvl-0
9-+p+psn-zp0
novelty of the year? 9+p+-sN-zp-0
9-+pzPP+-+0
By IM Merijn van Delft & IM Robert Ris
9+-sN-+-vL-0
9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
In this introduction issue (number zero), instead of a xiiiiiiiiy
single week, we cover the whole year of 2008. This
creates a kind of starting point, the current state of Frequency
opening theory at the very beginning of 2009. So in-
stead of the “game of the week” we picked out the
game of the year, and “this week’s harvest” is filled
with this year’s harvest.

Score
what’s hot?
After 1.e4 the most trusted and popular openings at top level are the
Petroff, the Marshall (which has achieved the status of a full opening,
although it’s still a variation in the Ruy Lopez!) and the Najdorf. For some
years already Black scores very reasonable here.

After some years of absence, the Caro-Kann and the Dragon made a
comeback in 2008, as is explained on page 3. Since it becomes harder for
White to put Black under pressure after 1.e4, many e4-players are trying
their luck with 1.d4 these days and that’s why the number of 1.d4 open-
ings played at top level increased rapidly.

Many new inventions for both sides have been found in the (Semi) Slav,
for example in our game of the week. Less sharp, but quite playable lines
in the Slav are the solid Chebanenko Slav (lines with an early ...a6),
4.¤c3 dxc4 and 4.e3 ¥f5/¥g4, all quite stable now. But also against the
more dynamic Gruenfeld and Kings-Indian, it’s not clear whether White
can claim any advantage. Source: Megabase + TWIC, 2500+ only

It was six years ago when Leko introduced his great novelty (18...¦b8!) in Dortmund, and from that moment the Sveshnikov gained a lot of popular-
ity. Nowadays, many top players tend to prefer the positional variation starting with 9.¤d5, which yields White an annoying edge, instead of the sharp
battle (9.¥xf6). That’s why world class experts like Leko and Kramnik gave up playing the Svesh. Shortly after the Svesh also went slowly out of fashion,
which is reflected by the huge score White made against it at Morelia/Linares 2008. The Nimzo and
Queen’s Indian used to be the ultimate choices against 1.d4, but things are not so clear anymore on
that territory either - see page 3.
what’s Not?
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ChessVibes OPENINGS what’s hot and what’s not? No. 0, January 1, 2009
All about Cheparinov’s discovery
Veselin Topalov stunned the world with his sacrifice 12.¤xf7 (a discovery of his second, Ivan
Cheparinov) against Vladimir Kramnik in January in Wijk aan Zee. Introducing the column
Game of the week, we’ve chosen arguably the most fascinating game of 2008.

game of the week
Topalov (2780)-Kramnik (2799)
Wijk aan Zee, January 22nd, 2008
D43: Semi-Slav, Anti Moscow Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.¤c3 e6 5.¥g5 h6
The Moscow Variation is how Black plays the
Semi-Slav these days: he no longer fears the
exchange on f6.
6.¥h4
The sharp Anti-Moscow Gambit, which has
been all the rage at top level over the last two
years. 6.¥xf6 £xf6 7.e3 ¤d7 8.¥d3 dxc4 9.¥xc4
g6! and black’s two bishops compensate for his
otherwise somewhat passive position.
6...dxc4 7.e4 g5
With his clever move order Black prevents tak-
ing on g5, like in the Botvinnik Variation.
8.¥g3 b5 9.¥e2
9.¤e5 is an important alternative.
9...¥b7 10.0–0 ¤bd7 11.¤e5 ¥g7 12.¤xf7!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqk+-tr0
9zpl+n+Nvl-0
9-+p+psn-zp0
9+p+-+-zp-0
9-+pzPP+-+0
9+-sN-+-vL-0
9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This is Topalov’s stunning novelty, invented
by his trusted second Cheparinov. The sacri-
fice must have been a big surprise for Kram-
nik, although the idea has been employed in
some other lines already, for example by Kram-
nik himself against Anand in Belgrade 1997.
The other main continuation goes 12.¤xd7
¤xd7 13.¥d6 but here Black seems to be fine.
12...¢xf7 13.e5 ¤d5
The most logical response, although giving
back the knight with something like 13...¦f8 is
also worth considering.
14.¤e4 ¢e7
Black ignores the knight jump to d6 and tries to
bring his king to the queenside. 14...¥f8 with the
 9-+-+-tr-tr0
idea of keeping the knight away from d6 gives
White extra time to develop his forces. Possi-
bly White should be ready to sacrifice a full rook
with 15.f4!? (After 15.¥h5+ ¢g8 16.£g4 ¦h7
17.£xe6+ ¢h8 the black king has found a safe
corner.) For example: 15...¤e3 16.¥h5+ ¢g8
17.£e2 ¤xf1 18.¦xf1 ¦h7 19.fxg5 and even with
computer assistence its hard to give a objective
evaluation. We tend to prefer White, since Black
is lacking some coordination of his pieces.
15.¤d6 £b6
Again Kramnik chose the most natural solu-
tion by protecting the bishop with the queen,
while freeing the d8 square for his king. 15...¦b8
16.¥g4 c5 was played in Beckhuis-Steingrims-
son, Plovdiv 2008, but here 17.¥xe6! is the
critical move: 17...¢xe6 18.f4!? (18.£h5 £g8
19.£g6+ ¢e7 20.¤f5+ ¢d8; 18.£c2 ¤e7!) In
our opinion White’s chances are very promising
here. For humans and computers alike it’s im-
possible to foresee all that is coming, therefore
in such positions intuition plays a big role! 18...
cxd4 (18...¤e3 19.£h5) 19.£g4+ ¢e7 20.¤f5+
¢f8 21.fxg5 with a killing attack.
16.¥g4!
With the threat to take on e6 followed by £g4.
16...¦af8
In June Karjakin came up with the new idea 16...
h5!? 17.¥xh5 ¦af8 18.£g4 ¥h6 19.h4 but went
astray with 19...¦hg8? (19...c5 20.hxg5 ¥g7
21.g6 ¢d8 and Black’s extra piece looks worth
more than White’s two pawns.) 20.hxg5 ¥xg5
21.¤e4?! (21.¥h4! ¥f6 22.£e4 gives White
the more pleasant game.) 21...¤e3! 22.£xg5+
¦xg5 23.¥h4 ¢d8 24.fxe3 ¦h8 25.¥xg5+ ¢c7
Shirov-Karjakin, Foros 2008 and here White
had a forced draw with 26.¦f7.
17.£c2
(diagram)
17...£xd4?
Topalov-kramnik
XIIIIIIIIY
9zpl+nmk-vl-0
9-wqpsNp+-zp0
9+p+nzP-zp-0
9-+pzP-+L+0
9+-+-+-vL-0
9PzPQ+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
In the press conference after the game Topalov
stated that 17...¦hg8 was the correct prophylac-
tic move. Black protects his bishop so that after
18.£g6 he has time to defend the pawn on e6 as
well. (On the very next day Timman went wrong
with 18.a4? and now it’s not clear to us why his
opponent Ljubojevic didn’t take the pawn on d4,
now that the bishop on g7 is defended.) 18...¤c7
19.£e4 (19.f4?? ¥xe5 20.£h7+ ¦g7–+ Alva-
rez Pedraza-Alvarez Ramirez, Merida 2008)
19...¥a8 20.f4 ¢d8! (20...¤f6? 21.exf6+ ¥xf6
Kiselev-Gundavaa, Moscow 2008 22.¦ad1 and
Black will collapse here.) 21.fxg5 hxg5 22.¦ad1
and the position remains highly complex.
18.£g6 £xg4 19.£xg7+ ¢d8 20.¤xb7+ ¢c8
21.a4
Strong was 21.¤d6+ ¢c7 22.¦ad1 with the idea
of sacrifing on b5 or d5 in many lines.
21...b4 22.¦ac1?!
22.¤d6+ ¢c7 23.¦ad1 was very promising.
22...c3 23.bxc3 b3 24.c4 ¦fg8 25.¤d6+ ¢c7
26.£f7 ¦f8 27.cxd5?!
27.h3! ¦xf7 28.hxg4 ¤f4 29.¤xf7 ¤e2+ 30.¢h2
¤xc1 31.¦xc1 would have been winning.
27...¦xf7 28.¦xc6+ ¢b8 29.¤xf7 ¦e8?
Black could have saved himself with 29...£e2!!
30.¦c3 (30.¤xh8? £xf1+! 31.¢xf1 b2) 30...b2
31.¦b3+ ¢a8 32.¤xh8 (32.¦b1? ¦c8) 32...¤c5
and the b-pawn gives enough counterplay.
30.¤d6 ¦h8 31.¦c4 £e2 32.dxe6 ¤b6 33.¦b4
¢a8 34.e7 ¤d5 35.¦xb3 ¤xe7 36.¦fb1 ¤d5
37.h3 h5 38.¤f7 ¦c8 39.e6 a6 40.¤xg5 h4
41.¥d6 ¦g8 42.¦3b2 £d3 43.e7 ¤f6 44.¥e5
¤d7 45.¤e6 1–0
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ChessVibes OPENINGS what’s hot and what’s not? No. 0, January 1, 2009

this week’s harvest

Dragon Main Line Caro-Kann Queen’s Indian 5.£c2 Slav: Meran 14...¥b7
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwq-trk+0 9r+-+k+ntr0 9rsn-wqkvl-tr0 9r+-+kvl-tr0
9zpp+lzppvlp0 9zpp+n+pzp-0 9zpl+p+pzpp0 9+l+n+p+p0
9-+-zp-snp+0 9-+p+p+-zp0 9-zp-+-+-+0 9-wq-+pzp-+0
9+-+-sn-+-0 9wq-+-+-+P0 9+-zpn+-+-0 9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-sNP+-+0 9-vl-zP-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-zp-+-+0
9+LsN-vLP+-0 9+-+Q+NsN-0 9+-+-+NzP-0 9+-+L+N+-0
9PzPPwQ-+PzP0 9PzPPvL-zPP+0 9PzPQ+PzPLzP0 9PzP-+QzPPzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0 9tR-+-mK-+R0 9tRNvL-+RmK-0 9tR-vL-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.¤c3 dxe4 4.¤xe4 1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.¤f3 b6 4.g3 ¥a6 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.¤c3 e6
¤f6 5.¤c3 g6 6.¥e3 ¥g7 7.f3 ¤c6 ¥f5 5.¤g3 ¥g6 6.h4 h6 7.¤f3 ¤d7 5.£c2 ¥b7 6.¥g2 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 5.e3 ¤bd7 6.¥d3 dxc4 7.¥xc4 b5 8.¥d3
8.£d2 0–0 9.¥c4 ¥d7 10.0–0–0 ¦c8 8.h5 ¥h7 9.¥d3 ¥xd3 10.£xd3 e6 ¤xd5 9.0–0 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.¤xb5 axb5
11.¥b3 ¤e5 11.¥f4 £a5+ 12.¥d2 ¥b4 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0–0 £b6 14.£e2 ¥b7

Well into the new millenium the
Dragon suffered from a dubious
reputation. Everything changed in
2008, as Carlsen started playing
this sharp opening and many GMs
following suit. In the very recent
game Radjabov-Kasimdzhanov,
Elista 2008, White scored a con-
vincing win in the main line, so we
are eager to see whether in 2009
the Dragon will remain hot or not.
The Caro-Kann is increasingly
popular as an answer against 1.e4.
The reason is 12...¥b4!, which is
provoking the white c-pawn to
move forward. In addition Black
wants to castle kingside creat-
ing sharp play, not unlike the more
popular Sicilian. In 2008 this con-
cept was finally and wholeheart-
edly adopted by the world elite
players, not at the least by Topalov.
The Queen’s Indian is traditon-
ally regarded as an extremely solid
opening for Black. This reputa-
tion is somewhat under pressure
because White is finding new dy-
namic ways to battle. An early sign
was Topalov-Anand, Sofia 2005
and in 2008 many strong GMs
have included 5.Qc2 in their reper-
toire: after the pawn sacrifice 7.d5!
Black must play very carefully.
The most important event of 2008
was undoubtly the world cham-
pionship match. Anand's victory
over Kramnik was based on very
clever opening preparation, forcing
his mighty opponent to solve fresh
problems in highly dynamic posi-
tions. A key move was 14...¥b7!
in the old main line of the Meran,
which brought wins in the third and
the fifth match game.

opening expert
Who: Teimour Radjabov Expertise: King’s Indian
Born: March 12, 1987 Why: One of the few top players who
Nationality: Azerbeidjan stays faithful to the openings
Rating: 2761 from his youth

The King’s Indian suits Radjabov’s non-compromising and dynamic style perfectly. In 2008 he managed to
achieve a big plus score against the world’s leading players. The game Eljanov-Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2008 is
very typical for Radjabov’s fighting abilities and it is remarkable to see how easily he beats such a strong player.
Recommended for replaying once more!

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