Openings / Kislik Variation
one time to gain time on the clock. 39. Nh6+ Kg7
The line 39. ... Kf8 40. Rbc1 c4 also wins.
40. Nf5+ gxf5 41. Qh5 Ng6, White resigned. And White finally resigned, down a piece
and two pawns with no threats to the Black king.
The move 41. ... Ng4 was also really strong. Lastly, we need to check to make sure that
15. Qd3 is not a serious problem: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 exd4 12. cxd4 Nd7! 13. Nf1! Na5! 14. Bc2 Bf6! 15. Qd3!? is a fresh try that improves White’s queen position and tries to restrict the a5-knight. This move threatens h7 and forces Black to react imme - diately.
15. ... Nf8! The line 15. ... g6?! 16. N1h2 c5 17. Ng4 is
too dangerous because White is able to play Nh6+ followed by Bg5 with impunity, simply weakening Black’s king position and giving him no counterplay: 17. ... Bg7 18. Nh6+ Kf8 19. Bg5 Qc7 (White is better after 19. ... f6 20. Bf4) 20. Qd2.
16. b4!
This was suggested by IM Tapani Sammalvuo. 16. Rb1 c5 17. d5 Nc4 18. N1h2 is another
try, when Black can choose between a few equal izing moves, including 18. ... Bc8 and 18. ... h5!?
16. ... Nc4 17. Rb1
21. ... Qc7 This is a solid and sensible move, defending
the c5-pawn. 21. ... c4!? 22. Qd2 f5 is a really fresh and
White would like to play a2-a4 and add pressure to Black’s queenside.
17. ... c5! This is the only serious attempt for counter -
play and it must be played immediately to fight for the e5-square. 17. ... g6?! is unpleasant due to the simple
18. Bh6!; 17. ... Qd7 is also no fun after 18. a4!. 18. bxc5 dxc5 19. d5 Ne5
19. ... Ng6 was proposed by a young Indian international master. 20. a4! (20. N1d2 Nce5
exciting idea. I did not manage to refute this fancy way of challenging White’s center and protected passer. 23. a4 Qd7 Black intends 24. ... fxe4 25. Bxe4 Bh2+. 24. Red1 c3! (24. ... fxe4 25. Qb4) 25. Qe2 fxe4 (Black would like to bring his last piece into the game by ... Rac8.) 26. Ng3 Bxg3 27. fxg3 Qd6 28. axb5 axb5 29. Qxb5 Ba6 30. Qc5 Qxc5 31. Bxc5 Rec8 32. Be3 Nd7 (White has no good way to stop ... Bd3!) 33. Rbc1 Bd3! 34. Bxd3 exd3 35. Rxd3 c2 This is another case where disregarding the engine’s half pawn edge advantage for White in favor of simple human evaluation is useful. 36. g4 Kf7 37. d6 Rc4 38. Kf1 Rac8 is almost certainly drawn, as the c-pawn will most likely be traded off for the d-pawn.
22. a4! White’s idea is fascinating: despite Black’s
connected passed pawns on the queenside, White has them blockaded and hopes to exploit his central superiority.
22. ... b4 23. Bb3 a5 The continuation 23. ... Nd7 24. Rbc1 a5 25.
Bc4 transposes. Black intends 31. ... Nb6 32. Nxb6 Qxb6.
31. Kh1 31. f4 f6 32. Rb1 Kh8 33. Kh2 Rac8 (Less
effective is 33. ... Re7?! 34. d6 Ree8 35. Qd5 Rab8 36. Kg3) 34. Bg1 (34. d6? Qc6 is better for Black) 34. ... g5! shows Black can also flex his muscles.
31. ... Nb6! The line 31. ... f6 32. f3 Red8! (Black intends
... Nb6.) 33. Rxc3 bxc3 34. Qxc3 Rdb8 35. Rc1 Nb6 36. Nxb6 Qxb6 37. Bxc5 Qb3 also has no apparent refutation: the rooks are quite strong in the ending! 38. Qd4 Qb2 39. Qc4 Qb3 is level.
32. Nxb6 Qxb6 33. Qc4 Bd4! This is an important and typical idea for
Black: he is able to use the strength of the b- pawn to distract White and get oodles of activity.
34. Bxd4 cxd4 35. Rxd4 The continuation 35. f3 Rab8 36. Rxd4 b3
37. Rd2 Qd6 gives Black excellent counterplay.
35. ... b3 36. Rd2 b2 37. Rb1 Rac8 38. Qf1 Rxe4 39. Rdxb2 Qd6 40. Qd1 Rcc4 As we can see, even in the ultra-critical 15.
Qd3 line there appears to be three different perfectly acceptable solutions: 19. ... Ng6, 21. ... c4!? and the main line with 21. ... Qc7. In view of the wide range of options for Black, it is unlikely that this variation will ever get refuted. I hope that players looking for a solid or classical variation to play against 1. e4 will give some thought to this variation. It is hard to believe at first. I had trouble believing it myself.
www.uschess.org 29
is equal) 20. ... Nge5 21. Nxe5 Nxe5 22. Qd1! is suggested by GM Larry Kaufman. (22. Qe2 Nc4! 23. axb5 axb5 24. Rxb5 Nd6 25. Rxc5 Bd4 is a lovely rook trap, when Black is at least fully equal.) 22. ... b4 23. f4 Here engines get extremely worried about Black’s position, although I honestly think that the forced contin- uation that follows offers White almost no winning chances due to the fact that he will only be left with one or two pawns at most: 23. ... Ng6! 24. e5 Nxe5! 25. fxe5 Bxe5 26. Bxh7+ Kxh7 27. Qh5+ Kg8 28. Rxe5 Rxe5 29. Qxe5 Qxd5 30. Qg3 Re8 31. Bb2 f6 32. Bxf6 Qxg2+ 33. Qxg2 Bxg2 34. Kxg2 gxf6 Black has to suffer a little bit in this ending, but it appears to be a draw nonetheless due to the small number of pawns. 35. Kf2 Kf7! 36. Nd2 Rh8 37. Ne4 Rh5! and I think a draw is the correct result here.
20. Nxe5 Bxe5 21. Be3 24. Bc4 Nd7 25. Rbc1 Qd6 26. Nd2 Qf6!
This restrains f2-f4! The line 26. ... Ba6 27. f4! Bc3 28. Rxc3 bxc3
29. Qxc3 gives White excellent play for the Exchange.
27. Bb5 White targets d7, frees c4 for the knight and
forces Black to react quickly.
27. ... Ba6 28. Bxa6 Qxa6 29. Nc4 Bc3! 30. Red1 h6
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