24. My Line against the King’s Indian Attack – Part 5

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. d3 d5 6. Nbd2 d4 7. Nb3 Nc6 8. c3
$1 {Diagram [#] Attacking Black's outpost with the c-pawn is superior to 8.e3
or 8.e4 which was dealt with in the last game. As you will see soon, it is
best to do so immediately, since a preparation isn't necessary. Nonetheless,
in most games White did exactly this and played 8.Bd2. If there is any line in
the whole 6..d4-complex, which is capable to exert a certain pressure on Black,
than it is 8.c3! Very logically a man of Karjakin's strength is opting for
exactly this.} (8. Bd2 {Now, Black has easy equality:} e5 (8... Nd5 {is a good
alternative}) 9. c3 (9. Qc1 a5 10. a4 Qe7 $11 {Venkatesh,M (2462)-Negi,P (2529)
Nagpur 2008}) (9. e4 dxe3 10. Bxe3 Nd5 11. Bg5 f6 12. Bd2 a5 13. a4 $11 {
Haub,T (2435)-Schebler,G (2450) Dortmund 1998}) 9... dxc3 (9... a5 $5) (9...
Re8 $5) 10. Bxc3 (10. bxc3 e4 $11 {Garcia Castro,P (2357)-Medarde Santiago,L
(2160) Sanxenxo 2014}) 10... Nd5 11. Bd2 {Diagram [#]} b6 (11... Nd4 12. e4 $2
(12. Nfxd4 exd4 $11) 12... Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 Ne7 $15 {Weber,U (2390)-Naumann,A
(2548) Bad Wiessee 2007}) (11... Re8 12. Rc1 Nd4 $11 {Anderskewitz,
R-Deneuville,C (2456) ICCF email 2000}) 12. Rc1 $2 {This leaves White with a
cramped position and a badly placed Nb3.} (12. Qc1 Bb7 13. Bh6 Re8 14. Bxg7
Kxg7 $11 {Schildt,R (2053)-Kohler,T (2263) Berlin 2013}) 12... Bb7 $15 13. Rc4
$6 (13. Na1) 13... a5 14. a3 Qd7 15. Ng5 $6 a4 16. Nc1 h6 17. Ne4 $2 Nd4 $17
18. e3 Ne6 19. b4 f5 20. Nc3 Nxc3 21. Rxc3 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 f4 $19 23. exf4 exf4
24. Rc4 f3+ 25. Kh1 Nd4 26. Be3 b5 27. Rc5 Rae8 28. Rg1 c6 29. Qd2 Nf5 30. d4
Nxe3 31. fxe3 f2 32. Rf1 Qh3 33. Rxf2 Rxf2 34. Qxf2 Rf8 35. Qg1 Rf1 36. Rxc6
Qf5 37. Kg2 Qf3+ {0-1 (37) Thiede,L (2450)-Schlosser,P (2555) Germany 2010})
8... dxc3 $6 {Even though this move is playable, it contains a certain
positional risk, which I would not be willing to take. Therefore, I suggest
the following novelty and claim equality for Black:} (8... e5 $1 {Diagram [#]}
9. cxd4 exd4 10. Bd2 {Now Black has two good options. Note the occurring motive
of sacrificing the a-pawn with a5-a4 at some stage.} Nd5 (10... a5 11. Rc1 a4
12. Nc5 Nd5 $5 {Black can sacrifice a pawn and play against White's misplaced
knight.} 13. Nxa4 (13. Rc4 Nb6) (13. Re1 $2 a3 {[%csl Yc3]}) 13... Nce7 14. Re1
(14. a3 {Now, White threatens to reactivate his knight, hence...} b6 15. b3 Re8
16. Rc2 (16. e4 $2 dxe3 17. fxe3 Nf5) 16... Nf5 17. Re1 Bb7 {with more than
enough compensation for the pawn.}) 14... Bg4 (14... b6 $2 15. e4) 15. h3 (15.
e4 $2 dxe3 16. fxe3 Nf5 $1 17. Kh1 (17. e4 Bd4+ 18. Kh1 Nfe3 $17) (17. Nc3 $2
Nb4 $17) 17... Re8 18. e4 Nd4 19. Rf1 Nf6 20. Be3 Nd7 $15) 15... Bc8 {Mission
accomplished. Now, the advance e4 would create a weakness on g3.} 16. b4 (16.
e4 dxe3 17. fxe3 Qd6 18. e4 (18. g4 $2 h5 19. gxh5 Qg3 $40) (18. Kh2 $2 Nf5 $19
) 18... Qxg3 19. exd5 Bxh3 20. Re2 Nf5 (20... Rxa4 $5 21. Qxa4 Bxg2 22. Rxg2
Qxf3 23. Qe4 Qh3 $13) 21. Nc3 Bd4+ 22. Nxd4 Nxd4 23. Rf2 Bxg2 24. Rxg2 Nf3+ 25.
Kf1 Nh2+ 26. Kg1 Nf3+ $11) 16... Qe8 17. Nc5 b6 (17... Nc3 $5 18. Bxc3 dxc3 19.
d4 Ra3 20. Rc2 Nc6 21. Qc1 Nxb4 22. Rxc3 Rxa2 23. Qb1 b6 24. Qxb4 bxc5 25. Rxc5
Rxe2 26. Ne5 Rxe1+ 27. Qxe1 Be6 28. Kh2 Qe7 29. Qc3 Rc8 30. Rc6 Qd8 $11) 18.
Nb3 Nc3 19. Bxc3 dxc3 20. d4 Rxa2 (20... Nd5 21. Ne5 Bb7 22. Bxd5 Bxd5 23. Rxc3
Qe7 24. e4 Bxe5 25. dxe5 Be6 26. Nd4 Qxb4 27. Nxe6 Qxc3 28. Nxf8 Rxf8 29. Qa1
Qxa1 30. Rxa1 Re8 31. f4 Ra8 32. Rd1 Kf8 33. Rd2 Ke7 $11) 21. e4 Nc6 22. Rxc3
Qd7 23. Qb1 (23. Qc1 $2 Nxd4 24. Nbxd4 Bxd4 25. Nxd4 Qxd4) 23... Nxb4 24. Rc4
Ra4 25. Nbd2 Qe7 (25... c5 26. dxc5 bxc5 27. Nb3 Na6 28. Nxc5 Nxc5 29. Rxc5 Qa7
30. Rec1 Be6 {with a roughly level position}) 26. Qb3 b5 27. Rb1 bxc4 28. Qxa4
c3 29. Rxb4 cxd2 30. Nxd2 c5 31. dxc5 Qxc5 32. Rc4 Qd6 33. Nf3 Be6 {with a
drawish ending}) 11. Rc1 (11. Qc1 Re8 12. Re1 a5 13. Bh6 a4 14. Bxg7 (14. Nc5
Bh8 $11) 14... axb3 15. Bxd4 (15. Bh6 bxa2) 15... Nxd4 16. Nxd4 bxa2 17. Qd2 c6
18. b4 Qd6 19. Rxa2 Rxa2 20. Qxa2 Qxb4 $11) 11... Re8 12. Re1 a5 13. a3 a4 $5 {
Here we go again!} (13... Nde7 14. Qc2 Ra7 {Now, 15..b6 is a threat.} (14... b6
$6 15. Nfxd4 Bxd4 16. Bxc6 Nxc6 17. Qxc6 Bd7 18. Qc2 (18. Qxc7 $2 Bxb2) 18...
Bg7 (18... Ba4 19. Qc4 Bxb3 20. Qxb3 $14) 19. Bc3 $14) 15. Nc5 b6 (15... h6 16.
e3) 16. Ne4 {[%cal Rd2g5]} h6 17. e3 {If White doesn't play dynamically, he
might end up being worse, once Black got in Be6 and a4.} Bd7 (17... dxe3 $6 18.
Bc3 $1 exf2+ 19. Qxf2 {with good compensation due to Black's weaknesses on c6,
f6 and f7.}) (17... f5 18. Neg5 hxg5 19. Nxg5 Rf8 20. exd4 Nxd4 21. Qc4+ Kh8
22. Nf7+ Rxf7 23. Qxf7 c5 24. b4 (24. Bg5 Qg8 25. Qxg8+ Nxg8) 24... axb4 25.
axb4 Qg8 26. Qxg8+ Kxg8 (26... Nxg8 27. bxc5 bxc5 28. Rxc5 Ba6 29. Ra5 Nb3 30.
Be3 Nxa5 31. Bxa7 Bxd3 32. Rd1 $14) 27. bxc5 bxc5 28. Rxc5 Kf7 29. Ra5 Rxa5 30.
Bxa5 g5 31. Bb4 Bf6 {and Black shouldn't have problems with his well
centralized pieces.}) 18. Nxd4 Nxd4 19. exd4 Nf5 20. d5 Nd4 21. Qd1 c6 22. dxc6
(22. d6 c5 $11) (22. Be3 cxd5 23. Nc3 h5 $11 {[%cal Gd7g4]}) 22... Bxc6 23. Be3
Rc7 $44 {[%csl Yb2,Yd3]}) 14. Nc5 b6 15. Nxa4 Bd7 16. e4 (16. b3 b5 17. Nc5
Rxa3 18. Ra1 b4) 16... dxe3 17. fxe3 Ncb4 18. Nxb6 (18. axb4 Bxa4 19. b3 Bb5
$11) 18... cxb6 19. axb4 Bxb2 20. Rc2 Bg7 (20... Ba4 $6 21. Qb1 Bxc2 22. Qxb2
Rc8 (22... Bxd3 $2 23. Ne5 Bb5 24. Ng4 $16) 23. Ne5 Qf6 24. d4 Qe6 25. e4 Nf6
26. b5 $36) 21. e4 Ne7 22. Rc1 Ba4 23. Qe2 Bb5 $11) 9. bxc3 Nd5 {Diagram [#]} (
{Black can still refrain from adventures with} 9... e5 $5 {Eventually, he
should be able to neutralize White's initiative.} 10. d4 (10. Qc2 Re8 11. Nfd2)
(10. Ba3 Re8 11. Nfd2 Nd5 12. Rc1 Rb8) 10... Re8 11. Nxe5 (11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6
Qxf6 13. e3 Rb8 14. d5 Ne7 15. e4 b6 16. c4 Ba6 17. Nfd2 Nc8) 11... Nxe5 12.
dxe5 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 Rxe5 14. Rd8+ Re8 15. Rxe8+ Nxe8 16. Bf4 Bxc3 17. Rc1 Bb2
18. Rc2 Bf6 19. Bxc7 Bf5 20. e4 Be6 21. Bf4 Rd8 22. Bf1 b6 23. f3 g5 24. Be3
Nd6 $11) 10. c4 (10. d4 $6 Nxc3 11. Qd3 $2 (11. Qc2 Nb5 12. Bb2 a5 13. a4 Nd6
14. Ne5 Nb4 15. Qc3 c6 16. Nc5 {and White might have enough compensation, but
not more.}) 11... Nd5 $2 (11... Bxd4 12. Nfxd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 $17) 12. a3
Nb6 13. Bf4 Bf5 (13... Re8 {Dibai,J (1800)-Crespo de Oliveira,L (2189) Belo
Horizonte 2013}) 14. e4 Bg4 $15) 10... Ndb4 ({Since White was slightly better
in the main game, diving in with} 10... Nc3 $5 {Diagram [#] is an interesting
alternative. At first sight, the result appears to be okay for Black. However,
the position is very complicated, so this verdict might change.} 11. Qe1 (11.
Qd2 Na4 (11... e5 12. Ba3 Re8 13. Rac1 Na4 14. Ng5 $14) 12. d4 e5 13. d5 e4 14.
Ng5 e3 (14... Ne5 15. Qc2 f5 16. Nd4 Nc5 17. Ba3 Qxg5 18. Bxc5 Re8 19. Nb5 Qd8
20. d6 cxd6 21. Rad1 $36) 15. Qxe3 Nb4 16. Qd2 Bc3 17. Qf4 Bxa1 18. Nxa1 Nxa2
19. Ba3 N2c3 20. Re1 f6 21. Ne6 Bxe6 22. Bxf8 (22. dxe6 $2 c5 $15) 22... Kxf8
23. dxe6 c6 24. Nb3 Qe7 25. Na5 Kg7 26. e4 Nc5 27. Qd2 N3a4 28. e5 fxe5 29.
Rxe5 Rd8 30. Qb4 Rd1+ 31. Bf1 Kf8 32. Re3 Ke8 33. Kg2 Rd6 $13) 11... Na4 12.
Rb1 Nc3 13. Ra1 Na4 14. Rb1 Nc3 15. Rb2 a5 (15... Na4 $6 16. Rc2 $14 a5 17. Bd2
Bg4 18. h3 Bd7 19. Nxa5 Nc5 20. Nb3 Na4 21. d4 e5 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5
24. Bh6 Re8 25. f4 Bh8 26. e4 Qe7 27. g4 Bc6 28. e5 Bxg2 29. Kxg2 f6 30. Qe4
fxe5 31. f5 Qd6 32. c5 {1-0 (32) Sparnacini,S (2169)-Werner,G (2084) ICCF
email 2013}) 16. Rc2 (16. d4 a4 17. Qxc3 axb3 18. Qxb3 Nxd4 $11) 16... a4 17.
Rxc3 (17. Nc5 Qd6 18. Be3 b6 19. Rxc3 bxc5 20. Rc1 Rb8 21. Rb1 Bg4 $11) 17...
axb3 18. Rxb3 Rxa2 19. Ra3 Rxa3 20. Bxa3 Re8 21. Qd2 h6 22. Rb1 e5 23. Ne1 e4
24. Bb2 Bxb2 25. Qxb2 Bf5 26. dxe4 Bxe4 27. Bxe4 Rxe4 28. Qxb7 Rxc4 {seems to
be okay for Black}) 11. Bd2 (11. a3 Bxa1 12. Nxa1 Na6 13. d4 Na5 (13... Bg4 14.
Nb3 Qd7) 14. c5 Be6 15. Bd2 c6 16. Qa4 Nc4 17. Bh6 Qa5 (17... Re8 18. Rc1) 18.
Qxa5 Nxa5 19. Bxf8 Kxf8 20. e3 Rd8 21. Rb1 Ba2 22. Rb2 Bd5 $11) (11. d4 a5 (
11... Bf5 12. Bb2 (12. Bf4 Nc2 13. Rb1 (13. Rc1 $2 N2xd4 $15) 13... N2xd4 14.
Nbxd4 Nxd4 15. Rxb7 Ne6 $11) 12... a5 13. Qd2 a4 14. Nc5 b6 15. Nd3 Nxd3 16.
exd3 Nxd4 (16... Qd6 $6 17. d5 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 Nb4 19. d4 a3 20. Qc3 Ra4 21. Rfd1
) 17. Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Bxa8 Bxb2 19. Qxb2 Qxa8 20. Rfe1 Bh3 21. f4 Qc6 22. Rad1
Rd8 $44 {e.g.} 23. Qf2 Rd6 24. Rd2 Bf5) 12. a3 Na6 13. a4 e5 14. Ba3 Re8 15. d5
Ncb4 16. e4 b6 $11) 11... a5 (11... Bxa1 $6 12. Qxa1 f6 13. d4 $36) 12. a3 Na6
{Diagram [#]} 13. Rb1 ({Here, sacrificing the exchange looks promising:} 13.
Nxa5 $5 Nxa5 14. Bxa5 Bxa1 (14... Nc5 15. Bb4 Bxa1 16. Qxa1 Na4 17. d4 Re8 (
17... c5 18. dxc5 Qc7 19. Qe5 $16) 18. c5 {The position is more easy to play
with White.} (18. e4 c5 19. dxc5 Qc7 20. Nd4 Bd7 21. Nb5 Qc8)) 15. Qxa1 f6 16.
d4 Nb8 17. Bc3 Qe8 18. Rc1 Qa4 19. Bb2 Rd8 20. Nd2 Nc6 21. d5 Ne5 22. c5 {
Again, I prefer White's side.}) 13... a4 14. Nc1 Nc5 15. Rb5 $2 (15. Be3 {
Diagram [#] gives White a long lasting initiative:} Qd6 (15... Ne6 16. Na2 $1
Qd6 17. Nb4 Bd7 18. Qc2 Nxb4 19. Rxb4 b6 (19... Bc6 20. c5 Qd7 21. Rfb1) 20.
Ng5 Nxg5 21. Bxg5 Ra5 22. Bf4 e5 23. Be3 $14) (15... Nd7 16. d4 Nb6 17. d5 Na5
18. Bxb6 cxb6 19. Qxa4 Qc7 20. Nd2 $14) 16. Rb5 Ne6 (16... b6 17. d4 $14) 17.
d4 Qxa3 18. d5 Rd8 19. Rb1 (19. Nd3 $2 Ned4) 19... Nb4 20. Bd2 Na2 21. Qc2 (21.
Nxa2 Qxa2 22. dxe6 Bxe6 $44) 21... Nc3 22. Bxc3 Qxc3 23. Qxc3 Bxc3 24. dxe6
Bxe6 25. Rxb7 a3 26. Rxc7 Bf6 27. h4 (27. Na2 Ra4) (27. Nb3 Rab8 28. Nfd2 $6 (
28. Nc1 Ra8) 28... Bc3 29. Bd5 Bh3 30. Rc1 Bxd2 31. Nxd2 e6 32. Bg2 Bxg2 33.
Nb1 $11) 27... a2 28. Nxa2 Rxa2 29. Ng5 Rxe2 30. Nxe6 Rxe6 31. c5 Re2 32. c6
Rc2 33. Rd7 e6 34. Rfd1 Rxd7 35. Rxd7 Kf8 {with a likely draw}) 15... Qd6 $2 (
15... b6 16. Be3 (16. d4 $2 Nb7 17. c5 bxc5 18. dxc5 e5 $15) 16... Bd7 $1 17.
Bxc5 bxc5 18. Rxc5 (18. Nd2 $6 Nd4) 18... Bb2 $11) 16. Qc2 $2 (16. Be3 $14 {
see 15.Be3}) 16... Ne6 $2 (16... e5 17. Bc3 Bf5 $15) 17. e3 $1 Qxa3 {If Black
doesn't accept the sacrifice, he has nothing to show for his grim position.}
18. d4 {Diagram [#]} Bxd4 {Forced.} 19. exd4 $2 {The pawn sacrifice was only
to be justified by the following "computer line", targeting Black's queen.
Since Karjakin didn't play that, he chose the right move (17.e3) for the wrong
reasons or misjudged 18..Bxd4.} (19. Na2 $1 Bf6 20. Bc1 Qb3 {This leads to a
miraculous salvation, due to the loose situation of the Na2.} (20... Qd6 $2 21.
Rd1 $18) 21. Rxb3 axb3 22. Qxb3 Nc5 23. Qc2 (23. Qb5 $2 {loses the queen} Ra5
24. Qb1 Bf5) 23... Bf5 24. Qd2 Rfd8 25. Nd4 e5 26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Nb4 exd4 28.
Nxc6 Rd6 29. Nxd4 Bd3 30. Rd1 Rb6 31. Nb5 (31. h4 h5) 31... Bxc4 32. Qb4 Be2
33. Qxc5 Bxd1 34. Nxc7 Rd8 35. Qxb6 Bf3 36. Qb3 Rd1+ {with a drawish ending})
19... Nexd4 $2 (19... Ncxd4 20. Nxd4 Nxd4 21. Qe4 Nxb5 22. cxb5 Qc5 $15) 20.
Qe4 Bf5 21. Qf4 Nxb5 22. cxb5 Nd8 23. Bb4 Qb2 24. Bxe7 Ne6 25. Qh4 {Diagram [#] } Rfe8 $2 {That's too dangerous. It was mandatory, to give back some material.}
(25... Qxb5 $13) 26. Bf6 Qa3 27. h3 $6 (27. Ne5 $18 {Beside the threat of 28.
Bxb7, there is the idea of playing Nd7 and Be5, which could happen after 27..
Rab8.}) 27... Qf8 28. Ne5 $16 {Diagram [#] Since the rest is not relevant for
our opening analysis, I don't add comments.} g5 29. Qc4 Qh6 30. Nd7 Nf8 31.
Ba1 Nxd7 32. g4 Be6 33. Qc3 f6 34. Bxb7 Ra7 35. Bc6 Qf8 36. Qd4 Raa8 37. Bxd7
Bxd7 38. Qxd7 Qf7 39. Qd4 a3 40. Nd3 a2 41. Qc3 Rad8 42. Nb4 Re4 43. Qb2 h5 44.
gxh5 Rdd4 45. Nxa2 Rg4+ 46. Kh2 Qxh5 47. Qxd4 Rxd4 48. Bxd4 Qe2 49. Ra1 Qxb5
50. Nc3 Qc4 51. Bxf6 Qf4+ 52. Kg2 Qxf6 53. Rc1 Qc6+ 54. f3 Kg7 55. Ne2 Qd7 56.
Rc2 Qe7 57. Ng3 Kg6 58. Rc6+ Kh7 59. Ne4 Qe5 60. Rc5 Qf4 61. Nxg5+ Kg8 62. Rd5
Qc4 63. Re5 Qc3 64. Rd5 c6 65. Rd8+ Kg7 66. Ne4 Qc1 67. Rc8 Kf7 68. h4 Ke6 69.
h5 Kd7 70. Rg8 Qh6 71. Rg6 Qh8 72. h6 Ke7 73. Rg7+ Ke6 74. Ng5+ Kf6 75. Ne4+
Ke6 76. Rg6+ Kf5 77. Rf6+ Qxf6 {Diagram [#] Conclusion: We now came to the end
of my little treatise on 6..d4. As you could see, it is White who has to fight
for equality in most of the lines. Only 7.Nb3 Nc6 8.c3! puts Black to the test.
However, equality also will be result here after correct play.} 1/2-1/2