0016 SLAV DEFENSE (D13)
Midtown Club VIII, 10-28-98
McCartney, P (1799) NM Liu,D. (2073)
1 c4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 cd cd 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bf4 e6 (With this move, Black leaves his bishop behind the pawn chain, which often leads to a kingside attack for White. The other main alternative is 6 Bf5, which is quite different in nature. The "b7" pawn becomes weak, and a queenside attack by White often results. Bottom line is, in the Exchange Variation of the Slav Defense, the light-squared bishop is a key defensive piece for Black, and where he decides to locate it is often what decides where White’s attack will be) 7 e3 Be7 8 Bd3 0-0 9 0-0 b6 (9…Nh5! Is better here, as after 10 Be5 f5 White has two choices, both of which lead to equality: A. 11 Rc1 Nf6 12 Bf6 gf6 13 Nh4 Kh8 14 f4 Rg8 15 Rf3 Bd7 16 Bh3 Be8 17 a3 Rg7! 18 Rg3 Rg3 19 hg3 Rc8= B. 11 a3 Bd7 12 Na4 Nf6 13 Bf6 Bf6 14 Nc5 Qe7 15 Rc1 Be8 16 Be2 Rc8 17 b4 b6 18 Nd3 Bh5=) 10 Rc1 Bb7 11 h3 Nb4 12 Bb1 Ba6 13 Re Rc8 14 a3 Nc6 15 Ne5 Na5 (Black would be better off playing 15…Ne5 16 Be5 Qd7+=) 16 g4+= (16 b4 Nc4 17 Qa4+- was better) 16…g6 (16…Bc4 was better) 17 h4 (Again, White missed the chance to play 17 b4 Nc4 18 Qa4+-) 17…Nc4 18 Nc4 Bc4 19 Bh6 Re8 20 h5 Qd7 21 hg fg 22 g5 Nh5 23 Qg4 Qd6 24 f4 Ba6 25 Kg2 Bf8 26 Rh Bh6 27 gh= (Better was 27 Bg6 hg 28 gh Nf4 29 ef+=) 27…Nf6 28 Qg5 Qe7 29 Rcg Kh8 30 Kf3 Ng8 31 Qg3 Qf7 32 Rh2 Ne7 33 Qg5 Rf8 34 Qe5 Qf6 35 Qf6 Rf6 36 Rg5 Rcf8 37 Bc2 =+ (Here I offered Draw and Black accepted. I had figured that 37…Nc6 intending…Nc6-d8-f7 and …g5 as perhaps troubesome. I ran this endgame position through Fritz 5, and it gave 37…Nf5=+ ½ - ½ (Notes by McCartney)