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3. Carlsen - Anand, Round 9, Bilbao (Spanish Sicilian Rat Opening Theory)

Sat Nov 3, 2012, 05:35 PM

Nov 2012

This is Magnus' first victory over Sri Anand in a game played under standard time control. It set up a tie for the tournament championship between Magnus and reigning Italian champion Fabiano Caruana. That was resolved in a two-game blitz playoff in which Magnus won both games.

[center][/center]

[center]Magnus Carlsen[/center]
[font size="1"]Photo by Stefan64 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stefan64) from Wikipedia
(Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
[/font]

Magnus Carlsen - Vishy Anand
Grand Slam Masters, Round 9
Bilbao, 12 October 2012

Spanish Sicilian Rat Game: Main Line (Canal Attack)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+

It is more usual to play the Spanish Bishop sortie after 2...Nc6 than after 2...d6.
For the Spanish Sicilian Royal Game, see Najer-Mosieenko, Russian ChT, Olginka, 2011.

[center]BLACK[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE[/center][center]Spanish Sicilian Rat Game[/center][center]Position after 3.Bf1b5+[/center]

3...Bd7

This is the most common move, although Black ends up surrendering his good Bishop. Variations rooted in [font color="red"]3...Nc6, the Moscow Gambit,[/font] can transpose from Spanish Sicilians Royal or even Open Sicilians that feature ...Nc6. [font color="blue"]3...Nd7, the Venice Defense,[/font] is a more straightforward attempt by Black to preserve his light-bound Bishop.
[font color="red"](Moscow Gambit)[/font] If [font color="red"]3...Nc6 [/font]

[font color="red"]
[center]BLACK[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE[/center][center]Spanish Sicilian Royal Game: Moscow Gambit[/center][center]Position after 3...Nb8c6[/center]
[/font]

If [font color="red"]4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]5...Nf6 6.c3 a6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]7.Bf1 Bg4[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]8.d3 e6 9.Nbd2[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]9...Be7 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 Nd7[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]13.Ng2[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]13...e5 14.Nf3[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]14...h5 15.g5 Nf8 16.d4[/font] then:

[font color="red"]16...cxd4 17.cxd4 exd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Bxg5 20.Bxg5 Qxg5 21.Qxd6[/font] gives White a safer King and a slight edge in space (Zhong Zhang-Atakisi, Ol, Bled, 2002).
[font color="burgundy"]16...Qd7 17.Ngh4 f6 18.Kh2 cxd4 19.cxd4 exd4 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.Qxd4[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Menzi-Nikolova, Euro ChTW, Porto Carras, 2011).

[font color="darkpink"]14...Rc8 15.a3 Nf8 16.d4 cxd4 17.cxd4 h5 18.d5[/font] remains equal (Zavgorodniy-Galliamova, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2002).

If [font color="darkred"]13...0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14.f4 14...h6 15.Nf3 Bh7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]16.f5 Nde5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"] 17.Nf4 Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 Bg5[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]19.Bg2 Qe7 20.Nh5 exf5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.exf5 g6 23.Ng3 gxf5 24.gxf5[/font] is equal (Spassov-Halikas, Euro ChT, Plovdiv, 2003).
[font color="hotpink"]19.Qd1 Re8 20.Bg2 g6 21.Rf1 exf5 22.exf5 gxf5[/font] is equal (Reinderman-Tiviakov, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2000).

[font color="purple"]17.Be3 Rc8 18.Rc1 d5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Bf4 Nc6[/font] gives Black a slight advantage in space (Vescovi-Szmetan, Pan-Am Ch, Cali, 2001).

[font color="darkorange"]16.Qe2 Qc7 17.Qf2 Rae8 18.f5 Nde5[/font] is equal (D. Popovic-B. Vuckovic, TT, Herceg Novi, 2005).

[font color="magenta"]14.Nf4 Bf6 15.Nf3 Nde5 16.Be3 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 h6[/font] gives Black a slim advantage in space.

If [font color="darkred"]13.Nxg6 hxg6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14.Nf3 Nde5 15.Be3 Nxf3+ 16.Qxf3[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]16...Bg5 17.d4 cxd4 18.cxd4 Bxe3 19.Qxe3[/font] is equal (Urquhart-Noritsyn, Candian Closed Ch, Toronto, 2006).
[font color="burgundy"]16...e5 17.Qd1 Bg5 18.Bg2 Bxe3 19.fxe3 Qd7 20.d4[/font] is equal (Xu Yuhua-Wang Lei, Chiese ChTW, Suzhou, 2001).

If [font color="magenta"]14.f4 Bh4 15.Re2 g5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]16.f5 Nde5 17.Re3 0-0[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]18.Bg2 d5 19.exd5 exd5 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 d4[/font] gives Black a slight advantage (Rublevsky-Timoshenko, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2004).
[font color="burgundy"]18.Nf3 Nxf3+ 19.Qxf3 b5 20.Bg2 Rb8 21.Qd1 b4[/font] gives Black the advantage in space because his minor pieces are better (Perunovic-Vuckovic, Serbian ChT, Zlatibor, 2006).

If [font color="darkorange"]16.Nf3 gxf4 17.Nxh4 Qxh4 18.Bxf4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]18...e5 19.Bh2 Nf8 20.a3[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]20...Ne6 21.b4 0-0-0 22.Rb1 Nf4 23.Re3 Qe7 24.Kh1[/font] gives Black the advantage in space, but White's pawns are still moble on the kingside (Sadvakasov-Grischuk, IT, Poikovsky, 2005).
[font color="purple"]20...a5 21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Rxa1 23.Qxa1 cxb4 24.Qa8+[/font] is equal (Mahjoob-Sufian, Asian Ch, Subic Bay, 2009).

[font color="hotpink"]18...0-0-0!? 19.Bh2 g6 20.Rf2 f5 21.d4 fxg4 22.Qxg4[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkred"]9...Nd7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10.h3 Bh5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11.g4 Bg6 12.d4 cxd4 13.cxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Be7 14.d5 Nce5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Nf3 Rc8[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]17.b3 exd5 18.Qxd5 f6 19.Nh4 Nc5 20.Qxd8+ Rxd8[/font] is equal (Zhong Zhang-Topalov, IT A, Wijk aan Zee, 2004).
[font color="burgundy"]17.Bg2 exd5 18.exd5 Bd6 19.Bf4 f6 20.Be3[/font] is equal (Bologan-Movsesian, IT, Sarajevo, 2004).

If [font color="magenta"]15.dxe6 fxe6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.Nxe5 dxe5 17.Bc4 Nc5 18.Nb3 Qxd1 19.Rxd1 Nxe4[/font] is equal (Deszczynski-Moranda, Euro Rpd Ch, Warsaw, 2010).
[font color="darkorange"]16.Nd4 Bh4 17.N2f3 0-0 18.Bg2 Nc5 19.Nxh4 Qxh4[/font] gives Black a slight advantage with pressure on f2 (Lahno-Sebag, Rpd IT, Cap d'Agde, 2008).

If [font color="magenta"]13...e5 14.d5 Ncb8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15.b4 Be7 16.Nc4 h5 17.g5 a5 18.bxa5[/font] gives White a healthy advantage in space; Black's game is cramped but defensable (Anand-Topalov, IT, Dortmund, 2001).
[font color="darkorange"]15.h4 h6 16.Bh3 Be7 17.h5 Bh7 18.Nf1 a5[/font] is equal (Smeets-Cheparinov, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).

If [font color="magenta"]11.Be2 Be7 12.Nf1 0-0[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]13.Ng3 Bg6 14.a3 d5 15.exd5 exd5 16.Bf4 Re8[/font] is equal (Vachier Lagrave-Tregubov, Paris Ch, 2004).
[font color="darkorange"]13.N3d2 Bxe2 14.Qxe2 d5 15.exd5 exd5 16.Nf3 Re8[/font] is equal; the players soon agreed to a draw (Gelashvili-Banikas, Op, Corinth, 1999).

If [font color="magenta"]10.Be2 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11.Nf1 0-0 12.Ng3 Rc8 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bg5[/font] draw (Spasov-Krivoshey, Op, Salou, Spain, 2005).
If [font color="darkorange"]11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]12...d5 13.h3 dxe4 14.hxg4 exf3 15.Nxf3 Nf6 16.g5[/font] is equal.
[font color="purple"]12...0-0 13.h3 Bh5 14.d5 exd5 15.exd5 Nb4 16.a3[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkred"]8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 g6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10.d3 Bg7 11.Be3 Nd7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12.Nd2 0-0 13.Qd1 b5[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]14.Nf3 Nb6 15.d4 Na4!? 16.Re2 Qa5 17.Rc1[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Ponomariov-Caruana, IT, Dortmund, 2012).
[font color="burgundy"]14.a3 Nb6 15.Nf3 Na4 16.Qd2 d5 17.Bh6 d4[/font] is equal (Karttunen-Laznicka, Euro Club Cup, Rogaska Slatina, 2011).

[font color="darkpink"]12.Qd1 0-0 13.Nd2 Rc8 14.f4 e5 15.f5[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Kasparov-Vachier Lagrave, Blitz M, Clichy, 2011).

If [font color="magenta"]10.Qd1 Bh6 11.Na3 0-0 12.Nc2[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]12...e5 13.d4 Bxc1 14.Rxc1 cxd4 15.cxd4[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15...Rc8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Qf3 Kg7 18.Bc4 Nd4[/font] gives Black a slight initiative (Glek-Vachier Lagrave, Bundesliga 0708, Katernberg, 2007).
[font color="burgundy"]15...Qb6 16.d5 Ne7 17.Na3 Ne8 18.Nc4 Qa7 19.a4[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Brodsky-Dobrov, Op, St. Petersburg, 2003).

If [font color="darkorange"]12...Rc8[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]13.Rb1 d5 14.e5 Nd7 15.b4[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]15...Qc7!? 16.bxc5! Nxc5 17.d4 Bxc1 18.Rxc1 Nd7 19.Ne3[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Iordachescu-Movsesian, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).
[font color="purple"]15...Qb6 16.Ne3 Bxe3 17.dxe3 Rfd8 18.Qxd5 Ncxe5 19.e4[/font] is equal.

[font color="hotpink"]13.a3 e6 14.b4 Qb6 15.e5 dxe5 16.d4[/font] is equal (Skripchenko-E. Pähtz. ITW, Biel, 2005).

If [font color="darkred"]7.Ba4 b5 8.Bc2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]8...e5 9.h3 Be7 10.d4 0-0 11.d5 Na5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12.b3 Qc7[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]13.Be3 13...g6 14.Nbd2 Nh5 15.Nf1 Kh8 16.Bh6 Ng7 17.g4 Nb7 18.Ng3 Nd8 19.a4[/font] draw (Meier-Inarkiev, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).
[font color="burgundy"]13.Nbd2 c4 14.b4 Nb7 15.Nf1 a5 16.a3 Ra6[/font] is equal (Lahno-S. Ernst, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2012).

[font color="darkpink"]12.Nbd2 Qc7 13.Nf1[/font] is a position that can also arise out of the Chigorin Defense in the Grand Spanish Royal Game; the game may continue, for example, [font color="darkpink"]13...Rac8 14.g4 h5 15.N3h2 hxg4 16.hxg4 Nh7[/font] with Black slightly better (Lindberg-Hammer, Rilton Cup 0910, Stockholm, 2010).

If [font color="magenta"]8...Bg4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 g6[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11.d3 Bg7[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]12.Be3 Nd7 13.Nd2 0-0 14.Rac1 Rb8 15.Qe2 a5 16.Nf3[/font] gives White the advantage in the center; Black has potential counterplay on the queenside (Van Kampen-S. Kuipers, IT C, Wijk aan Zee, 2010).
If [font color="darkorange"]12.Nd2 0-0[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]13.Qe2 Nd7 14.Nf3 b4 15.Ba4 Qc7 16.Bd2[/font] is equal (Ponomariov-Topalov, FIDE Knock Out, Las Vegas, 1999).
[font color="purple"]13.Nf1 b4 14.g4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Nd7 16.Bd2 Qa5[/font] gives Black a small advantage with pressure on c3 (Van Kemenade-Hodgson, British Ch, Great Yarmouth, 2007).

If [font color="darkorange"]11.a4 Rb8 12.axb5 axb5[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]13.Na3 Nd7 14.Qe2 Qb6 15.Bd3 c4 16.Bc2 Nc5[/font] is equal (Reshevsky-Christiansen, US Ch, South Bend, Indiana, 1981).
[font color="purple"]13.d3 Bg7 14.Nd2 0-0 15.Nf1 b4 16.Ba4 Nd7[/font] is equal; if 17.Bxc6!? then 17...Ne5! wins back the piece without taking any damage (Burns Mannion-Moiseenko, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

If [font color="darkorange"]9.a4 Rb8 10.axb5 axb5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 e5 13.d5 Nd4 14.Nbd2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]14...Be7 15.Bd3 0-0 16.h3[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]16...Bh5 17.g4 Nxg4 18.Nxd4 Nxf2 19.Qxh5 Nxd3 20.Nc6[/font] is equal (Ni Hua-Aveskulov, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
[font color="burgundy"]16...Nxf3+ 17.Nxf3 Bh5 18.Bd2 Nd7 19.b4 Nb6 20.Qe2[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Bojkov-Nyzhnyk, Op, Groningen, 2010).

[font color="hotpink"]14...Nxc2 15.Qxc2 Be7 16.h3 Bd7 17.Nb3 0-0 18.Na5[/font] gives White a slight edge (Malakhov-Saposhnikov, Russian Ch HL, Novokuznetsk, 2008).

[font color="purple"]11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 e6 13.d3 Be7 14.Be3[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (A. Kovacevic-Bogosavljevic, Kostic Mem, Vrsac, Serbia, 2008).

If [font color="darkred"]5...a6 6.Bxc6 Bxc6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]8...Nf6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qf3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10...e5 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Nd2 0-0 13.Nc4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Qc7 14.Rad1[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]14...Rad8 15.Rd3 h6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Ne3 Qa5 18.Red1[/font] gives White better contol of the center (Rublevsky-Agopov, Euro Club Cup, Saint Vincent, 2005).
[font color="burgundy"]14...Rfd8 15.Rd3 d5 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Ne3 d4 18.Nc4[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Ramesh-Chowdhury, Indian Ch, Mumbai, 2003).

[font color="darkpink"]13...Qb8 14.Rad1 Rd8 15.b3 h6 16.Bh4 Ra7 17.Ne3[/font] gives White a fair advantage in space (Xu Yuhua-Ghaderpour, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).

[font color="darkorchid"]10...Qc7 11.b3 e5 12.Nd2 Be7 13.Nc4 0-0 14.Bg5[/font] gives White more piece activity, but Black's center makes it difficult to exploit the advantage (Grischuk-Miton, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2002).

If [font color="magenta"]8...Rc8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]9.c4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bd7 11.Qd3 Qc7 12.b3 e6[/font] gives White a small advantage in space; the bind makes it difficult for Black to play ...d5 and Black's center makes it hard to White to move forward (De Castro-Quinteros, IT, Manila, 1973).
[font color="darkorange"]9.Nc3 e6 10.Nxc6 Rxc6 11.Qg4 Nf6 12.Qg3 Nh5[/font] gives White more space, but Black's center again impedes White's chances to make progress (Degraeve-Kharlov, Op, Metz, 1999).

If [font color="magenta"]7.c3 Nf6 8.d4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]8...Bxe4 9.Bg5 Bd5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]10.Nbd2 e6 11.c4 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 cxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qxb7[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]14...Bg7 15.Qc6+ Ke7[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.Nf3 f5 17.Rad1 Qc8 18.Qd5 Kd7 19.Qa5 Qc5[/font] is equal (Romanishin-Sosonko, IT Reggio Emilia, 1986).
[font color="burgundy"]16.Qb7+ Kf8 17.Nb3 Rb8 18.Qxa6 Qb6 19.Qa3 Qb4[/font] is equal (Böcher-Umansky, Corres, 2004).

[font color="darkpink"]14...Be7 15.Nf3 Qc8 16.Qe4 f5 17.Qxd4 Rg8 18.b3[/font] is equal (Odeev-Nyzhnyk, Turkish League, Konya, 2012).

[font color="darkorchid"]13.Qxb7 Be7 14.Qc6+ Nd7 15.Bxe7 Kxe7 16.Nf3 Qb6[/font] is equal (Svidler-Topalov, IT, Prague, 2002).

If [font color="darkorange"]10.c4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]10...Bxc4 11.Nc3 e6 12.Bxf6[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]12...gxf6 13.d5 e5 14.Nh4 Bb5 15.Ne4 Bd7 16.Qh5[/font] is equal (Martinovic-Anand, IT, Gronigen, 1989).
[font color="purple"]12...Qxf6!? 13.dxc5 0-0-0 14.Qa4 d5 15.Rac1 e5 16.Rxe5[/font] gives White more activity and a safer King (Taulbut-Kupreichik, IT 8182, Hastings, 1981).

If [font color="hotpink"]10...Bxf3 11.Qxf3 cxd4 12.Qxb7 Qc8 13.Qf3[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]13...e6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qxf6 Rg8 16.Nd2[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]16...Bg7 17.Qh4 h6 18.Ne4 Qc7 19.Rad1 Qe7 20.Qg3[/font] gives White better pawns, a safer King and the initiative; Black has a passed pawn (Felgaer-Aronian, World Youth BU20, Yerevan, 2000).
[font color="purple"]16...Rg6 17.Qxd4 Rb8 18.Ne4 Qc6 19.Rad1 f5 20.Ng3[/font] gives White an extra pawn and stronger pawns (Felgaer-Paschall, 1st Saturday December, Budapest, 2001).

[font color="darkpink"]13...e5 14.Nd2 Nd7 15.Nb3 f6 16.Bd2 Be7[/font] is equal (Ivanchuk-Topalov, Amber Blind, Monte Carlo, 2003).

If [font color="darkorange"]8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bxe4 10.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]10...Bxf3 11.Qxf3 e6 12.Qxb7 Qc8 13.Qf3 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]14.Bg5 0-0 15.Rac1 Qd7[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]16.Rc2 Rac8 17.Qd3 Qb7 18.Re3 Nd5 19.Rh3 g6[/font] is equal (Isakov-Abilmazhinov, Asian Ch, Tehran, 2002).
[font color="purple"]16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.d5 e5 18.Ne4 Be7 19.Rc6[/font] gives White a slight edge (M. Socko-Harika, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).

If [font color="hotpink"]14.d5 e5 15.Bg5[/font] then:

If [font color="hotpink"]15...0-0 16.Ne4 Nxd5 17.Nxd6 Qe6[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]18.Rad1 Qxd6 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Rxd5 f6 21.Red1[/font] gives White a slight advantage from his command of the d-file (Smirin-Alterman, ZT, Struga, 1995).
If [font color="#FF4000"]18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Ne4 Rac8[/font] then:

[font color="#FF4000"]20.h3!? Ng6 21.Ng5 Qb6[/font] gives Black the advantage in space (A. Muzychuk-Sebag, ITW, Krasnoturinsk, 2008).

[font color="burgundy"]20.Rad1 Qxa2 21.Nd6 Rc2 22.Rxe5 Ng6 23.Ree1 Qxb2[/font] is equal.

[font color="darkpink"]15...Qd7 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Ne4 Be7 18.Rac1 0-0 19.Rc6[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Hou Yifan-Dembo, World ChTW, Mardin, Turkey, 2007).

If [font color="purple"]10...d5 11.Bg5 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="purple"]12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Rxe4 Qd5[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]15.Re3 Bd6 16.Qd3[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]16...Rc8 17.a3 Kf8 18.Rd1 Qc4 19.Qe4 Qc2 20.Qxc2 Rxc2[/font] is equal (Xu Yuhua-Kovalevskaya, Rpd TMW, Batumi, 2001).
If [font color="hotpink"]16...0-0-0 17.b4 Kb8[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]18.Rb1!? Qxa2 19.Re2 Qd5 20.Reb2 Rc8[/font] gives Black an extra pawn and more space (Pietrasanta-Sebag, IT, Bois Colombes, France, 2004).
[font color="burgundy"]18.a3 Rc8 19.g3 h5 20.Rae1 b5[/font] is equal.

If [font color="hotpink"]15.Qa4+ b5 16.Qc2 Bd6[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]17.a4 Ke7 18.axb5 Rhc8 19.Qb1 axb5 20.Rxa8 Rxa8[/font] is equal (Odeev-Atakisi, Turkish ChT, Konya, 2011).
[font color="burgundy"]17.Re3 Kf8 18.Rc3 Kg7 19.Rc6 Rhd8[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkpink"]12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Rxe4 Be7 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.d5[/font] gives White a lead in development (Wang Hao-Dreev, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2006).

If [font color="darkred"]4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.0-0-0 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10.Rhe1 0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11.Qd2 Qc7 12.Nd4 Rfd8 13.Kb1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Rab8 (14.f3 b5 15.g4 b4 16.Nce2 a5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]17.Ng3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]17...Ba8 18.Nh5 Ne8[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.g5 a4 21.f4 g6 22.Ng3 e5[/font] (Rasulov-Nyzhnyk, World Jr Ch, Chatowa, Poland, 2010).
[font color="burgundy"]19.h4 a4 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.g5 g6 22.Ng3 e5[/font] gives Black a slight initiative and the advantage in space on the queenside (Spanton-Donovan, Op 0809, Hastings, 2009).

If [font color="magenta"]17...Rdc8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]18.Rg1 Bd7 19.Nh5 Qd8 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21.f4 Be7[/font] is equal (So. Polgar-Bakhtadze, World Youth BU20, Matinhos, Brazil, 1994).
If [font color="darkorange"]18.Nh5 Ne8 19.Bxe7 Qxe7[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]20.g5!? g6 21.Ng3 e5 22.Nde2 a4 23.h4 Rb5[/font] leaves Black's queenside slightly better than White's kingside (Alekseev-Khismatullin, Russian Ch, Moscow, 2009).
[font color="purple"]20.Nf4! Ba8 21.Nd3 g6 22.g5 e5 23.Ne2 Rb6[/font] is equal.

[font color="burgundy"]17.h4 a4 18.h5 Rdc8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Rh1 Bd7[/font] is equal (Movsesian-Jirovsky, Czech ChT, 1996).

If [font color="magenta"]13...a6 14.f3 b5 15.g4 Rac8[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]16.Nce2!?[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16...Ba8 17.Ng3 b4 18.Rg1 h6 19.Be3 e5?! 20.Ndf5[/font] gives White potent threats on the kingside, not least of which is the sacrifice 21.Nxh6+, exposing Black's King to direct attack (S. Zhigalko-Durabayli, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
If [font color="purple"]16...Bd7 17.Ng3[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]17...g6!? 18.Rg1 e5 19.Ndf5 Bxf5 20.exf5[/font] gives White an advantage concentrated on the kingside; Black has potential counterplay on the opposite wing (Vasiukov-Browne, Op, Reykjavik, 1980).
[font color="hotpink"]17...h6 18.Be3 Nh7 19.Rc1 a5 20.Red1 Rb8[/font] gives Black a slight advantage concentrated on the queenside.

[font color="darkorange"]16.a3 h6 17.Be3 d5 18.e5 Nh7 19.f4 Bd7[/font] is equal (Houdini 1.5a x64).

If [font color="magenta"]11.Kb1[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11...Qa5 12.Qd2 Qa6 13.Nd4 Rfc8[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]14.f3 Be8 15.g4 b5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.h4 b4 17.Nce2 Qb7 18.Ng3 a5 19.Rg1 a4[/font] is equal (Lallemand-Lomineishvili, Euro ChTW, Goteborg, 2005).
[font color="burgundy"]16.Nce2 b4 17.Ng3 h6 18.Be3 Nd7 19.Bxh6[/font] is equal (Epishin-Dvoirys, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1990).

If [font color="darkorange"]14.f4 h6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]15.h4!?[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]15...Qc4 16.g4 Kf8 17.f5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]17...hxg5?[/font] then after [font color="darkorange"]18.hxg5 Nd7 19.fxe6 Ne5 20.Rh1 fxe6 21.b3[/font] White soon wins (Vasiukov-Van Wely, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2002).
[font color="purple"]17...Kg8 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.fxe6 Kh7 20.Nf5 Bf8 21.e7[/font] gives White a powerful attack.

If [font color="darkpink"]15...hxg5?! 16.hxg5[/font] then:

[font color="darkpink"]16...Qb6 17.gxf6 Bxf6 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Be7 20.Rh1[/font] gives White a powerful attack that Black has no way to prevent.
If [font color="burgundy"]16...Nd7?[/font] then White wins after [font color="burgundy"]17.Rh1 Nc5 18.Qe1 f5 19.Qh4.[/font]

[font color="hotpink"]15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.e5 Be7 17.exd6 Bxd6 18.f5[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkorange"]a) 11...h6 12.Bh4 Re8[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]13.Bg3 d5 14.e5 Ne4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Qxd8 Rexd8[/font] is equal (Svidler-Kasparov, IT, Linares, 1999).
[font color="purple"]13.h3 Qa5 14.Qd2 Qb6 15.Nd4 Rac8 16.g4 a5[/font] is equal (Andres-Hoffman, Op, Vincente López, Argentina, 2001).

[font color="darkorange"]b) 11...Qc7 12.Qd2 Rfd8[/font] transposes to the [font color="darkred"]parent line.[/font]

If [font color="magenta"]10.Qd3 Qa5 11.h4 h6[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Nd4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]13...Qb6 14.f4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]14...0-0-0 15.Nxc6 Qxc6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.Nb5 Qb6 17.c3 Be7 18.Nd4 d5 19.e5 Bc5[/font] is equal (Zelcic-Fargere, Op, Geneva, 2010).
[font color="burgundy"]16.Rh3 a6 17.g4 g5 18.fxg5 hxg5 19.Qf1 Be5[/font] is equal (Belkhodja-Movsesian, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2002).

[font color="darkpink"]14...Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Qxd4 16.Rxd4 Ke7 17.Re1 g5 18.Nd5+[/font] is equal (Ruan Lufei-Ju Wenjun, Grand Prix W, Shenzhen, 2011).

[font color="darkorchid"]13...0-0 14.f4 e5 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.f5 d5 17.exd5 Rab8[/font] is equal (Levacic-Hauchard, French ChT, Le Port Marly, 2009).

If [font color="darkorange"]12.Bd2 Qa6 13.Qxa6 bxa6[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]14.Rde1 Ng4 15.Nd4 Bd7 16.f3 Ne5 17.b3 0-0 18.g4 Rfc8[/font] is equal (Haznedaroglu-Houriez, Euro Ch, Aix-les-Bains, 2011).
If [font color="purple"]14.Rhe1 Ng4 15.Re2[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]15...0-0 16.Nd4 Bd7 17.g3 Rfc8 18.Nb3 Be8 19.f4[/font] gives Black the little center to blunt the progress of White's pawns; White has a slight edge in space (Mamadova-Alsina Leal, Op, Barbera del Valles, 2012).
[font color="hotpink"]15...Bb7 16.Kb1 0-0 17.Bf4 Rfd8 18.Bg3 Nf6 19.Nd4[/font] is equal (Galazewski-Aliavdin, Lasker Mem, Barlinek, 2007).

If [font color="magenta"]7.c4 Nf6 8.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]8...g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Qd3 0-0 11.Nd4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11...Qb6 12.Rd1[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]12...Ng4 13.Qd2 Qc5 14.h3 Nf6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15.Qe2 Rfc8 16.b3 Qe5 17.f3 Nh5 18.Be3[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Ni Hua-Zhou Jianchou, Chinese Ch, Xinghua, 2009).
[font color="burgundy"]15.Qd3 Nd7 16.b3 Qe5 17.Qe3 f5 18.f4[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (El Taher-Bengafer, Op, Dubai, 2001).

[font color="darkpink"]12...Nd7 13.b3 Nc5 14.Qe3 Ne6 15.Nde2 Qxe3 16.Bxe3[/font] is equal (Wen Yang-Le Quang Liem, Lishiu, China, 2009).

If [font color="darkorange"]11...Rc8 12.b3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]12...a6 13.Bb2 Qa5 14.Rfd1[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]14...Rfd8 15.Rab1 Qh5 16.h3 Nd7 17.Re1 Qc5 18.Nxc6[/font] is equal (Predojevic-Timofeev, IT, Sarajevo, 2007).
[font color="purple"]14...e6 15.Rac1 Rfd8 16.a3 Bh6 17.Rc2 Bg7 18.b4 Qh5[/font] is equal (B. Socko-Sutovsky, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010).

[font color="hotpink"]12...Nd7 13.Be3 Nc5 14.Qc2 Bd7 15.Rfd1 f5 16.f3[/font] is equal (Wang Yu-N. Kosintseva, TMW, Ningbo, 2010).

If [font color="darkorange"]8...e6 9.0-0 Be7[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]10.b3 0-0 11.Bb2 a6 12.Qd3 Qa5 13.Nd4 Bd7[/font] is equal (Chandler-W. Watson, Bundesliga 9394, Germany, 1994).
[font color="purple"]10.Re1 0-0 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 a6 13.Rad1 Qa5[/font] is equal (Schweber-Najdorf, IT, Buenos Aires, 1970).

[font color="blue"](Venice Defense)[/font] If [font color="blue"]3...Nd7[/font] (Najdorf was the first to win with this move, against Canal in Venice, 1948) then:

[font color="blue"]
[center]BLACK[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE[/center][center]Spanish Sicilian Rat Game: Venice Defense[/center][center]Position after 3...Nb8d7[/center]
[/font]

If [font color="blue"]4.d4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 cxd4 6.Qxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="blue"]6...e5 7.Qd3 h6 8.Be3 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bc4[/font] then:

If [font color="blue"]10...a6 11.a4 Qc7[/font] then:

If [font color="blue"]12.Nh4 Nc5 13.Bxc5[/font] then:

[font color="blue"]13...Qxc5 14.Ng6 Re8 15.Nxe7+ Rxe7 16.Rfd1 Rc7 17.Bb3[/font] is equal (Saldano Dayer-Milos, Op, Buenos Aires, 2010).
[font color="#4080FF"]13...dxc5 14.Qf3 Bg4 15.Qe3 Kh7[/font] draw (Bojkov-Kuloats, Greek ChT, Ermioni, 2006).

If [font color="darkblue"]12.Nd2 Rb8[/font] then:

[font color="darkblue"]13.a5 Nc5 14.Qe2 Be6 15.Bxe6 Nxe6 16.Ra4 Qc6 17.Rc4[/font] gives White a slight edge with greater activity, the initiative and more space, but Black's defense is solid (Adams-Svidler, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).
[font color="dodgerblue"]13.Ba7 Ra8 14.Be3 Rb8[/font] draw (Yandemirov-Kurnosov, Russian Cup, Togliatty, 2001).

If [font color="darkblue"]10...Nb6 11.Bb3 Be6 12.Nh4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]12...Rc8 13.Ng6 Re8[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]14.Rfd1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]14...Nc4 15.Bxc4 Rxc4[/font] then:

[font color="darkblue"]16.Nxe7+ Rxe7 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.Rxd6 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Rxe4 20.b3[/font] gives White a Rook on a navigable file and a remote pawn majority; Black's defense is solid[/font] (Chandler-Mestel, ZT, Brighton, 1984).
[font color="#4080FF"]16.b3 Rc8 17.Nxe7+ Rxe7 18.Nb5 a6[/font] is equal.

[font color="#004080"]14...Rfd8[/font] (providing more backing for the d-pawn) [font color="#004080"]15.Rad1 Qe8 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.Qc4[/font] gives White a slight advantage with stronger pawns.

[font color="#8000FF"]14.Nxe7+ Rxe7 15.Rfd1 Rd7 16.Nd5 Nbxd5 17.exd5 Bg4[/font] is equal (Shaked-Ashley, Op, Bermuda, 1997).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]12...Qd7 13.Bxe6 fxe6[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]14.Ng6[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]14...Rfe8!? 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.Nb5 Nc8 17.Nxa7 Nxa7 18.Bxa7[/font] gives White an extra pawn and better pawns (Raschewski-Mukherjee, Corres, 1997).
If [font color="darkcyan"]14.Nb5 Nc8 15.Ng6[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]15...Rd8 16.c4 a6 17.Nc3 Qe8 18.Nxe7+ Nxe7 19.Rad1[/font] is equal (Kupreichik-Polugaevsky, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1976).
If [font color="slateblue"]15...Rf7 16.Rad1 Qc6 17.f3 Kh7 18.Nxe7 Rxe7 19.c4[/font] gives White a small advantage as Black's central pawn mass is restrained.

If [font color="darkblue"]6...a6 7.Bxd7+ Bxd7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]8.Bg5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]8...e6 9.0-0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]9...Bc6 10.e5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]10...dxe5 11.Qxe5[/font] then:

[font color="darkblue"]11...Nd7? 12.Bxd8 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Rxd8 14.Rxd8+ Kxd8 15.Nxf7+[/font] wins the exchange and gives White a healthy material advantage; Black resigns after a few more moves (Ricardi-Pérez Nivar, Thessoloniki, 1984).
[font color="#4040FF"]11...Qe7 12.Nd4 Nd7 13.Qf4 f6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Qc7[/font] still leaves Black in danger, but he could fight his way out of it.

Black should lose before his chair is warm after [font color="dodgerblue"]10...Bxf3? 11.gxf3![/font] when:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]11...Qa5 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.exd6[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]13...Qe5 14.Qa4+ b5[/font] then:

Black lets White off the hook with [font color="dodgerblue"]15.d7+? Kd8 16.Qb3 Qf4+ 17.Kb1 Qb4 18.Ne4 Qxb3[/font] when Black equalizes (Quillan-Sherzer, IT, Prestwich, England, 1990).
White wins after [font color="steelblue"]15.Qa3! Bh6+ 16.Kb1 0-0 17.Rhg1+ Kh8 18.d7.[/font]

If [font color="slateblue"]13...0-0-0[/font] then White wins after [font color="slateblue"]14.Qxf6 Rg8 15.Qxf7 Kb8 16.f4 Rg4 17.h3.[/font]

If [font color="darkcyan"]11...Be7[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkcyan"]12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.exf6 Qxf6 14.Qxd6 Qe7 15.Rhg1.[/font]

If [font color="dodgerblue"]9...h6 10.Bh4 Be7[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Bc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Qa4[/font] draw (Lettieri-Krivokapic, World Jr Ch, Istanbul, 2005).
If [font color="darkcyan"]11.Rhe1[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]11...Qc7 12.e5 dxe5 13.Nxe5 Rd8 14.Bg3 Qc8[/font] is equal (Rublevsky-Ruban, Trmt, Novosibirsk. 1995).
If [font color="slateblue"]11...e5 12.Qd3 g5 13.Bg3 Rc8 14.Kb1 b5 15.a3[/font] is equal.

If [font color="dodgerblue"]8...Bc6 9.0-0-0 Qa5[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Kb1 Rg8 12.Nh4 e6 13.Rhe1 0-0-0 [/font] is equal (Pfretzschner-Grafl, Bundesliga 0001, Tegernsee, 2001).
If [font color="darkcyan"]10.Rhe1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkcyan"]10...h6?! 11.e5![/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]11...0-0-0? 12.exf6! Bxf3 13.gxf3 Qxg5+ 14.Re3 gxf6 15.Ne4 Qf4 16.Qa7 f5 17.Nc5 Qb4 18.Rb3![/font] leaves Black in a mating net; he resigns (Chekhov-Mikhalchishin, Soviet ChU18, Lvov, 1974).
[font color="steelblue"]11...hxg5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Qxf6 Rh6 14.Rxe7+ Bxe7 15.Qxh6[/font] leaves White a pawn to the good with Black's King exposed.

[font color="slateblue"]10...Nd7 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Qxa2 13.Bf4 Qa1+ 14.Kd2[/font] gives White more space and better development; Black has an active Queen.

If [font color="dodgerblue"]8.0-0[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]8...e5 9.Qd3 h6 10.a4 Rc8 11.Be3 Be7 12.a5 Qc7 13.Nd2[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]13...Be6 14.Rfc1 Qc6[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]15.f3 0-0[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]16.Bb6 Rfe8 17.Kh1 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Qxd5 20.Qxd5 Bxd5[/font] gives Black a clear advantage in space (Sikora-Litinskaya, Polish ChT, Lubniewice, 1995).
[font color="#4080FF"]16.Nf1 d5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Qf5 Be6[/font] gives Black a fair advantage in space (Vokac-Stocek, Czech Ch, Lazne Bohdanec, 1999).

If [font color="darkcyan"]15.Na4 d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Nb6[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]17...Nxe3 18.Qxe3 Rd8 19.Nf3 f6 20.c4 Bc5[/font] gives Black a comfortable advantage in space (Sarbok-Barnidze, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2012).
[font color="slateblue"]17...Rd8 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Qf1 0-0 20.c4 Be6[/font] gives Black a comfortable game (Kulovana-Khukhashvili, Euro ChTW, Novi Sad, 2009).

If [font color="darkcyan"]13...0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkcyan"]14.Rfc1 Be6 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bd7[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]17.Bb6 Qb8 18.c4 f5 19.b4 e4 20.Qb3 Bg5[/font] is equal (Dembo-Ziaziulkina, OlW, Istanbul, 2012).
[font color="#4080FF"]17.c4 f5 18.b4 Qd8 19.f4 Bf6 20.Rab1 Re8[/font] is equal (D. Popovic-Gopal, Ol, Istanbul, 2012).

If [font color="slateblue"]14.Rfd1 Be6[/font] then:

If [font color="slateblue"]15.Bb6 Qc6 16.Nf1 Nd7[/font] then:

If [font color="slateblue"]17.Ne3 Nxb6 18.axb6 Qxb6 19.Ncd5[/font] then:

[font color="slateblue"]19...Bxd5 20.Nxd5 Qd8 21.c4 Rc6 22.b4 Bg5 23.g3 Qc8[/font] is equal (Hernández Estevez-Papp, OlW, Istanbul, 2012).
[font color="#4080FF"]19...Qd8 20.Nxe7+ Qxe7 21.Qxd6 Qxd6 22.Rxd6 Rfd8 23.Rad1[/font] is equal (Holzhaeuer-Bischoff, German Ch, Gladenbach, 1997).

[font color="#8040FF""]17.Ba7 Nc5 18.Qe2 Bg5 19.Bb6 g6 20.Nd2 Be7[/font] is equal.

[font color="steelblue"]15.Nf1 Qc4[/font] draw (Adams-Radjabov, IT A, Wijk aan Zee, 2009).

If [font color="darkcyan"]8...e6 9.Bg5 Be7 10.Rad1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkcyan"]10...Bc6 11.Rfe1[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]11...Rc8 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Bxg5 14.dxc6 Rxc6 15.Qxg7[/font] is equal (Kobalia-Kovchan, IT, Kharkov, 2002).
[font color="#4080FF"]11...0-0 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxd6 Bxc3 14.Qxd8 Rfxd8 15.Rxd8+ Rxd8 16.bxc3 Ba4 17.Nd4 e5 18.Nb3 Kf8 19.f3[/font] draw (Lechtynsky-Mukhin, Czechoslavakian Ch, Luhacovice, 1973).

If [font color="slateblue"]10...Qc7 11.Rfe1[/font] then:

[font color="slateblue"]11...Rd8 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxd6 Qxd6 14.Rxd6 Bxc3 15.bxc3[/font] leaves White slightly better (Haddouche-Amanov, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
[font color="steelblue"]11...Bc6 12.Bh4 0-0 13.h3 Rfd8 14.g4 d5[/font] gives Black a slight edge in the center (Rizzi-James, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2008).

If [font color="darkblue"]a) 4.0-0 Ngf6 5.Re1 a6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]6.Bf1 b6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bb7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]9.f3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]9...e6 10.c4 Be7 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Be3 Rc8 13.Rc1 Qc7 14.Qd2 Qb8 15.Qf2 Rfe8[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]16.Red1 Bd8 17.b3 Bc7 18.g3 Ne5[/font] then:

[font color="darkblue"]19.h3 Ba8 20.a4 Ned7 21.g4 Nc5 22.Rb1 d5[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Fejzullahu-Feller, Euro Ch, Aix-les-Bains, 2011).
[font color="#8040FF"]19.Be2 Qa8 20.h3 Ng6 21.Nc2 d5 22.Bxb6 Bxb6 23.Qxb6 dxe4[/font] is equal(Vidarsson-Arlandi, Ol, Bled, 2002).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]16.Kh1 Bd8 17.b4[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]17...Ne5 18.Na4 Ned7 19.Red1 Bc7 20.Nb3 Bc6 21.b5[/font] is equal (Malakhov-Csom, 1st Saturday July, Budapest, 1995).
[font color="darkcyan"]17...Bc7 18.Qg1 Kh8 19.Nb3 Rg8 20.Bd4 Rcd8 21.Red1[/font] gives White the advantage in space, but it will be difficult to exploit (Anh Dung Nguyen-Kunte, Asian ChT, Esfahan, Iran, 2005).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]9...g6 10.c4 Bg7[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]11.Be3 0-0 12.Nc3 e6 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.Red1[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space; Black will have difficulty enforcing ...d5 but his hedgehog is solid (Erturan-Kempinski, Euro Club Cup, Kemer, Turkey, 2007).
[font color="darkcyan"]11.Nc3 Rc8 12.a4 Ne5 13.b3 0-0 14.Be3 e6[/font] is equal (Bologan-Rowson, IT, Selfoss, Iceland, 2003).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]a1) 9.Nc3 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]10.g3 Be7 11.Bg2 Qc7 12.a4[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]12...0-0[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]13.f4 g6 14.Be3 Rfe8 15.Nb3 Bf8 16.Qe2 e5[/font] is equal (Djuric-A. Kovacevic, Serbian ChT, Zlatibor, 2006).
[font color="steelblue"]13.h3 Rfe8 14.g4 h6 15.Qd3 Ne5 16.Qg3 Nh7[/font] gives White a slight edge in space if that element is examined statically, but a dynamic view shows that Black has resources to fight back and take the advantage himself (Hector-Nielsen, Jonsson Mem, Reykjavik, 2001).

[font color="slateblue"]12...Rd8 13.Qe2 Qb8 14.b3 Qa8 15.Bb2 0-0 16.Rad1[/font] is equal (Bologan-Fedorov, IT, Belfort, France, 1999).

[font color="darkcyan"]10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Nc5 12.Bd3 g6 13.f5 gxf5[/font] gives Black better pawns and the open g-file (Curdo-Schoer, US Op, Alexandria, Virginia, 1996).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]a2) 9.c4[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]9...e6 10.Nc3 Be7 11.f3[/font] transposes into the text.
[font color="darkcyan"]9...g6 10.f3 Bg7[/font] transposes into [font color="dodgerblue"]Erturan-Kempinski[/font] and [font color="darkcyan"]Bologan-Rowson,[/font] above.

If [font color="dodgerblue"]6.Bxd7+[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]6...Nxd7[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]7.d4 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]8.d5 e5 9.a4 b6 10.c4 a5 11.Ng5[/font] is equal (Lendwai-Pavasovic, Wagner Mem, Graz, 1998).
[font color="steelblue"]12.b4 Na4 13.Nd4 0-0 14.Qd3[/font] gives White a slim edge.

If [font color="darkcyan"]8.a4 Be7 9.Na3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkcyan"]9...b5!? 10.dxc5! Nxc5 11.axb5 axb5[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]12.Bf4!? b4 13.Nc4 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 0-0 15.Qd1 e5[/font] is equal (Arribas Robaina-Mascaro March, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 2004).
If [font color="slateblue"]9...cxd4 10.Qxd4 e5[/font] then:

If [font color="slateblue"]11.Qd2 Nc5 12.a5 f5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.b4 Ne6[/font] is equal.
[font color="steelblue"]11.Qe3 Nc5 12.Nc4 Be6 13.Qe2 0-0 14.a5 Rb8[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkcyan"]7.c3 e6 8.d4 Be7 9.a4 b6[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]10.Bf4 Bb7 11.d5 e5 12.Bg3 h5 13.h3[/font] is equal (Hodak-Ftacnik, Vinkovci, 1995).
[font color="slateblue"]10.Na3 Bb7 11.b3 0-0 12.Bb2 Nf6 13.Nd2 cxd4[/font] prepares 11...Rc8 for Black (Hamelink-Lallemand, Euro ChTW, Goteborg, 2005).

If [font color="#4080FF""]6...Bxd7 7.c3 Bc6 8.d4 Bxe4 9.Bg5[/font] transposes into [font color="magenta"]Romanishin-Sosonko[/font] (subordinate to [font color="darkred"]Rublevsky-Agopov)[/font] in the red notes to this text move.

If [font color="darkblue"]b) 4.c3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]4...Ngf6 5.Qe2 a6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]7...e5 8.0-0 Be7 9.d4 0-0 10.a4 Bb7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]11.Rd1 Qc7 12.dxe5 dxe5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkblue"]13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8 Rxa8 15.Na3 b4 16.Nc4 h6[/font] then:

[font color="darkblue"]17.Bd2 Bf8 18.h3 Bc6 19.Rc1 Qb8 20.Bd3 Bb7[/font] is equal (Delchev-Svidler, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).
[font color="#4080FF"]17.Bd3 Ra2 18.Nfd2 Bf8 19.h3 Bc6 20.Bb1 Ra8[/font] gives White a better center; Black could gain counterplay on the queenside (Bellini-Shytaj, Ol, Torino, 2006).

[font color="#8000FF"]13.Nh4 g6 14.Bg5 Rfe8 15.axb5 axb5[/font] is equal (Liiva-Gopal, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]11.d5 c4[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]12.b3 cxb3 13.Bxb3 Nc5 14.Bc2 bxa4 15.Ba3 Nfd7[/font] is equal (Benjamin-Krush, US Ch, St. Louis, 2009).
[font color="darkcyan"]12.Na3 Nc5 13.h3 Bc8 14.Nh2 Rb8 15.f4 Ne8[/font] is equal (Sandipan-A. Tate, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]7...Bb7 8.0-0 e6 9.d4 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]10.Re1 cxd4 11.cxd4 Rc8[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]12.Bd3 0-0 13.Nbd2 e5 14.d5 Nc5 15.Bc2 Nfd7[/font] is equal (Lorenzini-Mareco, Argentine Ch, La Plata, 2012).
[font color="slateblue"]12.a3 0-0 13.Nc3 Rc7 14.Bf4 Qa8 15.Rac1 Rfc8[/font] is equal (M. Turov-Anastasian, Op, Ubeda, 2000).

[font color="darkcyan"]10.Nbd2 Qc7 11.Bd3 0-0 12.Re1 e5 13.dxe5 dxe5[/font] is equal (Wang Chen-Ding Liren, Chinese Ch, Xinghua, 2012).

If [font color="dodgerblue"]4...a6 5.Ba4 Ngf6[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]6.Qe2[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]6...e5[/font] then:

If [font color="dodgerblue"]7.0-0 Be7 8.d4 b5 9.Bc2 0-0 10.a4[/font] then:

[font color="dodgerblue"]10...Rb8 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rd1 Qc7 13.h3 Re8[/font] is equal (Galego-Spraggett, Op, Andorra, 2006).
[font color="#4080FF"]10...Bb7 11.d5 c4[/font] transposes into [font color="dodgerblue"]Benjamin-Krush,[/font] above.
[font color="#8040FF"]6...b5 7.Bc2 e5 8.0-0 Be7 9.d4[/font] transposes into [font color="darkblue"]Delchev-Svidler[/font] and related lines, above.

If [font color="darkcyan"]6.Bc2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkcyan"]6...e6 7.0-0 b5[/font] then:

[font color="darkcyan"]8.a4 Bb7 9.Qe2 Be7 10.d4 0-0[/font] is equal (Karayev-Bregadze, World Youth BU16, Vung Tau, Vietnam, 2008).
[font color="steelblue"]8.d4 Bb7 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Re1 cxd4 11.cxd4[/font] transposes into [font color="dodgerblue"]Lorenzini-Mareco,[/font] above.

[font color="slateblue"]6...e5 7.d4 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nbd2 Qc7 10.Re1[/font] is equal (Canal-Najdorf, IT, Venice, 1948).

[center]BLACK[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE[/center][center]Spanish Sicilian Rat Game: Main Line[/center][center]Position after 3.Bc8d7[/center]

4.Bxd7+

If [font color="red"]4.a4[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]4...Nc6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Re1 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]7.c3 a6 8.Bf1 Be7 9.d4[/font] then:

[font color="red"]9...cxd4 10.cxd4 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Nc3 0-0 13.Bd3[/font] is equal (Bronstein-Teischer, IT, Monte Carlo, 1969).
[font color="burgundy"]9...e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Na3 0-0 12.Nc4 Bg4 13.b4[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Gurganidze-Tringov, World ChTU26, Leningrad, 1960).

If [font color="darkred"]7.Nc3 Be7 8.d3 0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]9.Bxc6 Bxc6[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]10.e5!? Nd7! 11.Bf4 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 f6[/font] gives Black a slight advantage (Wade-P. Lee, British Ch, Oxford, 1967).
[font color="darkorange"]10.Bf4 Qd7 11.Qe2 e5 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6[/font] remains equal.

[font color="magenta"]9.e5 Nxe5 10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Rxe5 Bd6 12.Re1 Qc7[/font] is equal (Marinovic-Lapcevic, TT, Belgrade, 2008).

If [font color="darkred"]4...Nf6 5.d3 Nc6 6.0-0 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]7.Nbd2 Be7 8.Nc4 0-0 9.Bg5[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]9...d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Re1 Rfd8 13.Bxc6 Bxc6[/font] is equal (Wade-A. Williams, British Ch, Coventry, 1970).
[font color="darkorange"]9...Qc7 10.Re1 Rad8 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nfxe5 Nxe5 13.Bf4[/font] is equal (Lein-Tal, Soviet Ch, Kharkov, 1967).

[font color="magenta"]7.Re1 Be7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.c3 a6 10.Bc4 Qc7[/font] is equal (García Martínez-Portisch, IT, Palma de Mallorca, 1971).

4...Qxd7

If [font color="red"]4...Nxd7 5.0-0 Ngf6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]6.Qe2 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]7.b3 Be7 8.Bb2 0-0 9.c4[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]9...a6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]11...Qb6 12.Rd1 Rfe8 13.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]13...Rad8 14.Kh1 Bf8[/font] then:

[font color="red"]15.Rd2 Qc7 16.f4 e5 17.fxe5 Rxe5 18.Rf1[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Novikov-Dabetic, Euro Club Cup, Ohrid, 2009).
[font color="burgundy"]15.Rab1 g6 16.f3 Bg7 17.Nc2 Qc7 18.Ne3 Nh5[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Vasiukov-Ristic, IT, Cacak, 1994).

If [font color="darkred"]13...Rac8 14.Rac1[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]14...Bf8 15.Kh1 Qa5 16.Rc2 Qh5 17.Qxh5 Nxh5 18.g3[/font] gives White the advantage in space and Black a poorly placed Knight (Frois-Maki Uuro, Euro ChT, León, Spain, 2001).
[font color="magenta"]a) 14...Qc7 15.h3 b6 16.Re1 g6 17.Rcd1 Qb7 18.Rd2[/font] gives White a slight edge (Jussupow-Van Wely, Rpd IT, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1994).
[font color="darkorange"]b) 14...Ne5 15.Rd2 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Qxc6 17.Rcd1 Red8 18.f4[/font] gives White more space, especially in the center.

If [font color="darkred"]11...Re8 12.Nc3 Rc8 13.Rad1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Qa5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14.Kh1 Bf8 15.f4 Qh5 16.Nf3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]16...Rc7 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Ng4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]19.Ne4[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]19...f6!? 20.exf6 Ndxf6 21.Nxf6+!? Nxf6 22.g4[/font] is equal (Ovetchkin-Lerner, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2002).
If [font color="magenta"]19...Bc5 20.h3 Ne3 21.Nxc5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta]21...Nxd1 22.Nxd7 Nxb2[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]23.Nb6! Rc6 24.c5 Qg6 25.Qxb2 Rxc5 26.Nc4[/font] gives White the advantage in space.
[font color="purple"]23.Qxb2? Rxd7! 24.Qc2 h6 25.Qe4 Red8 26.Qe1 Qf5[/font] leaves White with no compensation whatsoever for the exchange; Black should win.

[font color="darkorange"]21...Nxf1?! 22.Ne4! Nc5 23.Rxf1 Nxe4 24.Qxe4 Rd7 25.Ba3[/font] gives White two minor pieces and a significant advantage in space for a Rook; Black has stronger pawns.

[font color="burgundy"]19.h3 Nh6 20.Ne4 b5 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Qxb5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space and the initiative.

[font color="darkpink"]16...Qh6 17.Bc1 Nh5 18.Qe1 f5 19.e5 d5 20.Ne2[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Rosito-Ricardi, Argentine Ch, Buenos Aires, 1995).

If [font color="magenta"]14.f4 b5 15.e5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15...b4 16.exf6 bxc3 17.Bxc3 Qxc3 18.fxe7[/font] gives White more freedom and a small advantage in space (Ivanchuk-Miton, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 2006).
If [font color="darkorange"]15...dxe5! 16.fxe5[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]16...bxc4?! 17.exf6 Nxf6 18.Kh1 cxb3 19.Nxb3[/font] gives Black only two pawns for the piece.
[font color="purple"]16...b4 17.exf6 bxc3[/font] transposes into [font color="magenta"]Ivanchuk-Miton,[/font] above.

If [font color="magenta"]13...Qc7 14.Kh1 Bf8 15.f4 Qa5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]16.Nf3 Red8 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]18...Ng4 19.Ng5 Ndxe5 20.Nd5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]20...exd5!? 21.Bxe5 Nxe5 22.Qxe5 Rc7[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]23.cxd5?! Re7! 24.Qf5 g6 25.Qh3 f5 26.d6 Red7[/font] is equal (Fressinet-J. Polgar, IT, Enghien-les-Bains, 2003).
[font color="burgundy"]23.Qf4 Rdd7 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.cxd5 Qb6 26.Nxf7[/font] gives White a weak extra pawn.

[font color="hotpink"]20...Qxa2 21.Qc2 Ng6 22.Ra1 Qxa1 23.Bxa1 Rxd5 24.Nxe6[/font] gives White a Queen for a Rook and a minor piece.

[font color="purple"]18...Bb4?! 19.Na4! Ng4 20.Qe4 h5 21.h3 Nh6 22.Ng5[/font] gives White potent threats on the kingside.

[font color="darkorange"]16.Ba1 Rcd8 17.Nf3 Nh5 18.g3 Nhf6 19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Tkachiev-Serper, IT, Djakarta, 1994).

If [font color="darkred"]9...e5 10.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10...Ne8 11.Ne1 Nc7 12.Nc2[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]12...Bg5 13.Ne3 Nf6 14.g3 Ne6 15.Qd3 Qd7 16.Ncd5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Yasudin-Shirov, Euro Club Cup, Ljubljana, 1995).
[font color="burgundy"]12...Bf6 13.Ne3 Ne6 14.g3 g6 15.Qd3 Nd4 16.Ncd5 Bg7 17.f3[/font] draw (Hernández Guerrero-Mecking, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).

If [font color="magenta"]10...Nh5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]11.g3 g6 12.Ne1 Qe8 13.Ng2 a6 14.Rae1[/font] allows White to put a piece in Black's weakness at d5 (Reinderman-Van der Wiel, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2000).
[font color="darkorange"]11.Nd5 Ndf6 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.g3 Qd7 14.Nh4[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Antipov-Simonian, Russian ChT, Dagomys, 2009).

If [font color="darkred"]7.c3 Be7 8.d4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]8...0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]9.e5 Ne8[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10.exd6 10...Nxd6 11.Rd1 cxd4 12.Nxd4[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]12...Re8 13.Na3 a6 14.Nc4 Qc7 15.Bf4 e5 16.Nxd6 Bxd6[/font] is equal (Lechtynsky-Geller, Euro ChT, Moscow, 1977).
[font color="burgundy"]12...Qc8 13.Bf4 Re8 14.Bxd6 Bxd6 15.Nd2 a6 16.Ne4 Be7 17.Nf3 Qc7[/font] draw (Lechtynsky-Csom, Ol, Malta, 1980).

[font color="darkpink"]10.Bf4 Rc8 11.Re1 Nb6 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 d5[/font] is equal (V. Papin-A. Zhigalko, Rpd Op, Warsaw, 2005).

If [font color="magenta"]9.Rd1 cxd4 10.cxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]10...d5 11.e5 Ne4 12.Ne1[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]12...h6 13.Nd3 Nb8 14.Qg4 Kh8 15.Nf4 Nc6 16.Nc3[/font] gives White a slight initiative (Arkhipov-Leko, IT, Lippstadt, 1993).
[font color="burgundy"]12...f6 13.f3 Ng5 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Bxg5 Bxg5 16.Qxe6+[/font] gives White the initiative (Kovalev-Gallagher, Euro ChT, Plovdiv, 2003).

If [font color="darkorange"]10...Nb6 11.Nc3[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]11...Rc8 12.Rd3 Qc7 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6[/font] is equal. (Chekhov-Panchenko, Russian ChT, Podolsk, 1992).
[font color="purple"]11...Qc7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Rfc8 14.Rac1 Qd8 15.Rc2[/font] is equal (E. Torre-Polugaevsky, Op, Biel, 1989).

If [font color="magenta"]8...cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11.Ne1 Qb6[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]12.Be3 f6 13.f3 Ng5 14.Nd3 0-0 15.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]15...Rac8 16.Bf2 Qa6 17.Rfe1 fxe5 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Qxe5[/font] is equal (Lechtynsky-Donchev. IT. Brataslava, 1983).
[font color="hotpink"]15...Qa6 16.Rae1 Rae8 17.Bf2 fxe5 18.dxe5 Nf7 19.f4[/font] is equal (Shaked-de Firmian, IT, Bermuda, 1997).

[font color="burgundy"]12.f3?! Qxd4+! 13.Be3 Qxe3+ 14.Qxe3 Bc5 15.Qxc5 Nexc5[/font] gives Black a fierce attack in the center (Chekhov-Khasin, Zaitsev Mem, Vladivostok, 1978).

If [font color="darkorange"]11.Nbd2 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 0-0[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]13.Qb5 Nb6 14.Ba5 Qd7 15.Qxd7 Nxd7 16.Rfc1 Rfc8[/font] is equal (Varga-Tolnai, Hungarian Ch, Lillafured, 1999).
[font color="purple"]13.Rac1 Qb6 14.Rc2 Rac8 15.Rfc1 Rxc2 16.Rxc2 Nb8[/font] is equal (Mhamal-West, Commonwealth Ch, Nagpur, India, 2008).

If [font color="darkred"]6.Re1 e6 7.c3 Be7 8.d4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]8...cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11.Nbd2 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 0-0 13.Rc1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Nb8 14.Qb3 Qd7[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]15.Qd3 Nc6 16.Ng5 Bxg5 17.Bxg5 Kh8 18.Re3[/font] gives White more freedom and the advantage in space (I. D. Wells-Ligternink, Op, London, 1980).
[font color="burgundy"]15.Bb4 Bxb4 16.Qxb4 Nc6 17.Qa3 Rac8 18.Rc3 h6 19.Rec1 a6 20.h3[/font] draw (Leko-Yusadin, IT, León, 1993).

[font color="darkpink"]13...Nb6 14.b3 Rc8 15.Re3 Rxc1 16.Qxc1 Qd7 17.Rc3[/font] is equal (Perelshteyn-Fedorowicz, US Ch, Tulsa, 2008).

[font color="darkorchid"]11.Re2 Qb6 12.Ne1 f6 13.f3 Ng5 14.Be3[/font] is equal (Arapovic-Komljenovic, IT, Augsburg, 1991).

If [font color="magenta"]8...0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]9.e5 Ne8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]10.Qe2 Rc8 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.Na3 a6 14.Nc4[/font]is equal (Szmetan-Tal, Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina, 1987).
If [font color="darkorange"]10.exd6 Nxd6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]11.d5 exd5 12.Qxd5 Rc8 13.Bf4[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]13...Nf6 14.Qd3 Nde4 15.Qc4 Bd6 16.Nbd2 Nxd2 17.Bxd2[/font] is equal (Fishbein-Novikov, US Ch, San Diego, 2004).
[font color="purple"]13...Nb6 14.Qd1 Re8 15.Na3 Bf8 16.Qc2 Qf6 17.Bg3[/font] is equal (Short-Tiviakov, IT, Linares, 1995).

[font color="hotpink"]11.Bf4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Qb6 13.Nd2 h6 14.a4 Rad8[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkorange"]9.Bg5[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]9...h6 10.Bh4 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nh5 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nc3[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Organdziev-Urosevic, Valjevo, Serbia, 2010)
[font color="purple"]9...d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.c4 cxd4 13.Qxd4[/font] is equal (Hammoudi-Seegolam, Ol, Istanbul, 2012).

5.c4

If [font color="red"]5.0-0 Nc6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]6.c3 Nf6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]7.Re1 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]10...Ne4 11.Nbd2 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]13.Rc1 0-0 14.Rc3[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]14...Rac8 15.a3[/font] then:

[font color="red"]15...Nb8 16.Rd3[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]16...Qc6 17.Bc3 Nd7 18.h4 Nb6 19.Ng5[/font] then:

[font color="red"]19...g6 20.Qg4 h5 21.Qf4 Na4 22.Rf3 Nxc3 23.bxc3[/font] is equal (Sedina-Becuwe, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2011).
[font color="burgundy"]19...Na4 20.Qg4 h6 21.Nh3 Kh8 22.Rg3 Rg8 23.Ng5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (De la Riva Aguado-Leitão. Ibero-American Ch, Quito, 2012).

[font color="darkpink"]16...Qb5 17.Rb3 Qc6 18.Ng5 Bxg5 19.Bxg5 Nd7 20.Qg4[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Degraeve-Areshchenko, Bundesliga 0607, Germany, 2007).

If [font color="darkred"]15...b5 16.Rd3 b4 17.h4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]17...bxa3 18.bxa3 f6 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Bg5 Qf7 21.Qe2[/font] gives White a slight edge (Tairova-Hou Yifan, TMW, Ergun, 2006).
[font color="magenta"]17...Qd8 18.h5 Qb6 19.Nh2 Kh8 20.Qg4 Rg8 21.Nf3[/font] is equal (Penne-Hitter, EU ChWU16, Herceg Novi, 2008).

If [font color="darkred"]14...Rfc8 15.a3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]15...b5 16.Rd3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]16...Qd8 17.h4 h6 18.Nh2[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]18...Bxh4 19.Qh5 Bg5 20.f4 g6 21.Qh3 Bh4 22.g3[/font] is equal (Kovalevskaya-Cmilyte, Grand Prix W, Nalchik, 2011).
[font color="burgundy"]18...b4 19.Qh5 Qf8 20.Ng4 Kh7 21.Rf3[/font] gives White the advantage with the threat to Black's f-pawn (Arakhamia-Cernousek, 4NCL, Hinkley, England, 2012).

[font color="darkpink"]16...a5 17.h4 a4 18.h5 Na5 19.Nh2 Nc4[/font] is equal (Boskovic-Sahovic, IT, Belgrade, 2001).

If [font color="magenta"]15...Bd8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.Qb1 Ne7 17.Rec1 Rxc3 18.Rxc3 Rc8 19.Qc2 h6[/font] is equal (Kuzubov-Areshchenko, Ukrainian Ch, Kiev, 2012).
[font color="darkorange"]16.Rd3 h6 17.h4 Ne7 18.h5 a5 19.Nh4[/font] is equal (I. Zaitsev-Vasiukov, Furman Mem, St. Petersburg, 1995).

If [font color="darkred"]13.Bg5 0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Re3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]15...Rac8 16.Rc1 Qb4[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]17.Rec3 Ne7 18.Rb3 Qa4 19.Rxb7 Rxc1 20.Qxc1 Rc8 21.Qe1 Nc6[/font] is equal (Hecht-Smejkal, IT, Amsterdam, 1971).
[font color="purple"]17.Rb3 Qa4 18.Ra3 Qxd1+ 19.Rxd1 f6 20.exf6 gxf6[/font] is equal (Gufeld-Geller, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1963).

[font color="darkorange"]15...Rfc8 16.Rc1 a6 17.Rec3 Na7 18.Rxc8+ Rxc8 19.Rxc8+ Nxc8[/font] draw (Kruppa-Gavrikov, Soviet Ch ½-final, Sverdlovsk, 1984).

[font color="magenta"]14.Rc1 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 h6 16.Nf3 Rac8 17.Qd2 Ne7[/font] is equal (Khachiyan-Yegiazarian, Gufeld Mem, Burbank, 2003).

If [font color="darkred"]10...Ng8 11.Nc3 Nge7[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]12.Ne2 Nf5 13.Nf4 h5 14.h4 Be7 15.g3 0-0-0[/font] is equal (Sebag-Radjabov, Rpd IT, Cap d'Agde, 2006).
[font color="magenta"]12.Bg5 h6 13.Bf4 h5 14.a3 Nf5 15.Rc1[/font] is equal (D. Hall-I. Stokes, British Ch, Great Yarmouth, 2007).

If [font color="darkred"]8.d3 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Nf1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10...b5 11.Ng3 b4 12.c4 Ng4[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]13.d4 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Qxg4 Nc2 16.Bh6 g6[/font] is equal (Bu Xiangzhi-Markus, Op, Reykjavik, 2004).
If [font color="burgundy"]13.h3 Nge5 14.Be3 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Bf6 16.Rab1 Nd4[/font] is equal (Meister-Acs, Bundesliga 0708, Zehlendorf, 2008).

If [font color="magenta"]10...Ne5 11.Ng3 Qb5 12.d4[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]12...Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rac8 15.Qe2 Qxe2 16.Rxe2 d5 17.e5[/font] draw (Karpov-Morovic Fernández, Rpd IT, São Paulo, 2004).
[font color="darkorange"]12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Nd3 14.Qe2 a6 15.a4 Nxc1 16.Qxb5 axb5 17.Rexc1[/font] is equal (Tyomkin-Ivanchuk, Canadian Op, Edmonton, 2005).

If [font color="magenta"]9.Bg5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]9...0-0 10.Nbd2 h6 11.Bh4 Rac8 12.Nf1[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]12...b5 13.Ne3 Qb7 14.h3 Rfe8 15.Nh2 Ne5[/font] is equal (Delgado Ramírez-Martín del Campo, Torre Mem, Yucatán, 2004).
[font color="purple"]12...Rfd8 13.Qe2 b5 14.Rad1 a6 15.h3 Nh5[/font] is equal (Guerrero Hernández-A. Chow, IT, Shaumburg, Illinois, 2006).

[font color="darkorange"]9...h6 10.Bh4 0-0[/font] transposes.

If [font color="darkred"]a) 7.Qe2 e6 8.d4 cxd4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11.Be3 Be7 12.Ne1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12...f6 13.f3 Ng5 14.Nd3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14...0-0 15.Nd2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]15...Rac8 16.Rac1 b6 17.Bf2 Nf7[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]18.f4 f5 19.Nf3 Rc7 20.Rc2 Rfc8 21.Rfc1 Nb8[/font] is equal (Kobalia-Robson, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2012).
[font color="burgundy"]18.a3 f5 19.h4 Rc7 20.Rc3 Rfc8 21.Rfc1 Na5[/font] is equal (Alekseev-Gashimov, Grand Priox, Elista, 2008).

If [font color="magenta"]15...Nf7 16.f4 f5 17.Nf3 b6 18.Rac1 Rac8[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]19.h3 Na5 20.g4 Nh6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]21.Qg2!? Nc4! 22.Rce1 Nxe3 23.Rxe3 fxg4 24.hxg4 Qe8[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space; Black has command of an open file (Rublevsky-Ulibin, Russian Ch Qual, Tomsk, 2004).
[font color="purple"]21.g5 Nf7 22.Bf2 Nc4 23.Bh4 g6 24.Bf2 Rc6[/font] is equal.

[font color="darkorange"]19.Rc2 Rc7 20.Rfc1 Rfc8 21.Bd2 Nb8 22.Bb4 Bd8[/font] is equal (Kornev-Belov, Russian Ch, Tomsk, 2006).

If [font color="magenta"]14...fxe5 15.dxe5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15...0-0 16.Nd2 Nf7 17.f4 Nh6 18.Nf3 Qe8 19.Rac1[/font] is equal (Smeets-Vachier Lagrave, Bundesliga 0910, Mülheim, 2009).
[font color="darkorange"]15...Nf7 16.Bf2 0-0 17.Nd2 Rac8 18.f4 Nb4[/font] is equal (Ulibin-Dragun, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2009).

If [font color="magenta"]12...f5 13.f3 Ng5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]14.Nd3 Nf7 15.f4 Rc8 16.Nd2 Nb4 17.Nxb4[/font] draw (Vescovi-Guseinov, FIDE Knock Out, Tripoli, 2004).
[font color="darkorange"]14.Nc3 0-0 15.Nd3 Rac8 16.Rad1 b6 17.Nf4[/font] is equal (Ambroz-Gross, Czechoslovakian Ch, Trnava, 2004).

If [font color="magenta"]11.Nbd2 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]13.Rac1 0-0 14.Rc3 Rfc8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]15.Rfc1 a6 16.h4 Na7 17.h5 Rxc3 18.Rxc3 Rc8[/font] is equal (Durarbayli-Aldy, Op, Dubai, 2008).
If [font color="darkorange"]15.h4[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]15...Bb4!? 16.Rxc6! Qxc6 17.Bxb4 Qc4 18.Qxc4 Rxc4 19.Bc3[/font] gives White two minor pieces for a Rook (Arribas Robaina-Dewi, OlW, Istanbul, 2012).
[font color="purple"]15...Nb4 16.Rxc8+ Rxc8 17.a3 Nc6 18.Qd3 a6 19.h5[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkorange"]13.Qd3 h6[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]14.a3 0-0 15.b4 a6 16.Rfb1 Rfc8 17.a4 a5[/font] is equal (S. Petronic-Ding Linlin, IT, Tianjin, China, 2001).
[font color="purple"]14.Ne1 0-0 15.f4 f6 16.exf6 Rxf6 17.Nf3 Bd6[/font] is equal (Radulov-Velimirovic, IT, Smederevska Palanka, 1979).

If [font color="magenta"]9.Bg5 d3 10.Qxd3 Be7[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]11.Rd1 Rd8 12.Na3 0-0 13.Nb5 a6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6[/font] is equal (Pavasovic-A. Schneider, 1st Saturday November, Budapest, 1993).
[font color="darkorange"]11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Rd1 Rd8 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Na3 Qc7[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkred"]b) 7.d4 Nxe4 8.d5 Ne5 9.Re1[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]9...Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Nf6 11.c4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11...e5 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bg5 Be7 14.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14...h6 15.Bh4 0-0 16.Qh3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]16...Kf7 17.f4 Rad8 18.Rad1 Rg8[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]19.Qf3 Qc6 20.Qe2 Qd7 21.Rd3[/font] gives Black more activity and space in compensation for the pawn (Ulibin-Martic, Int Ch Central Serbia, Paracin, 2012).
[font color="darkpink"]b1) 19.Re2 g5 20.Rde1 e5 21.Qxd7 Rxd7 22.fxe5 dxe5[/font] is equal (Dannevig-Bjerke, Norwegian Ch, Sandnes, 2005).
[font color="burgundy"]b2) 19.Bf2 b6 20.Re2 d5 21.f5 exf5 22.Nxd5 Rge8[/font] is equal (Ripari-Domínguez Pérez, Pan-American Ch, Buenos Aires, 2003).

[font color="darkorange"]16.Bh4 Kf7 17.f4[/font] transposes into [font color="darkred"]Ulibin-Martic,[/font] above.

If [font color="magenta"]14...0-0 15.Qh3 h6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]16.Qxe6+ Qxe6 17.Rxe6 Kf7 18.Rae1 Rfe8 19.Bh4[/font] is equal (Balkan-Vouldis, Euro ChT, Plovdiv, 2003).
[font color="#FF4000"]16...Rae8 17.Rxe6 g5 18.Bg3 g4 19.Qxh6 Qxe6 20.Qg6+[/font] draw (Organdziev-Duncan, Euro Club Cup, Plovdiv, 2010).

[font color="burgundy"]11...0-0-0 12.Nc3 g6 13.Rb1 Qf5 14.Qxf5+ gxf5 15.Bg5[/font] is equal (Gallagher-Gashimov, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).

If [font color="magenta"]9...Nf6 10.Nxe5 dxe5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]11.Rxe5 e6 12.c4 0-0-0 13.Nc3 Bd6 14.Re1 exd5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]15.Nxd5 Qf5 16.Be3 Rhe8[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]17.h3 Nxd5 18.cxd5 Kb8 19.b4 Bc7 20.Qa4 Qxd5[/font] is equal (Hokkanen-A. Schneider, Euro Club Cup, Halkidiki, 2002).
If [font color="darkorange"]17.b4!?[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]17...Ng4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]18.g3??[/font] then after [font color="darkorange"]18...Rxe3![/font] Black has won a piece as either 19.Nxe3 or 19.fxe3 is met by 19...Qxf2, forcing mate; White resigns (Zarnicki-Ramírez Alverez, Pan-Am Ch, Buenos Aires, 2003)
[font color="purple"]18.h3 Nxe3 19.Rxe3 Rxe3 20.fxe3 Qe5[/font] gives Black a small advantage in space.

If [font color="darkorange"]15.cxd5 Qf5 16.h3[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]16...Bb8 17.g4 Qd7 18.Bg5 h5 19.Bxf6 gxf6[/font] gives Black a small advantage in space (Rozentalis-Rogule, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2006).
[font color="purple"]16...h5 17.Qf3 Qxf3 18.gxf3 Rhe8 19.Bg5 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Re8[/font] gives Black stronger pawns for a minor piece ending (Eid-Haznedaroglu, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

If [font color="darkorange"]11.c4[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]11...e6 12.Bg5[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]12...0-0-0 13.Nc3 Be7 14.Rxe5 Bd6 15.Re1 h6 16.Bxf6[/font] inflicts structural damage on Black, giving White a small advantage (Reipsch-Gunnarsson, Op, Reykjavik, 2011).
[font color="darkpink"]12...Be7 13.Nc3 Nxd5 14.cxd5 Bxg5 15.Ne4 Bf6 16.dxe6[/font] is equal (Rooze-Szeberenyi, 1st Saturday October, Budapest, 2008).

If [font color="purple"]11...g6 12.Rxe5 Bg7 13.Nc3[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]13...0-0 14.Re1 Ng4 15.Bf4 Bd4 16.Bg3 a6 17.Rb1[/font] is equal (Halldorsson-Carlsen, Op, Reykjavik, 2004).
If [font color="hotpink"]13...h6 14.d6 Rd8 15.Bf4[/font] then:

[font color="hotpink"]15...Qxd6 16.Rd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd6 Nxc3 18.bxc3 0-0 19.Qf3[/font] gives White a Queen for a Rook and a minor piece (Fontaine-Zhou Jianchao, TM, Shenzheng, 2005).
[font color="burgundy"]15...Nh5 16.Nd5 e6 17.Rxh5 gxh5 18.Qxh5 0-0 19.Ne7+[/font] gives White a slight advantage with more activity, more space and a pawn in compensation for the exchange.

If [font color="darkred"]6.c4 Nf6 7.Nc3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]7...e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Be7[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]10.Be3 0-0 11.Qe2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]11...a6 12.Rfd1[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]12...Rfd8 13.f3 Rab8 14.Rac1 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Qc6[/font] draw (Sax-Spassky, IT, Niksic, 1983).
If [font color="burgundy"]12...Qc7 13.Rac1 Rfc8 14.b3 Qa5 15.a4 Nd7 16.Qd2[/font] is equal (Kostur-Voitsekhovsky, Op, Novgorod, 1999).

If [font color="magenta"]11...Rfd8 12.Rfd1 b6 13.Rac1[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]13...a6 14.f3 Qb7 15.b3 Rac8 16.Kh1 Rc7 17.Qc2[/font] is equal (Peters-Browne, Op, Lone Pine, California, 1978).
[font color="darkorange"]13...Qb7[/font] draw (Fressinet-Sosonko, TM, Cannes, 1996).

If [font color="magenta"]10.b3 0-0 11.Bb2 Rfd8 12.Re1[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]12...a6 13.Nxc6 bxc6[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]14.Qf3 Qb7 15.Rad1 Rac8 16.Re2 d5[/font] gives White a slight advantage (Oral-Sasikiran, World Youth BU18, Guarapuava, 1995).
If [font color="burgundy"]14.Qe2 Qb7 15.Rad1 Nd7 16.Na4 Qc7 17.Qg4 Bf6[/font] is equal (Kuczynski-W. Schmidt, Polish Ch, Warsaw, 1995).

If [font color="darkorange"]12...Rac8 13.Rc1 b6 14.Nxc6 Qxc6[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]15.Qe2 Qb7 16.Rcd1 a6 17.h3 h6 18.Qd3[/font] is equal; both sides will have difficulty making progress (Yermilinsky-D. Gurevich, Foxwoods Op, Mashantucket, Connecticut, 2003).
If [font color="purple"]15.Qf3 a6 16.Qg3 Qb7 17.a4 Nh5 18.Qf3 Nf6[/font] is equal (I. Smirin-Wojtkiewicz, Op, Antwerp, 1994).

[font color="magenta"]7...g6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bg7[/font] transposes into the [font color="red"]main line of the notes to White's ninth move.[/font]

5...Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4

[font color="red"]7.0-0 Bg7 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nc6[/font] transposes into the [font color="red"]notes to White's ninth move.[/font]

7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.f3

If [font color="red"]9.0-0 Nc6 [/font] then:

If [font color="red"]10.Nde2 0-0 11.f3[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]11...a6 12.a4[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]12...e6 13.Bg5[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]13...Qc7 14.Kh1 [/font] then:

If [font color="red"]14...Nd7 15.b3 Nc5 16.Rb1[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]16...Rac8 17.Bh4[/font] then:

[font color="red"]17...Rfe8 18.h3 Qa5 19.Qc2 Bxc3 20.Qxc3 Qxc3 21.Nxc3 Nd4[/font] gies Black a better center (Greet-Edouard, Op 0910, Hastings, 2009).
[font color="burgundy"]17...Na5 18.b4 Nxc4 19.bxc5 Ne3 20.Qd3 Nxf1 21.cxd6[/font] gives White a small advantage (Ponomariov-Sutovsky, Euro Ch Blitz Playoff, Ohrid, 2001).

If [font color="darkred"]16...Rfe8[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]17.Bh4 Nb4 18.Qd2 Ncd3 19.Na2 Nxa2 20.Qxd3[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Rublevsky-Leitão, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
[font color="magenta"]17.Qc2 Nb4 18.Qd2 Ncd3 19.Na2 Qb6 20.Be3[/font] gives White the tactical ability to gain the advantage in space (Meier-Suttor, World Youth BU18, Belfort, 2005).

If [font color="darkred"]14...Qa5 15.Bh4 Rfd8[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]16.Rc1 Qh5 17.Bf2 Qa5 18.Bh4 Qh5 19.Bf2 Qa5[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]20.Qb3 Nd7 21.Qc2 Nc5 22.Rb1 Nb4 23.Qd2 Nb3[/font] gives Black a slight advantage in space (Oral-Kasparov, IT, Prague, 2002).
[font color="darkorange"]20.Bh4 Qh5 [/font] draws by repetition (Rudolf-Maidl, IT, Paks, Hungary, 2011).

[font color="magenta"]16.Rb1 g5 17.Be1 Qc5 18.Rc1 h6 19.b3 Qb6[/font] is equal (Vescovi-Domínguez Pérez, Pan-American Ch, Buenos Aires, 2003).

If [font color="darkred"]13...h6 14.Bh4 Rfd8 [/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"] 15.f4 Qc7 16.Kh1 Qa5 [/font] then:

[font color="darkred"] 17.b3 Rac8 18.Qe1 Re8 19.Rb1 Nd7 20.Qg3 Nd4 [/font] is equal (Topalov-Van Wely, Amber Rapid, Monte Carlo, 2002).
[font color="darkorange"]17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.f5 Be5 19.Qd2 Kg7 20.Rf3 g5 [/font] is equal.

[font color="magenta"]15.Rb1 Qc7 16.Kh1 Rd7 17.Rc1 Re8 18.Nd5 [/font] is equal (Caruana-Anand, GS Maters Rd 3, São Paulo, 2012).

If [font color="darkred"]12...Qd8 [/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"] 13.Be3 Qa5 14.Kh1 Nd7 [/font] then:

[font color="darkred"] 15.Rb1 Nde5 16.b3 Nxc4 17.bxc4 Bxc3 18.Bb6 Qe5 [/font] is equal (Oral-Dworakowska, Op, Koszalin, Poland, 1999).
[font color="darkorange"]15.Bd2 Rfc8 16.Rb1 Qd8 17.Bg5 Qf8 18.b3 Rab8 [/font] is equal (Hartanbaatar-Sammalvuo, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).

[font color="magenta"]13.Kh1 Nd7 14.Rb1 Qa5 15.Bd2 Qh5 16.b3 [/font] is equal (Meier-Schütze, German Ch, Osterburg, 2006).

If [font color="darkred"]11...Rfc8 12.Be3 [/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12...Qd8 13.b3 a6 14.a4 Nd7 [/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]15.Rb1 Nc5 16.Qd2 Rab8 17.Rfd1 Qf8 18.Nf4 [/font] is equal (Ansdersson-Donner, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1973).
[font color="darkorange"]15.Kh1 Rab8 16.Rb1 Qa5 17.Qd2 Nf6 18.Rfd1 [/font] is equal (Ni Hua-Rodshtein, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2007).

[font color="magenta"]12...Ne8 13.Qd2 Ne5 14.b3 Nc7 15.Rac1 Na6 16.Rfd1 [/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Vasiukov-Cardoso, IT, Manila, 1974).

If [font color="darkred"]10.Nc2 0-0 11.Qe2 a6 12.Rd1 [/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]12...Qc7 13.Bg5 e6 14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.Qd2 Rd7 16.f3 [/font] is equal (Turov-Belov, Op, Minsk, 2000).
[font color="magenta"]12...Qe6 13.f3 Rab8 14.Be3 Nd7 15.Nd4 [/font] draw (Radulov-Smejkal, Vidmir Mem, Ljubljana/Portoroz, 1973).

9...Qc7 (N)

The wily world champion takes his young but formidable opponent out of the book early.
If [font color="red"]9...0-0 10.Be3 Nc6 11.0-0[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]11...Rfc8 12.b3 Qd8 13.Qd2 Qa5[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]14.Rac1 a6 15.Rfd1[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]15...Nxd4 16.Bxd4 b5 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Qxd2[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]19.Nxf6+ Kg7 20.Rxd2 Kxf6 21.Rdc2[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]21...b4 22.c5 Rc6 23.cxd6 Rxd6 24.Rc6[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]24...Ke5!? 25.Kf2 a5 26.Ke3 a4[/font] then:

[font color="red"]27.R1c5+!? Ke6 28.Rxd6+[/font] draw (Hosticka-Haba, Czechoslovakian Ch, Krvina, 1985).
If [font color="darkred"]27.R6c5+! Ke6 28.Rb5 axb3 29.axb3[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]29...f6 30.Rc7 Kf7 31.Rbb7 Re6 32.Rc2[/font] gives White a small advantage with one of his Rooks behind Black's b-pawn.
If [font color="magenta"]29...Ra2[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]30.Rc7! Rad2 31.Rbb7[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]31...R2d3+ 32.Kf2 Rd7 33.Rxd7 Rxd7 34.Rxd7 Kxd7 35.Ke3[/font] when Black can reach his pawn but lacks the reserve pawn tempi to prevent White from being able to force the King away.
If [font color="purple"]31...R6d3+?[/font] then White wins after [font color="purple"]32.Kf4 Rd7 33.Rxd7 Rxd7 34.Rxd7 Kxd7 35.Ke3[/font] transposes.

[font color="darkorange"]30.Rb7!? Kf6! 31.Rcc7 Re6 32.g4 Rxh2 33.Rxb4[/font] is equal.

[font color="burgundy"]24...Ke6 25.Kf2 a5 26.f4 Rxc6 27.Rxc6+ Kd7 28.Rc4[/font] remains equal.

[font color="darkpink"]21...Ra7 22.cxb5 Rxc2 23.Rxc2 axb5 24.Kf2 Ke5 25.Ke3[/font] is equal (Bosch-Sosonko, Dutch Ch, Amsterdam, 1994).

[font color="darkorchid"]19.Rxd2 Kg7 20.Rcc2 Rc5 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Nc7 Rb8[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkred"]15...b5 16.Nxc6 Rxc6 17.Nd5 Qxd2[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]18.Bxd2[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]18...Nxd5 19.cxd5 Rcc8 20.Ba5 f5 21.exf5 gxf5 22.Rc6[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Hecht-Sosonko, IT, Amsterdam, 1973).
[font color="darkorange"]18...Kf8 19.Nb4 Rcc8 20.cxb5 axb5 21.Rxc8+ Rxc8 22.Rc1[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Akopina-Korchnoi, IT, Barcelona, 1992).
[font color="darkpink"]18.Rxd2 Nxd5 19.exd5 Rc7 20.Rdc2 Rac8 21.c5[/font] is equal and soon drawn (Kasparov-Kengis, Soviet ChU18, Baku, 1975).

[font color="burgundy"]14.Rfd1 a6 15.a4 Nd7 16.Nde2 Rd8 17.Rab1 Rac8[/font] draw (Sadvakasov-Gelfand, IT, Astana, Kazakhstan, 2001).

If [font color="darkred"]a) 11...a6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12.Rc1 Rac8 13.b3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]13...Nxd4 14.Bxd4 e6 15.Qd3[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]15...Rc6 16.Rcd1 Qc7 17.f4 Rc8 18.a4[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (Kaplan-Velimirovic, IT, Amsterdam, 1974).
[font color="burgundy"]15...Qc6 16.Rfd1 Rfd8[/font] draw (Donaldson-Reshevsky, Op, New York, 1982).

[font color="darkpink"]13...e6 14.Nde2 Qe7 15.Qd2 Ne8 16.Rfe1 Ne5 17.Rcd1[/font] gives White a small advantage with a considerable advantage in space against Black's solid Sicilian defense that gives him little to do with it (Haba-Mohr, Austrian ChT, 2002).

If [font color="magenta"]12.a4 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]13.Rc1 Ne5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]14.b3 d5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Rfe8[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]18.Bf2 Qxd5 19.Qc2[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]19...Qd7 20.Rcd1 Rac8 21.Qb1 Qc7 22.Rfe1 Nd7[/font] is equal (Adams-Domínguez Pérez, Grand Prix, London, 2012).
[font color="burgundy"]19...Ng4 20.fxg4 Bxd4 21.Qc4 Bxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Qxc4 23.Rxc4 Re7 24.h4[/font] draw (Akopian-Kasparov, Ol, Bled, 2002).

[font color="darkpink"]18.Nc2 Rac8 19.Bf2 Rc3 20.Ne3 Rxc1 21.Qxc1 Nd3[/font] is equal (Bologan-Wojtaszek, IT, Paks, Hungary, 2011).

[font color="darkorchid"]14.Qe2 Rfc8 15.b3 d5 16.cxd5 exd5 17.f4[/font] is equal (Lupulescu-Sedlak, Euro Boys ChTU18, Balatonlelle, Hungary, 2001).

If [font color="darkorange"]13.Nde2!? Qc7[/font] then:

[font color="darkorange"]14.b3 Nd7 15.Qd2 Nc5 16.Rfc1 Nb4 17.h3 Rfd8[/font] gives Black a slight initiative (Stepovaia-Pogonina, Russian ChW, Moscow, 2007).
If [font color="purple"]14.Rb1 Nd7 15.b3[/font] then:

[font color="purple"]15...Nc5 16.Kh1 Rac8 17.Bf4 Be5 18.Bh6 Rfe8 19.f4[/font] is equal (Oratovsky-Givon, IT, Tel Aviv, 2012).

[font color="hotpink"]15...Rfe8 16.Qd2 Rad8 17.Rfd1 Qa5 18.Bg5 Bf6 19.Be3[/font] is equal.

If [font color="darkred"]b) 11...Rac8 12.b3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]12...Rfd8 13.Qd2 e6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]14.Rac1 d5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]15.exd5 exd5[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]16.Nxc6[/font] draw (Van Dop-Sosonko, Dutch Ch, Leeuwarden, 1974 and Van der Sterren-N. Weinstein, Op, Lone Pine, California, 1979).
If [font color="magenta"]16.c5 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Ne4 18.Qe3[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]18...Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Nxc5 20.Rfd1 Ne6 21.Qxa7 Qc7[/font] gives Black a small advantage in space (Bednarski-Pokojowczyk, IT, Slupsk, Poland, 1978).
If [font color="darkorange"]18...Nxc5[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]19.Rcd1!? Bxd4! 20.Rxd4 Qc6 21.Ne2 Ne6[/font] then:

If [font color="darkorange"]22.Rd2?! d4![/font] (the passed pawn in more deadly with the Rook misplaced) then:

[font color="darkorange"]23.Nxd4? Qb6! 24.Rfd1 Rd5[/font] White resigns (Ivanchuk-Shirov, IT, Sofia, 2009).
[font color="burgundy"]23.Qe4 Qb6 24.Kh1 Nc5[/font] continues to give Black a deadly passer.

[font color="hotpink"]22.Rd3[/font] (leaving the Queen an escape route) [font color="hotpink"]22...d4 23.Qd2 Qb6[/font continues to give Black an extra pawn.

[font color="purple"]19.Rfe1 Qd6 20.Nb5 Bxd4 21.Nxd4 Qb6[/font] continues to give White a small advantage.

If [font color="magenta"]15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.exd5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]17...Nxd5 18.Nxd5 exd5 19.Bd4 Bxd4+ 20.Qxd4 Rxc1 21.Rxc1[/font] is equal (Karatetin-Kaminski, USA-chT Amateur East, Parsipanny, New Jersey, 2002).
[font color="darkorange"]17...exd5 18.Bd4 Ne4 19.Qe3 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Nxc3 21.Rxc3[/font] is equal (Baek Wongi-Jayasundara, Ol, Istanbul, 2012).

If [font color="magenta"]14.Rad1 d5[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxc6[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]16...bxc6 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 cxd5[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]19.Bd4 Bxd4+ 20.Qxd4 Rc2 21.Rf2 Qc7 22.Rxc2 Qxc2[/font] is equal (Mustafaev-Le Quang Liem, World Youth BU18, Vung Tau, Vietnam, 2008).
[font color="hotpink"]19.Bg5 Bc3 20.Qd3 f6 21.Bd2 Be5 22.f4 Bc7[/font] is equal (Webb-P. Littlewood, British Ch, Torquay, 2002).

[font color="purple"]17.Bg5 Qd6 18.exd5 Rd7 19.Bf4 Qb4 20.d6 Nh5[/font] is equal (Houdini 1.5ax64)

[font color="darkorange"]15.exd5 exd5 16.c5 Ne8 17.Nde2 d4 18.Nb5 d3[/font] is equal (E. Torre-Micheli, IT, Madonna di Compiglio, Italy, 1973).

If [font color="magenta"]12...a6 13.a4[/font] then:

If [font color="magenta"]13...e6 14.Rc1[/font] then:

[font color="magenta"]14...Na5 15.Qc2 Rfd8 16.Rfd1 Qc7 17.Qa2 h6 18.Qd2 [/font] gives White the advantage in space while Black's position is solid, as is typical of a Sicilian Maroczy formation; neither side is likely to move forward easily (Amin-Grigoryan, IT, Lake Sevan, Armenia, 2008).
[font color="purple"]14...Qc7 15.Qd2 Nd7 16.Nde2 Nc5 17.Rb1 Na5 [/font] gives Black a small initiative; White must respond to the threat to the pawn at b3 (Yildiz-Kovalenskaya, Grand Prix W, Shenzhen, 2011).

[font color="darkorange"]13...Qd8 14.Qd2 Nd7 15.Rab1 Qa5 16.Rfd1 Rfe8 [/font] is equal (J. P. Gomez-Li Chao, Ol, Dresden, 2008).

[center]BLACK: Vishy Anand[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Magnus Carlsen[/center][center]Position after 9...Qd7c7[/center]

10.b3

The game is equal.

10...Qa5 11.Bb2 Nc6

[font color="red"]11...0-0 12.0-0 Qc5 13.Kh1 Nc6 14.Na4 Qg5 15.Qe1[/font] remains equal.

12.0-0 0-0 13.Nce2

[font color="red"]13.Nd5 Qc5 14.b4 Qxc4 15.Nxc6 Nxd5 16.Rc1[/font] remains equal.

13...Rfd8 14.Bc3 Qb6 15.Kh1 d5

[font color="red"]15...Nd7 16.Qd2 Re8 17.Rad1 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Nxd4[/font] remains equal.

16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qe1

[center]BLACK: Vishy Anand[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Magnus Carlsen[/center][center]Position after 17.Qd1e1[/center]

17...Rdc8!?

Black apparently fears 18.Ba4, but it would be better to prevent the move altogether than to take out the sting by moving the Rook that would be skewered if no action were taken from it useful post on the d-file.
[font color="red"]17...a5![/font] (rendering 18.Ba4 impossible) [font color="red"]18.cxd5 cxd5 19.e5 Nd7 20.Bd4 Qa6 21.f4[/font] gives Black a passed pawn which must be placed "under lock and key." White's f-pawn has a potential energy.

18.e5!

White stands slightly better. He has a slight initiative against the Knight, which has no good square to which to move and the threat of a pawn sacrifice at e6 that deals structural damage to Black's central pawns.
If [font color="red"]18.cxd5!? cxd5 19.e5[/font] then:

[font color="red"]19...Nd7 20.Bd4 Qb7 21.e6 fxe6 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Qh4 Nf8[/font] is equal.
[font color="darkred"]19...Ne8 20.Qd2 Qb7 21.Rac1 e6 22.Rc2 Nc7 23.Rfc1[/font] is equal.

18...Ne8

This is best place for the Knight, although it's not a very good place. It is even difficult to conceive of a plan utilizing the Knight from e8.
If [font color="red"]18...Nd7 19.e6 fxe6[/font] (giving Black an extra pawn, but also a troublesome doubled pawn on an open file) [font color="red"]20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nf4 e5 22.cxd5 cxd5 23.Nxd5 Qe6 24.Rd1 Rc5 25.Nf4[/font] gives White stronger pawns, a queenside majority and a slight initiative; Black has potential counterply with his active heavy pieces.

If [font color="darkred"]19...Bxc3 20.Nxc3[/font] then:

If [font color="darkred"]20...Nf6 21.Na4 Qc7 22.Rf2 Qd6 23.Re2[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]23...Nh5 24.exf7+ Kxf7 25.Rd1 e6 26.Nb2 Nf4 27.Re5[/font] gives White stronger pawns, power in the center and a clear advantage in space; White will have to do something about Black's potential counterplay on the kingside before undertaking any more aggressive action.

[font color="darkorange"]23...fxe6?! 24.Rxe6! Qf4 25.Rc1 Re8 26.Nc5 Rac8 27.Re5[/font] gives White a strong center and better pawns.

[font color="magenta"]20...fxe6??[/font] loses immediately to [font color="magenta"]21.Qxe6+!.[/font]

21...Nc5 22.Rd1 Qc7 23.Nxe6+ Nxe6 24.Qxe6 Qd6 25.Qxd6[/font] wins back the pawn and continues to give Black a weak doubled pawn on an open file.
19.e6!?

The pawn sacrifice is slightly dubious.
If [font color="red"]19.f4 Nc7 20.Rc1 a5[/font] then:

[font color="red"]21.c5 Qa6 22.Nd4 a4 23.e6 Rf8 24.b4[/font] gives White a slight advantage with more space, but Black' command of critical diagonals provide sufficient counterplay.
[font color="darkred"]21.f5!? e6! 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.fxe6 fxe6 24.Ng3 Nxc3[/font] is equal.

[center]BLACK: Vishy Anand[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Magnus Carlsen[/center][center]Position after 19.e5e6[/center]

19...fxe6!

The game is equal.
If [font color="red"]19...f5 20.Rd1 dxc4[/font] then:

[font color="red"]21.Bxg7 Nxg7 22.Qh4 Qc5 23.Rc1 Nxe6 24.Rxc4 Qd6[/font] is equal also.
If [font color="darkred"]21.Rd7 Qe3 22.Rxe7 cxb3 23.axb3[/font] then:

[font color="darkred"]23...Rc7 24.Rd7 Qxe6 25.Rxc7 Nxc7 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.Qc3+[/font] is equal.
[font color="magenta"]23...Bxc3 24.Nxc3 Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Rc7 26.Rd7 Rxd7 27.exd7[/font] is equal.

20.Nf4

[font color="red"]20.Bxg7 Nxg7 21.Nf4 Qc5 22.Nxe6 Qd6 23.Ng5 Qf4[/font] remains equal.

20...Bxc3 21.Qxc3 d4

[font color="red"]21...Ng7 22.Qe1 Qc7 23.Nxe6 Qd6 24.Ng5 Qf4 25.Nh3[/font] remains equal.

22.Qd2 c5 23.Rae1

[font color="red"]23.Rfe1 Ng7 24.Re5 a5 25.Rae1 Rc6 26.g4 Rf8[/font] remains equal.

23...Ng7 24.g4 Rc6!?

Black weakens his back rank while adding nothing necessary to to the defense of the pawn at e6.
If [font color="red"]24...Qd6 25.Nh3 e5 26.Qg5 Rc6 27.Qxe5 Ra6 28.Rf2[/font] gives White a small advantage with more activity in the center; Black passed pawn at d4 could become dangerous as pieces fly off the board.

25.Nh3!

White prepares to regroup his pieces in of Black's last move. Pressure will be applied to e6 while White has calculated that he can allow Black's d-pawn to advance.
[font color="red"]25.Re5!? a5! 26.Nh3 Qb8 27.Rfe1 Qf8 28.Kg2[/font] leaves White with slightly better control of the center, but Black has counterplay on either wing.
[font color="blue"]25.Nd3!? a5 26.Re4 Rf8 27.Ne5 Rd6 28.Qg5 Qc7[/font] remains equal.

25...Ne8?!

Black squanders his last chance to advance the e-pawn.
If [font color="red"]25...e5[/font] then:

If [font color="red"]26.Qh6 g5 27.Qxg5[/font] then:

[font color="red"]27...Re6 28.Rxe5 h6 29.Qf4 Rf8 30.Qe4 Rxe5 31.Qxe5[/font] gives White an extra pawn; Black's passer should be a source of counterplay.
[font color="magenta"]27...Rg6 28.Qxe5 Re6 29.Qd5 Rd8 30.Rxe6 Nxe6 31.Qe4[/font] gives White an extra pawn and more freedom.

[font color="darkred"]26.Qg5!? Rf6 27.Qxe5 Re6 28.Qg5 Rf8 29.Nf4 Rxe1[/font] is equal.

26.Qh6!

White has a potent threat of mate in two.

26...Nf6 27.Ng5 d3?

Apparently, Black thinks he has time to push the pawn. He doesn't.
If [font color="red"]27...Qa6 28.Re5[/font] then:

[font color="red"]28...Qc8 29.Rfe1 Qf8 30.Qh3 d3 31.Nxe6 Qf7 32.Ng5[/font] gives White a strong kingside attack.
If [font color="darkred"]28...Kh8?[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]29.Rfe1! Qb7 30.Kg1 Ra6 31.Rxe6 Rxe6 32.Nxe6.[/font]

[center]BLACK: Vishy Anand[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Magnus Carlsen[/center][center]Position after 27...d4d3[/center]

28.Re5!

White wins quickly. After this flexible prophylaxis that save a valuable tempo after ...d2.

28...Kh8

If [font color="red"]28...d2[/font] (thanks to his last move, White does not lose control of the e-file) [/font color="red"]29.Rd1 Kh8[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]30.Rxd2 Qb8 31.Nxe6 Qg8 32.Nxc5.[/font]
If [font color="darkred"]29...Rd6[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkred"]30.Nxh7 Nxh7 31.Qxg6+ Kf8 32.Qxh7.[/font]

29.Rd1 Qa6 30.a4 1-0

If [font color="red"]30...Qc8[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]31.Rxd3 Qg8 32.a5 Rac8 33.Rde3 Rd6 34.Nxe6.[/font]
Sri Anand, the reigning world champion, resigns.

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