This line of the French Winawer is very provocative. Black invites White to attack and play for mate, during the late 1980's several games showed that White's attack to be virtually winning, but now powerful defensive and especially counter-attacking ideas have made the whole line playable. Indeed it is White who must play with caution, Black's kingside is very hard to break down and if he pushes too hard his position crumbles to Black's
counter play.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0 8.Bd3 Nbc6 9.Qh5
This is considered the most critical move by current theory, but I doubt some of the logic behind the move as White cannot press home the attack with pieces alone, and the queen now stands in the way of a future h-pawn advance and therefore White will lose time later.
9...Ng6 10.Nf3 Qc7 11.Be3
11.0-0?! c4 12.Be2 f6 Black's position is already better.
11...Nce7
This is the latest idea for Black in this position. The idea seems to be to remain
flexible by holding back ...c4 and trying to create counter play in the centre with a timely ...f6 and ...e5 break.
11...c4 I can see nothing wrong with this approach, 11...Nce7 is played to try and counter down the c-file. 12.Bxg6 fxg6 13.Qg4 Bd7 14.h4 Rf5 15.h5 gxh5 16.Rxh5 Raf8 17.Rh3 Be8 18.Kd2 h5 19.Qh4 Rxf3 20.gxf3 Ne7 Rowson-Barsov. 12.h4 Bd7
12...c4?! This move does not fit with the 11...Nce7 idea. 13.Bxg6 Nxg6 14.Qg4 Qa5 15.Kd2 f5 16.exf6 Rxf6 17.h5 e5 18.Qg3 Ne7 19.Nxe5
Nf5
13.Qg5!?N
13.a4!? f5 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.0-0 c4 16.Bxg6 Nxg6 17.Qg5 e5 18.dxe5 Rxf3 19.gxf3 Rf8 20.Qg3 Qxe5 21.Qxe5 Nxe5 22.Rfd1 Nxf3+ 23.Kf1 Rf5 (23...Bh3+ 24.Ke2 Bg4 25.Rxd5) 24.Bxa7 Rh5 25.Ke2 Bg4 26.Rdb1 Nxh4+ 27.Kd2 Nf3+ 28.Kc1 d4 29.Rb5 Rxb5 30.axb5 dxc3 31.Bc5 Bf5 32.Ra4 Nd2 33.Bd4 Be6 34.Ra8+ Kf7 35.Rh8 Nf3 36.Bxc3 Ng5 37.f4 Ne4 38.Be5 h6 39.Rb8 Bd5 40.f5 Nf6 41.Rc8 h5 42.Rc5 Be4 43.Rc7+ Kg8 44.Bxf6 gxf6 45.Kd2 1-0 Anand,V-Lputian,S
2000.
13...f6
13...h6!? Rowson. 14.Qg4 A) 14...Nf5 15.h5 (15.Bd2!?) 15...Nxe3 16.fxe3
Ne7; B) 14...f5 15.exf6 Rxf6 16.h5 Nf4 17.Ne5 Raf8
14.exf6 gxf6 15.Qh6!
Rowson calls this the critical line.
The Rowson-Hillarp-Persson game played at the York Vikings
continued; 15.Qg3 and only
considered the move 15.Qh6! in his analysis to the game (Published in 'Chess' Feb 2001.) 15...Qxg3 16.fxg3 c4 17.Bxg6 Nxg6 (17...hxg6!? 18.Kd2 Nc6 19.Rab1
b6) 18.h5 Ne7 19.Kd2 Kg7 20.h6+ Kg8 21.g4 e5 22.dxe5 Bxg4 23.Bc5 Rae8 24.exf6 Rxf6 25.Ne5 Bc8 26.Rae1 b6 27.Bd4 Rff8 28.g4 Be6 29.Rh5 Bf7 30.Rg5+ Bg6 31.Nd7 Rf7 32.Rxg6+ hxg6 33.h7+
.
15...cxd4
15...c4? 16.h5
16.h5! Rowson.
A) 16.Bxd4 e5 17.h5 Leads to the forced sequence; (17.Be3 Qxc3+ 18.Ke2 e4-+) 17...Nf5 18.Bxf5 Bxf5 19.hxg6 Bxg6 And now after;
A1) 20.0-0-0 S, Culkin. 20...exd4 21.Nxd4 (21.Nh4 Culkin. 21...Bxc2 22.Kxc2 Qxc3+ 23.Kb1 Qb3+ 24.Ka1 Qxa3+ 25.Kb1= ?!) 21...Qxc3 22.Qe3 Qxe3+ 23.fxe3;
A2) 20.Be3 Black seems to be
winning after 20...Qxc3+ 21.Ke2 d4 22.Bd2 d3+ 23.cxd3 Bxd3+ 24.Ke3 Qb3-+
B)16.cxd4 Is the most natural move, but the stunning 16...Bb5!! (16...Nf5 17.Bxf5 Qc3+ 18.Kd1 Qxa1+ 19.Kd2 Qxh1 20.Bxg6 hxg6 21.Qxg6+ Rowson gives this as equal but after; 21...Kh8 22.Bh6! White wins. 22...Rg8 23.Qxf6+ Kh7 24.Bf4! Rg7 25.Ng5++-) 17.Bxb5 (17.Bd2!? Bxd3 18.cxd3 Nf5 19.Qh5
Qc2) 17...Nf5 18.Qh5 Qc3+ 19.Ke2 Qxc2+ 20.Ke1 (20.Nd2 Nxd4+-+) 20...Qc3+ 21.Ke2 Qb2+ 22.Nd2 Qxb5+ 23.Ke1
Rf7.
16...Qxc3+ 17.Ke2 Nf5 18.Bxf5 de
18...Bb5+? 19.Kd1 dxe3 20.Ra2; 18...Nf4+ 19.Bxf4 Bb5+ 20.Bd3 Qxc2+ 21.Kf1 Bxd3+
22.Kg1.
19.Bd3
19.hxg6 Bb5+ 20.Bd3 Qxc2+ 21.Kxe3 (21.Ke1 exf2+ 22.Kf1 Bxd3#; 21.Nd2 Qxd3+ 22.Kf3
exd2) 21...Qxd3+ 22.Kf4 e5+ 23.Kg3 Qxg6+-+; 19.fxe3 Nf4+ 20.Qxf4 exf5 21.Nd4 Rae8; 19.Bxg6 This would appear to be White's best but it is far from good
enough. 19...Bb5+ 20.Bd3 Qxc2+ 21.Kxe3 Qxd3+ 22.Kf4 e5+ 23.Kg3 d4 24.Rh4; 19.a4 exf5 20.hxg6 Qxc2+-+; 19.Qxe3? Bb5+ 20.Bd3 Qxc2+ 21.Nd2 Qxd3+ 22.Qxd3
Nf4+-
19...Bb5!! 20.Bxb5
20.hxg6 Qxc2+ 21.Kxe3 Qxd3+ 22.Kf4 e5+ 23.Kg3 Qxg6+-+; 20.Ra2 Fritzy. 20...Bxd3+ 21.cxd3 Ne7 22.Qxe3
e5 23.Rc1 Qb3 24.Rcc2.
20...Qxc2+ 21.Kxe3 Ne5
Looks best but Black can also consider;
21...Ne7!? 22.Bd3 (22.g4 d4+! 23.Nxd4 Nd5+ 24.Kf3 Qc3+ 25.Kg2 Qxd4-+) 22...d4+ 23.Ke4 f5+ 24.Kf4 e5+ 25.Kg3 (25.Nxe5?? Qxf2+ 26.Nf3 Qe3+-+) 25...Qxd3 26.Qe6+ Rf7 27.Qxe5 (27.Kh2!? Qa6 28.Qxe5 Qh6 29.Qxd4 Qxh5+ 30.Kg1 Qg4÷) 27...Nc6 28.Qe6 f4+ 29.Kg4 (29.Kh4 Qf5 30.Qxf5 Rxf5) 29...Raf8.
22.Nxe5
22.Qf4 Qb3+ 23.Kd2 Qb2+ (23...Qxb5 24.Nxe5 fxe5 25.Qg3+ Kf7 26.Qxe5 Ke7 With both kings wandering around the board this must be unclear.) 24.Ke3 Qxb5 25.Nxe5 Qb6+ 26.Qd4 Qxd4+ 27.Kxd4 fxe5+ 28.Kxe5 Rxf2 29.Kxe6
d4-+
22...d4+! 23.Kf3
23.Kxd4? fxe5+ Leads to mate. 24.Ke3 Qxf2+ 25.Kd3 Rad8+ 26.Kc3 Rc8+
etc.
23...fxe5+ 24.Kg3 Qb3+
24...Qxf2+ 25.Kh2 Qh4+=
25.Kh2 Qxb5 26.Qxe6+ Rf7 27.Rac1 Qe8-+ I know that things can be tricky in heavy piece endings, but here Black must be winning.