ChessBase Reader Printout, Microsoft , 2025/06/21 1

D00 times, but it doesn't solve Black's

Gruenfeld Setups problems. 8.0-0 Bb7 9.a4 We want to
[GM Abhijeet Gupta] get a5 next. a5 This is the only way to
prevent White's idea. 10.Re1
[%evp 0,38,24,18,27,-7,40,40,40,44,30,-10,-10, [%cal Ge3e4] Nbd7 11.Bd3²
-5,1,1,-7,-24,16,12,12,13,14,7, 3,6,6,0,13,0,12, With e4 coming next and White has a
12,13,-2,-21,-21,0,0,-3,-4,-4] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 slight edge here. ;
g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 Probably the best B) 7...b5 This in a way stops a4 but
move in the position. Besides this and 4...c6, weakens c5-square. 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a3 a5
all other moves lead to an advantage for 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.b4² We have stopped b4
White. and are now ready to play Re1 and e3-
[ 4...a6 This is possible although none of the e4. ;
top players goes for it for an obvious reason C) 7...Bf5 8.0-0 a5 ( 8...Nbd7?! 9.g4
as it's slow against White's initiative on the White takes advantage of Black's last
kingside. 5.Qd2 with the idea to play Bh6 move to chase the unstable bishop. Be6
and 0-0-0 Bg7 6.0-0-0 0-0 7.h4! h5 10.Ng5 Ne8 11.Bg3² With the idea to
Otherwise h5 would have been terrible for play f4 next. ) 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.cxd3!‚
Black. 8.Ng5 b5 9.f3 Nbd7 10.e4‚ ] Black doesn't have any counterplay
[ 4...Nh5 This move does not make much against e4-e5 ;
sense here but still we must know how to D) 7...Nbd7 This is the most flexible move
react against it. 5.Be5! Provoking f6 f6 for Black. 8.0-0 Re8 Although this has
6.Bg3 Nxg3 7.hxg3 f5 Otherwise, it's been played many times, it's almost
difficult to do anything with the dark-squared impossible to get ...e7-e5 for Black. 9.Bh2
bishop. 8.e3 Bg7 9.Ne2 With the idea to Asking Black what does he want next. a5
go Nf4,Be2/d3,0-0 and open up the centre 10.a4 Nb6 This was played in one of the
with c4. It feels like a very good version of games but I don't see what Black wants
Stonewall. ] after b3 ( 10...Ne4?! 11.Nxe4 dxe4
[ 4...c5?! Black is not ready for this move. 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.c3± [%cal Gd1c2,Gd2c4,
White can simply capture the pawn and Gb2b4] ) 11.b3² ]
hang on to it. 5.dxc5 5.Nb5 White is forcing Black to put his knight
A) 5...Bg7 6.e4! Qa5 Black must try to on the rim. Na6 6.e3 0-0
create counterplay by pinning the White [ 6...Nh5 This has been played recently by
knight. 7.exd5 Ne4 8.Be5 It is important Aronian and Mamedyarov. 7.Bg5 c6 8.Nc3
to exchange the dark-squared bishops. Nc7 9.h3 White wants to play g4 at some
Bxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxc3 10.Qd2! With the point to push the Black knight back in case
idea to get back the piece. White is simply of necessity. 0-0 10.Bh4 This is a
much better here. ; prophylactic move against ...h6 or ...f6. b6
B) 5...Nc6 6.e4! If you can you should 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 c5 13.a4 Ne6 14.a5
always attack the centre. Nxe4 7.Nxe4 With the ideas of a6-Ne5 in the air. I feel
dxe4 8.Qxd8+ Nxd8 ( 8...Kxd8 9.Ng5 ) White is slightly better here. ]
9.Ne5! Bb5 check is big threat now a6 [ 6...c6 7.Nc3 Nc7 ( 7...Nb8 8.h3
What else? 10.Nc4± [%cal Gc4b6] I don't is just a transposition. ; 7...0-0 This is simply
see how Back can stop Nb6 thus giving bad. 8.Bxa6 bxa6 9.Ne5² ) 8.h3
White a clear advantage. ; It's important not to let Black bishop on g4.
C) 5...Qa5 6.Nd4 [%cal Gd4b3] Qxc5 0-0 9.Bd3 tranposes. ]
7.Be5± [%csl Yd5] White wins the d5- 7.h3 Ne4 Another move which I employed
pawn with a large advantage. ] myself. The idea here is to not let White knight
[ 4...c6 5.h3 It's important to play this to go on c3
have a cover for the bishop on f4. Bg7 6.e3 [ 7...Bf5 This is sort of a semi-waiting move
0-0 7.Be2 Our plan is simple. We want to which I employed myself but if we know
castle next and play normal chess. Black what to do then it shouldn't be a big deal.
has now few options here A) 8.c3 c6 9.Na3 Qb6 ( 9...Nc7
A) 7...b6 This has been played a few 10.Be2² [%cal Ge1g1,Gc3c4] ) 10.Qb3
ChessBase Reader Printout, Microsoft , 2025/06/21 2

Nd7 11.Be2 e5 This is not been played White seems to be slightly better here. ;
before but it seems to give Black decent D) 8...Nc7 9.Bd3 With bishop on d3, we
chances for equality 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 can later play for e4
13.Bxe5 Bxe5 14.Qxb6 axb6 15.Bxa6 D1) 9...Nce8 Black takes time to
Bd6 16.Bxb7 Bxa3 17.bxa3 Ra5 18.c4 relocate this knight to d6, where it has
dxc4 19.Bxc6 Rc8 20.d5 Rxa3= ; good control over the centre. The
B) 8.Bd3 This was played by Blubaum drawback is that it will be almost
who is sort of an expert in this line. Bxd3 impossible for Black to play ...e5. 10.0-0
9.cxd3 c5 10.0-0 cxd4 11.Nbxd4 Nd7 Nd6 11.a4 a5 12.Re1 Re8 ( 12...Bf5?!
12.Bg3 We have a slightly better position 13.Bxf5 Nxf5 14.e4 ) 13.Be5²
with the idea of Rb1 followed by b4 next. With the idea of eventually getting Nd2
Re8 13.Rb1 e5 14.Nb5 Qb6 15.Nc3 d4 and e4 or we can also play Ne2-b3-c4 ;
Otherwise it's not so easy to defend this D2) 9...b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.a4
pawn. 16.exd4 exd4 17.Ne4² ] Once again, we see this thematic idea.
[ 7...c5 8.c3 Bd7 9.a4 c4 10.Nd2 a5 This move stops the White pawn
This move prevents ...Ne4 and prepares for from advancing but weakens the b5-
e4 or b3. Bxb5 11.axb5 Nc7 12.e4! dxe4 square. ( 11...c5 12.a5 I don't want to
( 12...e6 13.e5 Nd7 14.g3 Nxb5 15.h4© go too much into the detail here but
[%cal Gh4h5,Gd1g4] ) 13.Bxc4 With pair of practically I feel White is slightly better
bishops White's position is slightly as we have more space on the
preferable. ] queenside plus Black can never
[ 7...c6 8.Nc3 challenge the control over the e5-
A) 8...b6 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nc7 11.a4 square. ) 12.Re1² White is ready to
with the idea to go a5 next. a5 12.Nb1 open the centre with e4. ]
With the idea to go Na3/d2 and c4. If 8.Nd2 c6
Black goes for c5, b5 will always be a [ 8...Nxd2 9.Qxd2 c6 10.Nc3 Nc7
weak square. ; 11.0-0-0! Surprise! Ne6 12.Be5 Bxe5
B) 8...c5 This is simply bad 9.Bxa6 bxa6 13.dxe5 b5 14.h4‚ The objective
10.Be5 cxd4 11.Qxd4² ; evaluation should be okay for Black but in a
C) 8...Qb6 [%csl Rb2] 9.Rb1 c5 practical game it's always easier to play this
This has been the choice of Rajdabov and as White. ]
Adhiban ( 9...Bf5 A natural move as Black 9.Nxe4 dxe4
wants to play ...Ne4 or ...Nb4 10.Bd3 [ 9...cxb5 10.Nd2 b4 11.Bd3± ]
Bxd3 11.cxd3 We see this typical 10.Nc3 c5 This is the only way to justify
recapture again. I will stress that White Black's 8th move. 11.Nxe4 Finally we have a
should not be afraid of the double d-pawns, position which has never been played before
as we can aim for a pawn attack on the [ 11.Bxa6 bxa6 12.0-0 cxd4 13.exd4 Bxd4
queenside with b2-b4-b5, or play in the 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Qe1 Bb7 16.Rd1 e5
centre with e3-e4. c5 If Black does not 17.Nxe4 Qh4 18.Nd6 Qxh6 19.Nxb7
play this move, he is just worse with a Bxb2„ ]
passive position. 12.Be5 White needs the 11...cxd4 12.exd4 Qd5!
London bishop here to counter Black's [ 12...Bxd4 13.c3 Nc5 14.Nxc5 Bxc5
potential pressure on the long diagonal.. 15.Bc4 With the idea to play Qe2,0-0 next. I
e6 13.0-0 Rfc8 It is natural for Black to believe White is slightly better here. ]
bring a rook to the c-file. 14.Na4 Qd8 13.Nc3 Qf5 Another precise move
15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.dxc5 Rxc5 17.Qa4 [ 13...Qxd4?! 14.Qxd4 Bxd4 15.Nd5
The position is objectively equal, but White Computer gives White a clear advantage
retains some practical chances thanks to and I am not going to argue on that :) ]
our better placed minor pieces. Black's 14.Be3 Nb4 Another only move 15.Rc1 Rd8
queenside is also slightly vulnerable. ) 16.Bc4 Nc6 17.Ne2 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Bxd4
10.Be5 cxd4 ( 10...Rd8 11.Bxa6 bxa6 19.0-0 Qe4= After making almost 7-8 only
12.0-0² ) 11.Bxd4 Qd8 12.Bxa6 bxa6 moves, Black has finally equalised here but
13.0-0² Thanks to the pawn structure, this has happened only because I was
ChessBase Reader Printout, Microsoft , 2025/06/21 3

analysing with the engine. In a practical game,

Black's play is very difficult.