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Black to play [W:Kd2 B:Kc4]
Can he win this pawn endgame?
Solution
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3 e6 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.b3 0-0 10.Rd1 Nbd7 11.Bb2 a6 12.e4 Qc7 13.h3 Rad8 14.Qe3 Rfe8 15.Re1 Qb8 16.Rad1 b5 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Ba3 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Bxd6 Bxd6 21.Qxe4 Nf6 22.Qc6 b4 23.Nd4 Bf8 24.Qb7 Qxb7 25.Bxb7 Rb8 26.Bf3 Rb6 27.Nc6 g6 28.Rd4 Rc8 29.Rc4 Kg7 30.Rec1 Ne8 31.R4c2 Ra6 32.Kg2 Rc7 33.Kf1 Bd6 34.Be2 Rb6 35.Bf3 f5 36.Rc4 e5 37.Bd5 Nf6 38.Bg2 e4 39.Nd4 Ra7 40.R1c2 Nd5 41.g4 Kf6 42.gxf5 gxf5 43.Rc6 Rxc6 44.Rxc6 Ke5 45.Nxf5 Kxf5 46.Rxd6 Ke5 47.Rd8 Nc3 48.Re8+ Kd4 49.Rd8+ Nd5 50.Rc8 Rc7 51.Rxc7 Nxc7 52.Ke2 Nd5 53.Kd2 Nc3 54.Bf1 Nxa2 55.Bc4 Nc3 56.Bg8 h6 57.Bc4 Nb1+ 58.Ke2 Kc3 59.Ke3 Nd2 60.Bg8 Nxb3 61.Kxe4 Nd2+ 62.Ke3 Nc4+ 63.Bxc4 Kxc4 64.Kd2 Kb3! 64...Kd4? 65.Kc2 Ke4 66.Kb3 Kf3 67.Kxb4 Kxf2 68.h4! 68.Kc3? Kg3-+ 68...Kg3 69.h5! Kg4 70.Kc3 Kxh5 71.Kd3 Kg4 72.Ke2 Kg3 73.Kf1= 64...b3? 65.Kc1 Kd3 66.Kb2 Ke4 67.Kxb3 Kf3 68.Kc4 Kxf2 69.Kd3 Kg3 70.Ke2 Kxh3 71.Kf1= 64...h5? 65.Kc2 h4 66.Kb2 Kd3 67.Kb3 Ke4 68.Kxb4 Kf3 69.Kc3 Kxf2 70.Kd2 Kg3 71.Ke2 Kxh3 72.Kf1= 65.f4 65.h4?! Ka2= 65...Kc4‼ 65...Ka2? 66.f5 b3 67.f6 b2 68.f7 b1Q 69.f8Q= 66.f5 Kd5 67.Kd3 67.Kc2 Ke5 68.Kb3 Kxf5 69.Kxb4 Kg5 70.Kc3 Kh4 71.Kd2 Kxh3 72.Ke2 Kg2 73.Ke3 h5-+ 67...Ke5 68.Kc4 Kxf5 69.Kxb4 Kg5 70.Kc3 Kh4 71.Kd3 Kxh3 72.Ke3 Kg3 0–1
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Goganov,A | 2609 | Gordievsky,D | 2471 | 0–1 |
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Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine
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ChessBase Magazine #163

Free Opening Article for Download!
Evgeny Postny: "Black has the choice" (Anti-Grünfeld with 5.Ld2 and 8.Qd2)
"The side variation 5.Bd2 has been enjoying a certain popularity among strong players, there is a whole series of 2700s who in recent years have tested out this setup with White. White would like to recapture on c3 with the bishop and then the fashionable move is 8.Qd2 (instead of 8.Nf3) and that is the subject of Evgeny Postny's article."
That is how Rainer Knaak describes the situation in the booklet of CBM 163. The article was written before the World Championship in Sochi. And what happened? In the very first Vishy Anand attacked World Champion Magnus Carlsen with this variation!
Postny presents two candidates - 8...c5 and 8...Nc6 (Carlsen's choice), explains the strategic ideas behind these moves, and concludes that both offer Black good chances to equalize.
Free Download of this opening article (CBV file for ChessBase/Fritz)...
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Introduction by Karsten Müller
All Opening Articles in ChessBase Magazine #163
Opening surveys
Illingworth: Reti Opening A11
1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 g6 5.b3 Bg7 6.Bb2 0-0 7.0-0

This flexible setup allows one to decide at a later point whether to follow it up with d3 or with d4. Max Illingworth has studded his article with numerous rules of thumb so that it is to a great extent possible to avoid having to learn long theoretical variations.
Kuzmin: Benkö Gambit A58
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e4 0-0 8.Nf3 Qa5

As Alexey Kuzmin explains, what we have here is a totally new approach to playing the Volga. Black does not want to take on a6 quickly in order to prevent White from castling with Ba6xf1. Instead of that he is even prepared to rapidly exchange his queen.
Stohl: Benoni A60
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 cxd5 5.exd5 b5

The Fianchetto Variation may not be reckoned the strongest way to fight the Modern Benoni, but nevertheless White does have chances of getting an advantage. So, with 5...b5!? Black is trying to go his own way at an early point; Igor Stohl investigates how dangerous that is for him.
Karolyi: Dutch Defence A83
1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nc6 5.d5 Ne5 6.Qd4 Nf7 7.h4

Till now in this variation of the Staunton Gambit 7.Bxf6 was played – however it led to good results for Black. But as Tibor Karolyi demonstrates in his article, after 7.h4! Black has to face much greater problems. That represents a considerable upward revaluation of the move 2.e4.
Havasi: Modern Defence B06
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7.Be3

At first White develops naturally with Bd3 and Be3. But as Gergö Havasi demonstrates in his analyses, you would require good knowledge of the theory specific to this variation in order to really get an advantage in the long run.
Krasenkow: Sicilian B22
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 e6

At the level of club players, the Alapin Variation 2.c3 is very popular. So Michal Krasenkow makes you acquainted with his own repertoire against it. Early on 4...e6 is a subtle move, since White can hardly reply 5.dxc5 (5...Qxd1+).
Sumets: French C11
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Na4 Qa5+ 9.c3 b6

After the strongest continuation 10.Bd2 c4 11.b4 there are two quite distinct lines: 11...Qa6 and 11...Nxb4. Andrey Sumets’ investigations prove that the knight sacrifice has a greater tendency to give Black satisfactory play.
Antic: French C12
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 Ne4 8.Nge2

6.Bh4 provokes 6...g5, and White hopes to be able to go on and exploit the weakness. Dejan Antic deals with 8...h5 and 8...f5, before turning to the main move 8...c5. It appears that White cannot lay claim to any objective advantage.
Müller: King's Gambit C37
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Nc3

From the position in the diagram Black has several moves: 4...g4?!, 4...Bg7, the subtle 4...d6 and 4...Nc6, which leads to a position which is frequently arrived at via a transposition of moves. Karsten Müller introduces you to the subtleties and goes far beyond present theory.
Gormally: Queen's Gambit Accepted D24
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4 e6 8.axb5

This is one of the sharpest variations of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. By playing 7...e6 Black returns the pawn immediately. Daniel Gormally acquaints you with both continuations: 8...Bb4 and Miles’ 8...Nb6.
Postny: Grünfeld Defence D85
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Bg7 6.e4 Nxc3 7.Bxc3 0-0 8.Qd2

Nowadays 5.Bd2 is no longer a surprise way to meet the Grünfeld Defence. Evgeny Postny has worked intensively on the position in the diagram and come to the conclusion that there are several continuations for Black which give him a level game.
Marin: Nimzoindian E41
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 8.0-0 e5 9.d5 Ne7

The so-called Hübner Variation (Mihail Marin mentions earlier games by Portisch in the 1950s) is not an easy one to defuse. Our Romanian author tries to do so with 10.Nd2 and in his extensive article he is able to show a slight plus for White.
Szabo: King's Indian E98
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Ne8 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 h5 13.c5 g5

Krisztian Szabo is a specialist in this sharp variation, which can be characterised in brief as follows: White is better, but Black wins. So the risk factor is extremely high for both sides.
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