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1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Be6 5.a4

Possibly a more dangerous move than 5 Nc3. White deters ...b7-b5.  Other tries:

5.Ne5!? was played in a recent game by Alexey Dreev.  In my opinion his opponent showed too much respect .  5...Nf6

What is wrong with 5...b5!? now?  I sketch a brief analysis: 6.Qf3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nd5.  Or 6.b3 cxb3 7.axb3 Nf6 8.Nc3 a5 9.Bd3 b4 10.Na2 Qd6 11.0-0 Nbd7

Black's play continues in the same provocative and aggressive vein.  White has not yet won his pawn back and has it all to prove.

6.Nxc4 g6 7.Nbd2 Bg7 8.b4 0-0 9.Bb2 Bd5 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.e4 Bxc4 12.Bxc4 Nh5 13.Nf3 a5 14.a3 axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1+ 16.Bxa1 e5 17.dxe5 Qe7 18.Qc3 Re8 19.0-0 Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.Qxe5 Qxe5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.f3 b5 24.Bb3 c5 25.f4 Rxe4 26.bxc5 Re7 27.c6 Rc7 28.Bd5 Kf8 29.g3 Ke7 30.Rb1 Nf6 31.Bg2 Kd6 32.Rxb5 Ng8 33.Bd5 Nf6 34.Bf3 Ng8 35.Bd5 Nf6 36.Bf3 Ng8 37.Rd5+ Ke6 38.Re5+ Kd6 39.Rd5+ Ke6 40.Re5+ Kd6 41.Re8 Ne7 42.Rh8 h5 43.Rd8+ Ke6 44.Rb8 Nxc6 45.Rb6 Kd7 46.Bd5 Nd8 47.Rb2 ½-½ Dreev,A-Kornev,A/56th ch-RUS, Krasnoyarsk RUS 2003 ;

5.Nc3 b5 6.Ng5  With respect to Tishin, the type of move a lot of weaker players will come out with, hoping for something to turn up.  6...Bd7 7.a4 Nf6 8.axb5 cxb5 9.d5 ( 9.Qf3 Bc6) 9...g6 10.Qd4 Bg7 11.Rxa7 Nh5!  White is losing the battle of the tactics.  His Queen really gets pushed around now.  12.Qc5 Na6 13.Rxa8 Qxa8 14.Qb6 0-0 15.Be2 h6 16.Nf3 b4 17.Nd1 Rc8 18.e4 Nc5 19.Qxb4 Nxe4 20.0-0

Finally White castles, but Black is at least equal in view of his active development.  20...Nd6 21.Nc3 Nf6 22.Rd1 Bf5 23.Ne1 Rb8 24.Qc5 Nfe4 25.Nxe4 Bxe4 26.Bf4 Rb5 27.Qc6 Qxc6 28.dxc6 Rc5 29.Bxd6 exd6 30.Rxd6 Bxb2 31.f3  It will be a rather miserable slide to defeat now.  (Still 31.Bf3 was hopeless too, although possibly quicker:  31...Bxf3 32.gxf3 Kf8 33.Nc2 Be5 34.Rd8+ Ke7 35.Rc8 c3 36.Kf1 Kd6) 31...Bxc6 32.Rd8+ Kg7 33.Rc8 Bd4+ 34.Kf1 Bd5 35.Rxc5 Bxc5 36.Nc2 Kf6 37.Ke1 Ke5 38.Kd2 Bg1 39.Nb4 Be6 40.Nc6+ Kd6 41.Na5 Kc5 42.h3 Bd5 43.Kc3 Bd4+ 44.Kc2 Kb4 0-1;  Tishin,D-Danielian,E/Osen I, Alushta UKR 2003.  A convincing game.

5...Nf6 6.Na3 c5!

Frees up Black's game.

7.Nxc4 Nc6 8.Nce5 cxd4 9.Bb5 Bd5

A novelty.

Meanwhile Rausis has made a career out of winning with 9...dxe3!?:

9...dxe3 10.Bxe3

Or  10.Qxd8+ Rxd8 11.Bxe3 Bd7 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bxa7

I think White has the edge here, despite the result.  The 'a' pawn is big.  14...e6 15.Bd4 Nd5 16.0-0 f6 17.Rfc1 Kd7 18.Rc4 (18.a5 Bb4 19.a6 Ra8 20.a7±) 18...Ra8 19.Rac1 Bd6 20.g3 Rhb8 21.Rd1 Rb4 22.Rxb4 Bxb4 23.b3 Rb8 24.Nh4 e5 25.Be3 Ke6 26.Kf1 Ba3 27.Rd3 Bb2 28.Bc5 e4 29.Rd1 Rxb3 30.Re1 f5 31.f3 Bc3 32.Rd1 Bb4 0-1  Yrjola,J-Rausis,I/Jyvaskyla 1997;

10...Qxd1+ 11.Rxd1 a6 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Nxc6 Bd5 14.Nce5

Or 14.Rc1 Rc8 15.Nfd4 Bxg2 16.Rg1 Bd5 17.Ke2 e6 18.f4 Bd6 19.Rxg7 Nh5 20.Rg4 f5 21.Rh4 Nf6 22.Rh6 Ng4 23.Rh3 Kd7 24.Ne5+ Nxe5 25.Rxc8 Kxc8 26.fxe5 Bxe5 27.Rh5 Rg8 28.Kd3 Rg7 29.b4 Be4+ 30.Ke2 Kd7 31.h4 Kd6 32.Rh6 Rg6 33.Rxg6 hxg6 34.b5 Bxd4 35.Bxd4 axb5 36.axb5 e5 37.Bb2 f4 38.b6 Ke6 39.Bc3 Kf5 40.Bb2 Bb7 41.Bc3 e4 42.Bb4 Ba6+ 43.Kf2 Kg4 0-1 Szabolcsi,J-Rausis,I/France 1997

14...e6 15.Rc1 Bb3 16.Rc7 Be7 17.a5 Nd5 18.Rb7 Nxe3 19.Rxb3 Nxg2+ 20.Kd2 0-0 21.Rc1 Rfd8+ 22.Rd3 Bb4+ 23.Kd1 Nf4 24.Rd4 Bxa5 25.Rcc4 Bb6 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8+ 27.Kc2 Nd5 28.Ng5 f6 29.Nxe6 Re8 0-1 Mattick,L-Von Herman,U/Berlin 2000

So....great results for Black but Kharlov has determined that 9...Bd5 is a somewhat safer way to play the position.

10.0-0

I analyze:

• 10.Nxd4 Bxg2 11.Rg1 a6! 12.Rxg2 axb5 13.Ndxc6 Qxd1+ 14.Kxd1 bxc6;

• 10.exd4 e6 11.0-0 Be7 12.Bg5 0-0=;

• 10.Qxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxb5! 12.axb5 Nxd4 13.exd4 Ne4 14.Bb4 e6 15.Bxf8 Rxf8 16.b6 a6 17.Ke2 f6 18.Nd3 Nd6

I don't see a way for White to get any advantage whatsoever.   9...Bd5 is an excellent novelty!

10...a6 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Qxd4 g6!?

A different way to develop the Black Kingside and sooner rather than later I am sure that Kharlov intends to embarrass the White Queen.

13.a5 Bg7 14.Qa4 Qc7 15.Bd2 Ne4 16.Nd3 0-0

With initiative.

Suddenly it's a very good Grunfeld for Black.

17.Rac1 Qb7 18.Bb4 Rfd8 19.Qa3 c5

Breaking free.

20.Bxc5 Nxc5 21.Nxc5 Qxb2 22.Qa4 Rdc8

22...Bxf3 was very good too:  23.gxf3 Rac8 24.Rc2 Qf6 25.Qg4 h5 26.Qg3 Qc6 27.Rfc1 Qb5

23.Nd4 e5 24.Rc2 Qb8 25.Qd7 exd4 26.Qxd5 dxe3 27.fxe3 Qa7 28.Kh1 Rc7 29.Rcc1 Rac8 30.Nd3 Rxc1 31.Nxc1 Qxe3 32.Qxf7+ Kh8

Black has a large advantage for at least three reasons:

1. White's Knight is horrible.

2. White's back rank is clearly more vulnerable.

3. The pawn on a5 is doomed .

33.Na2 Qe2 34.Nc1 Qb5 35.Re1 Rf8 36.Qa7 Qxa5

Nice knowing you.

37.Nd3 Qxe1+! 38.Nxe1 Rf1+ 39.Qg1 Rxg1+ 40.Kxg1 a5 41.Kf2 a4 42.Nc2 Bf8 43.h4 a3 44.h5 a2 0-1

That will do nicely.

My conclusion is that this uncommon variation of the Slav can be used as a game- winning weapon.  The line lends itself to complications but if you take the time and trouble to learn about those tactical strikes then you will cause even very strong opponents great discomfort.

There are a few select Grandmasters who recognise the potential of the early capture on c4 but not enough of the really top guys so that the line has been analysed to death.

3...dxc4! has many practical advantages.
 

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