Andrew's new book, King's Indian Battle Plans, published by Thinkers Press, will soon be appearing on the bookshelves.

To whet the appetite, here are a few snippets from the book.  A new game from the book will be published here at Chessville each week throughout December.

Mikhalevski,V (2545) - Vitebsky,G (2255) [E91]
1st Israel Int Op, Ashdod ISR (1), 2003

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1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 Bg4!?

Still attracts a decent following among master players.  Black relies on piece activity and an early attack on d4 to facilitate counterplay.  I prefer White in this line.

7. Be3 Nfd7 8. h4!

IDEA:  Very direct and with the Black Knight drifting away from the Kingside, logical too.  8 h4 could put Black under serious pressure if he does not find the right central counter.

8... e5

8...h5  Possibly it is prudent to hold up the h pawn.  In the following snippet, Ehlvest only keeps a nominal advantage.  9. Qd2 c5 10. d5 Na6 11. Bh6 Nc7 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Nd1 (13. Ng5 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 a6  and Black plays ..Rb8 and ..Re8,with a pawn break in the offing.) 13... Nf6 14. Ng5 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 Qd7 16. Ne3 b5 17. b3 bxc4 18. bxc4 e5 19. O-O Ng4 20. f4 exf4 21. Rxf4 Nxe3 22. Qxe3 f6 23. Nh3  with an unclear position.  Ehlvest,J-Spraggett,K/Manila 1992.  Maybe White's a shade better but he's got queenside problems long-term.

8... c5 9. d5 b5!?  An understandable reaction.  Arlandi takes and lives!
10.Nxb5 Bxb2 11. Rb1 Bg7 12. Qd2 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Nb6 14. Be2 N8d7 15. h5 Ne5 16. Na3 Na4 17. Rb3 Rb8 18. Kf1 Qd7 19. Bh6 f5 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Qh6+ Kf6 23. f4 Nf7 24. Qh4+ Kg7 25. Qh7+ Kf6 26. Rg3  Arlandi actually played this game very well; he's organized a terrific attack.  There were few concessions on the queenside and Black's knights seemed to get into a tangle.  26... Rg8 27. exf5 Qxf5 28. Bd3 Qxf4+ 29. Rf3 Qxf3+ 30. gxf3 Ne5 31. Bc2 Nb2 32. Rh4 Ned3 33. Re4 e5 34. dxe6 Ne5 35. f4 1-0  Arlandi,E-Cebalo,M/Saint Vincent 1999.

9. d5 a5 10. h5!

A new move, I believe.  White gets on with the attack without delay.

10. Qd2 Na6 11. h5  is similar.  11... Bxh5 12. Bh6 (12. Ng5 is analogous to the main game but Mikhailevski hasn't wasted a tempo on Qd2.) 12... Nf6 13. Nh4 Bxe2 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Kxe2 Ng8 16. g4 h6 17. Rag1 Qg5
18. Nf5+ Kf6 19. Nxh6 Nxh6 20. Rxh6 Rh8 21. Rxh8 Rxh8 22. Qd3 Rh4 23. Qf3+ Ke7 24. Qe3 Qxe3+ =  Marques,V-Dantas,B/BRA 1998)

10. Rb1 is a different approach.  White is announcing an advantage on both sides of the board.  It's tough to argue with what happens in the sequal.  Eminent Grandmaster Martinovic is run out of moves!  10... b6 11. a3 Nf6 12. Ng1 Bxe2 13. Ngxe2 Ng4 14. Bg5 f6 15. Bc1 h5 16. f3 Nh6 17. Be3 Nd7 18. Qd2 Kh7 19. b4 +=  But this is the type of edge that won't go away!  19... axb4 20. axb4 f5 21. Bg5 Qe8 22. O-O f4 23. Nb5 Qc8 24. Ra1 Qb7 25. Qb2 Bf6 26. Rxa8 Rxa8 27. Bxf6 Nxf6 28. Nxf4 c6 29. dxc6 Qxc6 30. Nh3 Qxc4 31. Nxd6 Qd4+ 32. Qxd4 exd4 33. Rd1 Nd7 34. Rxd4 Ne5 35. Nc4 Nc6 36. Rd7+ Kg8 37. b5 Ra1+ 38. Kh2 Na7 39. Nd6 1-0  Gabriel,C-Martinovic,S/Germany 1998  Strategically, a wonderful game.

10... Bxh5 11. Ng5 h6

He could take on e2 but I don't fancy Black's chances.  g2-g4 is coming and there's not a lot Black can do about it.  I append a easy-to-understand analysis:

11... Bxe2 12. Qxe2 h6 (12... Nf6 13. O-O-O h6 14. Nf3 Ng4 15. Bd2 Qd7 16. Nh2 Nf6 17. g4 with the attack;  12... h5 13. g4) 13. Nf3 h5 14. O-O-O Nf6 15. Nh2!  Black's percentage survival chances are not high.

12. Nxf7 Rxf7

12... Bxe2  obliges Black to give up the exchange which I guess Vitebsky didn't really believe.  Sometimes strong opponents 'talk' you out of the best moves - maybe Black's position isn't so bad:  13. Nxd8 Bxd1 14. Ne6 Bh5 15. Nxf8 Kxf8 16. f3 Nf6 17. g4 Bxg4 18. fxg4 Nxg4 19. Ke2 h5  This won't be easy at all for White to win.

13. g4 Bxg4 14. Bxg4 Nf8 15. Be6!

White will stop at nothing to open up lines and squares to get at the King.

15... Nxe6 16. dxe6 Rf6 17. Nd5 Rxe6 18. Qg4 Kf7

Singular move - no reasonable alternative.  If the Queen protects, White takes on c7.

19. Bxh6+- Bf6 20. Bg5

Chess is a lot of fun when your poor opponent has no counterplay.  One glance at the Black queenside demonstrates the potential of White's opening idea.

20... Bxg5 21. Rh7+ Kg8 22. Qh3 Bf6 23. Rxc7

It's getting embarrassing now.

23... Re7 24. Rc8 Re8 25. Nxf6+ Qxf6 26. Rxe8+ Kf7 27. Rc8

Only time-trouble can explain Black's refusal to resign.

27... Nc6 28. Qh7+ Ke6 29. Qg8+ 1-0

8 h4 looks like the introductory move to a very promising attack.  It's looks like Black has to play it safe with 8...h5 - which seems submissive, or gamble on 8...c5 9 d5 b5, where there may be something to be found.
 

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