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This Yearbook is a tribute to the eternal youth and romantic spirit of chess.  On the one hand it commemorates the genius of the late David Bronstein and on the other it also shows how his creative legacy  thrives on the games of young players like Teimour Radjabov.

The King’s Indian Defence pioneered by Bronstein, Boleslavsky and Geller became a terrific weapon in the hands of Tal, Fischer and Kasparov in the latter half of the 20^th Century.  Unfortunately, in recent years it has received tremendous battering through the bayonet attack championed by Kramnik.  Such has been the influence of the line that even Kasparov stopped playing his beloved defence after losing a couple of games to Kramnik.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see Radjabov  playing the KID.  His total of 3.5-out-of-4 in the Wijk aan Zee tournament last year [2007]  was a big boost for the lovers of this sharp opening.  As the NIC Magazine reported, predictably, Radjbov was asked if his success with the KID proved that it was still alive.  With a deadpan face he replied: The news hadn’t reached me that the opening was ill.”

Alexie Shirov -Teimour Radjabov( E97)
Wijk aan Zee 2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4

The famous Bayonet Attack.

9...Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3

Shirov played 12.Bf3 against Radjabov in Linares 2004, which brought him victory after a complicated battle.

12...Kh8 13.Ne6 Bxe6 14.dxe6 Nh5

Black would like to eliminate the pawn on e6 with ...Bf6 followed by ...Ng7 or the direct ...Nf4.

15.g3

Protecting the f4 square.

15...Bf6 16.c5!? f4!

17.Kg2

After17.g4 Ng7 18.Bc4 Nc6! 19.cxd6 cxd6 20.Ne2 Rc8 Black got a very good position and went on to win in the other game Van Wely-Radjabov Wijk aan zee 2008.  Shirov tries to improve on Van Wely’s move, but it is of no avail.

17...Nc6 18.cxd6 cxd6 19.Nd5 Nd4

19...fxg3 20.hxg3 Nd4 21.Bh6 Ng7 22.Rc1 Ndxe6 23.Nxf6 Qxf6 is unclear.

20.Bb2 Nxe6 21.g4

Closing the kingside before he attacks the d6 pawn and Black's queenside.

21...Nhg7 22.Nxf6 Rxf6 23.Qd5

Eyeing the pawn on b7 and also vacating the d1 square for one of his rooks.

23...Qe7

Preparing ...Rd8, Rf8 and ...h5.

24.Red1 Rd8 25.Qa5

Provoking ...b6 and creating a weak c6 square for the Rc1–c6 manoeuvre.

25...b6 26.Qd5 Rff8 27.Rac1 h5! 28.gxh5 Qh4!?

Risky.  With 28...gxh5 Black would have maintained the initiative without giving White counter-chances.

29.Rc6?

Not 29.hxg6?? Rf6! 30.Kh1 Nh5 31.Bxe5 dxe5 32.Qxe5 Rg8–+;
But with the subtle sequence 29.h6! Qxh6 30.Rc6 g5 31.h3 White would have been able to defend.

29...g5! 30.Rxd6?

Even now 30.h6!? Qxh6 31.h3 is possible.

30...g4!!

“Now Black is winning.  It's amazing, but it is true.  White's mission has been accomplished: e5 is weak.  The h-pawn is strong, all Black's pieces are quite passive and the knights on e6 and g7 are out of play.  But the queen and two pawns together are a fantastic force here ...Qh3 and ...g3 is coming.” - Radjabov

31.Rxe6

31.Bxe5 Qh3+ 32.Kf2 Qxh2+ 33.Ke1 Rxd6 34.Bxd6 Rc8!–+

31...Rxd5 32.Rh6+ Kg8 33.Bc4 gxf3+ 34.Kh1 Nxh5

34...Qh3 35.Bxd5+ Rf7 36.Rg6 f2–+

35.Rg1+

35...Ng3+!!

35...Kf7?! 36.Bxd5+ Ke8 37.Re6+ Kd7 38.Bxe5 Qh3 39.Rd6+ Ke7 40.Re6+=

36.Rxg3+ fxg3 37.Rxh4

37.Bxd5+ Kg7 38.Rxh4 g2+ 39.Kg1 f2+ 40.Kxg2 f1Q+ #

37...g2+ 38.Kg1 f2+ 39.Kxg2 f1Q+! 40.Bxf1 Rd2+ 41.Kg3 Rxb2!

41...Rxf1 42.Bxe5 Rxa2 needlessly gives White chances.

42.Bc4+ Kg7 43.Bb3

43.Bd5 Rb1–+

43...Rb1!!  Preventing Rh5 or Rg4 followed by h4-h5.

44.Kg2 Rc8 45.Kf3 Rc3+ 46.Kg4 Rf1! 47.Kh5 Kf6 0-1

This victory was no fluke and Black could hold his own in other lines as well as shown in the survey article in this Yearbook.

Also of interest is the revival of the Poisoned Pawn Variation in the Sicilian Najdorf.  The following game demonstrates possibilities for both sides:

Alexander Shabalov - Alexander Areschenko (B97)
Port Erin 2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

The Sicilian Najdorf, a celebrated defence used by Fischer and Kasparov.

6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2

The Poisoned Pawn Variation.

9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5

Keres introduced this move against Fuderer way back in 1955!

10…dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Ne4

Tal's move.

A major alternative is 12.Bc4.  The fluctuating fortunes of both these lines are discussed in my review of ChessBase CD on Fischer.

12...h6!

13.Bb5!!?

Either a stroke of genius or utter madness.  13.Bh4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5! 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.Be2 Bc5! 17.Bg3 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Qa5+ 19.Rd2 0–0 20.Bd6 Rd8 and White has inadequate compensation for the sacrificed pawns. Motylev- Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2007 ( 0–1 ...31 moves)

13...hxg5

13...axb5 14.Nxb5 hxg5 15.Nxa3 Rxa3...

Analysis Diagram: after 15...Rxa3

...is also possible.  Black has three pieces for the queen.  If he can co-ordinate their action he has more than enough compensation.  This line needs more tests.

14.Rb3 Qxa2 15.Qc3 axb5 16.Qxc8+ Ke7 17.0–0 Qa7! 18.Rd3! Nxe5 19.Nc5 Nbd7! 20.Nf5+! exf5 21.Rxd7+ Kf6

21...Nxd7?? 22.Qxd7+ Kf6 23.Qxf5+ Ke7 24.Qd7# #

22.Rxf7+! Kg6! 23.Qxf5+ Kh6  ˝–˝

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