(w) 6 Nbd2 Nc6 7 Bc4 Bxf3 8 gxf3 (8 Qb3 Na5 9 Bxd5 Nxb3 10 Nxf3 Nxd5 =, Shirov-J. Qxc5 7 Na3 Ng4 8 Qe2 Bf5 9 h3 Bd3ġ0 Qd2 ±) 7 Kxdl e5 8 b4 Bf5 9 Bb5 0-0-0+ 10 Ke2 Be7 11 Be3 Nd5 12 Bxc6 bxc6 13 Nxe5 Rhe8 is a very sharp, unresolved position, Sermek-Wirthen-sohn, Mitropa Cup 1993. Nc6 6 dxc5!? (6 Be3 cxd4 7 cxd4 e6 8 Nc3 Qd6 9 Bd3 Be7 10 a3 is like the previous column) 6.
(u) 12 Qe2 Bb7 13 Radl h6 14 Rfel Rfd8 15 Bbl Bf8 with chances for both sides, V.
Play is similar to the column, with a tad extra activity for White. Qd8 is often played, reaching an isolated queen pawn position that arises from several different openings (see the Semi-Tarrasch). White has played 10 Ne5 Qh4 11 Nf3 to repeat the position, so if Black wishes to avoid a draw he should play 7. Rd8 10 Be3 cxd4 11 Nxd4 Qe5 12 Nc3 Bd7 13 Bf3 Nc6 =, Dvoretsky-Polugaevsky, Leningrad 1974. cxd4 7 Nxd4 Qxg2 8 Bf3 Qh3 9 Nb5 Na6 10 Bf4 Bc5 (C) 6 Be2 Nc6 7 0-0 Be7 8 c4 Qd8 9 dxc5 Qxdl 10 Rxdl Bxc5 11 Nc3 0-0 12 a3 with just a small edge to White, Benjamin-Serper, New York 1996. (B) 6 Na3 Qd8 7 Bf4 Nc6 8 dxc5 Nd5 9 Bd6 Bxd6 10 cxd6 Qxd6 11 Nb5 Qe7 12 c4 a6! 13 cxd5 exd5t =, van der Werf-Hulak, Wijk aan Zee 1995. (r) (A) 6 Be3 cxd4 7 cxd4 Nc6 8 Nc3 Qd6 9 a3 Be7 10 Bd3 b6! 11 0-0 Bb7 12 Qe2 0-0 transposes into note (u) at the end of the column. e5 5 dxe5 Qxdlt 6 Kxdl Nc6 7 f4 Bf5 8 Nf3 0-0-0+ 9 Kel f6 10 Bb5 ±, Rozentalis-Ftacnik, Germany 1994. Bg4 7 Nc3 Bxf3 8 gxf3 Qxd4 9 Qxd4 Nxd4 10 Nb5! Nc2t 11 Kdl Rc8ġ2 Nxa7 Rc5 and Black seems to hang on) 7 Nc3 Bb4 8 Bd2 Bxc3 9 Bxc3 e4 10 Ne5 Nxe5 11 dxe5 Ne7 12 Be2 0-0 13 0-0 Qe6 14 Qd4 Qg6 I5 Rfel ±. e5 6 Nf3 ±) 6 Nf3 e5 (an old sharp line isĦ. e6 6 Nf3 transposing into columns 2, orĥ. Nxe5 14 Rxe5 Bd6 15 Rh5 g6 16 Rh3 0-0 17 Qg4 f5 18 Qh4 Rf7 with chances for both sides, Cohen-Povah, London 1994. dxe5 13 Nxe5 (13 dxe5 Be7 14 Nd4 Nc5! Rozentalis-I. On 7 Bb3 dxe5 8 Nxe5 e6 9 0-0 Nc6 is equal, Kharlov-Yudasin, Kemerov 1995. d6 6 Bc4 Nb6 7 Bb5+ Nc6 8 cxd4 dxe5 transposing into note (b). (j) 12 Nb5 Qb8 13 axb3 e5 14 Nbd4 f6 15 bxc3 Qc8 16 Nxc6 bxc6 17 Nh4 g6 18 f4 Bc5t with at least even chances for Black, Rytshagov-Sadler, Pula 1997. On 14 Be3 Qxb2 15 Nd2 Rxd2 16 Rabl Qxa2 +. (g) 10 Bxe6 Qxe6 11 Nxd4 Nxd4 12 Qxd4 Rd8 13 Qh4 Qe2l allows Black good counterplay as many games have shown. Qd7 14 d5 put Black in real difficulties.
Bf6 14 Rcl Bd7 15 Nac4 ±) 14 Nac4 Nxc4 15 Nxc4 Qd8 16 Qf3 Nd5 17 Ne5 Qd6 18 Racl ±, Bruchfeld-van der Vees, corr. (e) 9 Na3 immediately gains an edge after 9. d6 8 exd6 arrives at the same position (7. e6 7 cxd4 d6 8 0-0 Be7 9 Qe2 0-0 10 Nc3 Nxc3 11 bxc3 b6 12 Bd3 with attacking chances for White. Also making no problems for Black is 7 Nc3 dxe5 8 dxe5 Nxc3 9 Qxd8t Nxd8 10 bxc3 g6 =, Sveshnikov-Kozul, Nova Gorica 1996, (b) Black enjoys an easy game after the natural 6 cxd4 d6 7 Bc4 Nb6 8 Bb3 (8 Bb5 dxe5 9 Nxe5 Bd7 =) 8.
d6 5 exd6 Qxd6 6 Bg2 Nc6 7 Ne2 Bf5 8 d4 e6 9 Na3 Qd7 with chances for both sides, Hoffman-de Firmian, Buenos Aires 1995. (B) For those who strongly wish to avoid theory, 4 g3 is recommended-4. (a) (A) 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Bc4 Nb6 6 Bb3 c4 7 Bc2 Qc7 8 Qe2 g5! 9 e6 dxe6 10 Nxg5 Qe5 with no problems for Black, Rozentalis-Sadler, Hastings 1999.