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For those looking for something new, promising, and with plenty of room for exploration to play against the infamous epishin rb1 line, consider this:
Let's look at where white keeps to normal rb1 autopilot play. Black's play is not to be underestimated after the line I'm advocating 12...Ra5!?. The reason for this is that with a rook on a5, versus a7, subtle details in the position are changed and black has much more opportunity for activity, which is why we play the Benko.
1.d4 nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.nc3 Bxa6 7.g3 d6 8.bg2 bg7 9.nf3 nbd7 10.rb1 nb6 11.b3 Bb7 12.Nh4 (e4? Ba6) 12...Ra5 (with this move black seeks to put the queen on a8 like in topalov-kramnik from 2002 but to have more play down the queenside so the rook it isnt blocked by the bishop if it should choose to go back to a6. Also, in some lines the rook can indirectly pressure the pawn on d5 further.) 13.e4 (-Played by Bacrot when facing Ra5) Nfd7 (Necessary to clarify the stance of the bishop. If now Bd2 then Ra3, Qc2 Qa8 sets a bind on the squares before white can get in a4.) 14. Bb2 (worth considering is 14...0-0, when after Qc2 Qa8 a4 c4! b4 BxN+ BxB Rxa4 regains the pawn, though at the cost of the strong g7 bishop.) 14...Qa8 15. 0-0 Ba6! 16. Re1 Ne5! (Black can exploit the diagonal with the bishop and knight. Play might continue Bf1 BxB, RxB Qa6, and the Knight will come to d3 anyway. Notice that white never got to play the binding a2-a4 move.)
Another example could be: 13.0-0 Qa8 (forcing e4, whereas in the Topalov game Kramnik wanted to delay this so as not to weaken the light squares. Topalov couldn't force this because the rook was on a7, and if Bb7 now, the b5 square is nasty for the knight, especially with a2-a4 in.) 14.e4 Ba6 and we will have a transposition.
So Black has prevented both the freeing move a2-a4, (at least in the beginning), and allowed the bishop to have free reign of life after the virtually forced e2-e4, by Ba6, then Ne5. This markedly differs it from the setup Topalov chose which I think got a harsh rap because he lost.
Now let's look at the 'critical' line in the Ra5. In this next variation, White wants to achieve an early a2-a4, and then place a bishop on d2 to make Black's rook look silly. With an early a2-a4 in, the usual antidote to Be2 -Ra3, is no longer possible. So Black has to be very precise in the reply.
1.d4 nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.nc3 Bxa6 7.g3 d6 8.bg2 bg7 9.nf3 nbd7 10.rb1 nb6 11.b3... so far, so book.
11...Bb7 12.Nh4 Ra5 13.a4!? (probably most critical. if nothing is directly done to combat this white will simply but the bishop on d2 and make blacks rook look ridiculous. But this allows a very fascinating reply) 13...c4!? 14.b4 (if bxc4, even Ba6 just seems swell for black) Nfxd5 (Nbxd5 might be playable too) 15.NxN (if bxR, then nxn) RxN!? (Now if B takes R, then NxB followed by Nc3 wins the exchange back with a good position for black.) 16.Qc2 (forced, if Bd2, then c3!)
16...Qa8!? (The other best try is g5?!, but unfortunately this fails to a5! Nbd7, BxR BxB, e4! when black will be down the exchange with little compensation.)
17.BxR (if 0-0, then if nothing else black can simply offer the exchange now with Qxa4, and after QxQ NxQ, BxR BxB, the position looks unclear but I like black's chances, as black has two bishops plus an extra pawn, a better pawn structure, not to mention white's pawn on b4 is weak, and the knight on h4 is horrible.) (17.Bb2 is in the same vein after e5, BxR BxB, f3 Qxa4) (finally, a5?! is met strongly by Rb5! where black can win back any piece captured with a superior position.)
17. BxR NxB 18. f3 (0-0 is asking for deep trouble after Nc3, Bb2 Be4 for example.) 18...Nc3 19.Bb2 NxR 20.BxB Na3 21. Qc3 Rg8 22. QxN (a5 e5) RxB with a roughly even endgame. Black has the bishop and the c4 and d6 pawns, but white's passed a and b pawns are very dangerous if black ignores them too, while the g7 black rook is totally out of play but white's knight on h4 is no better, nor is the rook on h1. I'd take it, especially versus what black normally gets when facing the normal rb1 line.
An alternative to this 'main line' could also be 17...BxB, when after the forced f3, Qxa4 QxQ NxQ black gives up the exchange for a very powerful bishop pair, better pawn structure, and activity. This may even be preferable. All of this is certainly open to experimentation!
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Possible antidote to Epishin line in g3 Benko (Read 2252 times)
