[Event "London Chess Classic"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2009.12.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, Nigel"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B76"]
[Annotator "Tomas,Bragesjo"]
[PlyCount "141"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 (7. Be2
O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Qd2 {was played by Short when he meet Motylev in Januari this
year!} d5 {leeds to equal play as in Kamsky-Radjabov}) 7... Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O 9.
O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11. e5 Nf5 12. exf6 exf6 13. Bc5 d4 {now Carlsen is
playing this line too} 14. Bxf8 Qxf8 15. Nb5 Ne3 (15... Be6 16. Bd3 Bh6 (16...
Ne3 17. Nxd4 Nxd1 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Rxd1 Qc5 20. Qe2 {white is better}) 17. f4
Ne3 18. Nxd4 Nxd1 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. Rxd1 {white is better}) 16. Rc1 (16. Re1 f5
17. f4 (17. Nxd4 f4 {did rather be black even if Rybka calls it equal} 18. g4 {
about only move} Qd6 19. Nb3 Qf6 20. c3 Be6 21. Nd4 Bd5 {with compensation})
17... Qc5 18. c3 Nxf1 (18... Be6 {is also an option instead of entering the
complications. White has the slightly better position but black has
compensation and hes position is easy to handle eg} 19. Nxd4 Nxf1 20. Rhxf1 Bd5
21. Nb3 Qc4 22. Rd1 Be4+ 23. Ka1 a5 24. Qf2 Bd5 25. Qc5 Qxc5 26. Nxc5 Bxg2 27.
Rfe1 Bh6 28. Rd4 Bc6) 19. Re8+ Bf8 20. Qxd4 Qxb5 21. Qd8 Nd2+ 22. Kc2 Qxe8 23.
Qxe8 Ne4 {gave rise to a complicated position in  Nisipeanu - Radjabov}) (16.
Qxd4 {have I actually meet once and after} Nxd1 17. Qxd1 Be6 18. Bd3 Qc5 {I
somehow conjured up a deedly attack}) 16... Bh6 {the best move} (16... f5 {is
bad since after} 17. Nxd4 f4 18. g3 Qd6 19. c3 {compared to a line where the
c1 Rook is at e1, there is no savning Bf5+ Nc2 variations}) 17. Qxd4 Nf5 18.
Qc3 (18. Qxf6 Be6 19. Bd3 Bg7 20. Qg5 a6 21. Nc7 Bxb2 22. Kxb2 Qb4+ {draw})
18... Bxc1 19. Kxc1 Bd7 20. Bd3 {here a draw was agreed in Smeets-Radjabov} (
20. Qxf6 Qe8 21. Nc3 Qe3+ 22. Kd1 Qf2 23. Kc1 Ne3 24. Bd3 Qxg2 25. Re1 Qf2 {
black is better}) 20... Rc8 21. Qd2 (21. Qxf6 Qh6+ 22. Kb1 Bxb5 23. Bxb5 Qd2
24. Rc1 Ne3 25. Bd3 Qxg2 26. h4 Qh3 27. Be4 b6 {both sides has chanses}) 21...
Bxb5 22. Bxb5 Qc5 23. Bd3 Ne3 (23... b5 {is a Rybka suggestion} 24. a3 (24. Kb1
b4 25. Bxf5 Qxf5 26. h4 a5 {black has the slightly better chanses}) 24... Ne3
25. Re1 Nc4 26. Bxc4 Qxc4 27. Kb1 Kg7 28. Re7 a5 29. c3 Rc5 30. Qe2 Qd5 {equal
chanses}) 24. Re1 Re8 {looks a bit paradoxic to enter a pin but white is in no
position to exploait it} (24... Nc4 25. Bxc4 Qxc4 26. Kb1 Qc7 27. h4 Rd8 28.
Qf2 b5 {draw}) 25. Qf2 (25. g4 Re5 {equal}) 25... f5 (25... Re5 {is a Rybka
move but i does not change anythiong} 26. Re2 (26. c3 Nxg2 27. Qxc5 Rxc5 28.
Re7 Nf4 29. Bc2 b5 {black is better}) 26... f5 27. f4 Re6 28. c3 a6 29. g3 b5
30. Kd2 Nc4+ 31. Kc1 Qc6 {draw}) 26. f4 Qd4 27. g3 Re6 {preparing to move the
queen while keeping the Rook defended. Sometimes black can perhaps even move
the rook to b6?} 28. Qd2 {so the Queen returns to d2 unbreaking the pin
volonterely} (28. Re2 b5 29. h3 h5 30. a3 a6 {eq equal}) 28... Ng4 {playing
for a win} (28... Qd5 {is an intereting Rykba idea. If the knight is taken
Qh1+ is deadly} 29. Qc3 (29. c3 Ng4 30. Rxe6 Qxe6 31. Bc2 Qb6 32. h3 Nf6 {
black has the better endgame}) 29... Ng4 (29... Qxa2 30. Kd2 Ng4 31. h3 Nf6 32.
Qc8+ Kg7 33. Rxe6 Qxe6 34. Qxb7) 30. Qc8+ Kg7 31. Qc3+ {equal}) 29. h3 {mistake
} (29. Rxe6 fxe6 30. h3 Nf6 {about equal}) 29... Rxe1+ 30. Qxe1 Nf2 31. Bf1 Ne4
{black is much better now} 32. Bg2 b6 {deep move, cuts out and Qa5 by white
and perhaps also prepares pawn to a5. Also, the Knight can now move without b7
hanging.} (32... h5 {is Rybka 3 preference}) 33. c3 {looks ugly but not even
Rybka finds other moves without drawbacks} Qd3 34. g4 Ng3 {with the threat of
Nd2} (34... h6 {is a Rybka 3 idea with the plan} 35. gxf5 gxf5 36. Bxe4 fxe4
37. Qg1+ Kh7 38. f5 Qd5 39. Qg4 {but at the end of the horizon the position
in only equal} e3 40. f6 Qd2+ 41. Kb1 Qd3+ 42. Kc1 Qf1+ 43. Kc2 Qxf6 44. Kd3)
35. b3 Ne2+ (35... h5 {looks stronger} 36. gxf5 (36. Qe8+ Kg7 37. Qe5+ Kh7 38.
gxf5 Nxf5 {black is better}) (36. g5 Ne2+ 37. Kb2 Kh7 38. h4 Nxf4 39. Bf1 Qd6 {
wins}) (36. gxh5 Nxh5 37. c4 Qd4 38. Qe8+ Kg7 39. Qe5+ Qxe5 40. fxe5 Nf4 41.
Bf1 g5 {black wins}) 36... Nxf5 {and white faces a difficult defence ahead of
him}) 36. Kb2 Kf8 (36... Nxf4 {is only a draw} 37. Qe8+ Kg7 38. Qe5+ Kf8 39.
Qb8+ Kg7 40. Qxf4 Qe2+ 41. Ka3 Qxg2 42. Qe5+ Kh6 43. Qf4+ Kg7) 37. Bc6 fxg4 38.
hxg4 h5 {playing for a win} 39. gxh5 gxh5 40. a4 (40. f5 {is better since after
} Kg7 (40... h4 41. f6 h3 42. Bb5 Qxb5 43. Qh4 Ke8 44. Qe4+ Kd8 45. Qe7+ Kc8
46. Qf8+ Kb7 47. Qxf7+ Ka6 48. Qe6 {white gets strong counterplay}) 41. b4 a5
42. a3 axb4 43. axb4 {neither side can make progress} b5) 40... a6 41. f5 h4
42. Bg2 Ng3 43. f6 Qd6 (43... Qe2+ 44. Qxe2 Nxe2 45. Bf1 Ng3 46. Bxa6 h3 47. c4
h2 48. Bb7 Ke8 49. b4 Kd8 50. a5 Kc7 51. a6 h1=Q 52. Bxh1 Nxh1 53. Kc3) 44. Qf2
Kg8 45. b4 a5 46. bxa5 (46. Kb3 Kh7 47. Kc4 Kg6) (46. b5 Qd3 47. Qxb6 Qd2+ 48.
Kb3 Qxg2 49. Qd8+ Kh7 50. Qd7 Kg6 51. Qg4+ Kxf6 52. Qxh4+ Kf5 53. Qd8) 46...
bxa5 47. Kc2 Kh7 48. c4 Qa3 49. Be4+ Kg8 50. Qf4 Qxa4+ 51. Kd2 Nxe4+ 52. Qxe4
Qa2+ 53. Kc3 Qa1+ 54. Kb3 Qd1+ (54... Qxf6 55. c5 Qg5 56. c6 Qg3+ 57. Ka4 h3
58. Qc4 Qc7 59. Qg4+ Kf8 60. Qxh3 Qxc6+ 61. Kxa5 Qc5+) 55. Kb2 Qh5 (55... h3
56. Qe8+ Kh7 57. Qxf7+ Kh6 58. Qg7+ Kh5 59. f7 Qd2+ 60. Kb1 Qd3+ 61. Kb2 Qd2+ {
draw}) 56. c5 h3 57. c6 a4 58. Ka2 Qd1 59. Qe8+ Kh7 60. Qxf7+ Kh6 61. c7 Qc2+
62. Ka3 h2 63. Qg7+ Kh5 64. Qh8+ Kg6 65. Qg8+ Kxf6 66. c8=Q Qxc8 67. Qxc8 h1=Q
68. Qa6+ Ke5 69. Qb5+ Qd5 70. Qxd5+ Kxd5 71. Kxa4 1/2-1/2

[Event "17.ETCC 2009"]
[Site "Novi Sad, Serbia"]
[Date "2009.10.30"]
[White "Smeets"]
[Black "Radjabov"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B76"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8.
Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11. e5 Nf5 12. exf6 exf6 13. Bc5 d4 14.
Bxf8 Qxf8 15. Nb5 Ne3 16. Rc1 Bh6 17. Qxd4 Nf5 18. Qc3 (18. Qxf6 Be6 19.
Nc7 Bxa2+ 20. Kxa2 Bg7 21. Qg5 Bxb2 22. Kxb2 Qb4+ 23. Ka2 Qa4+ 24. Kb2
Qb4+) 18. .. Bxc1 {securing the slightly move preferalbe position} (18. ..
Be6 {also looks quite interesting} 19. Re1 Rc8 20. Qa3 Qd8 21. Bd3 a6 22.
Nc3 Nd4 {unclear, white has the exchange and is therefore objectelty
slightly better while black has excellet prospects of conjuring up a
kingside attack}) 19. Kxc1 Bd7 20. Bd3 {draw agreed, probebly becouse it
was the last round. I did rather bee black here while the positon is
objectiely very equal} 1/2-1/2

Also, I did like to link to this http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1245873897 thread for an earlier Radjabov game in this line

Thanks!

Can you post that game? I dont get it to work?

OK here comes my verty first pgn attachments

I know we have discussed this variation before and think I found some black improvments.

Background

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11.
e5 Nf5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Qxd5 Nxe3 15. Qd2 Nxd1 16. Qxd1 Be6 17.
Bb5 (17. Bd3 Rfd8 18. Qe2 Rd6 19. h4 Rb6 20. b3 a5 {
with compensation. Black won a corr game from this position}) 17... a6 18. Ba4
Rfd8 19. Qe2 Rd4 20. Bb3 Bxb3 21. axb3 Rad8 {
MCO calls this a draw. White can press for more} *

Here comes a preparation that I made for local club champinship last winter (winter 2008) against a 2000 player who always plays Kb1. Unfortuannly he diverted and played 1 f4 and I won a complicated game where he played the position like it was a classical dutch and I played like it was a closed sicilian.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11.
e5 Nf5 12. exf6 exf6 13. Bc5 (13. Nxd5 Nxe3 14. Qxe3 Be6 15. Bc4 f5 {
is equal according to Ward}) 13... d4 14. Bxf8 (14. Ne2 Re8 {
and black was better in some game where Ward was black}) 14... Qxf8 15. Nb5 {
critical line} (15. Ne2 {
was played in the stem game (dont remember the players) after after} Ne3 (15...
Be6 {is Rybka 3 preference} 16. Nxd4 Rd8 17. c3 Nxd4 18. cxd4 f5 {
and Rybka calls it totally equal}) 16. Rc1 Nc4 17. Qxd4 b5 {black somehow won})
15... Ne3 16. Rc1 (16. Re1 f5 17. Nxd4 f4 {
and black has fantatic compensation. Whites best is probebly} 18. Rxe3 fxe3 19.
Qxe3 Bd7 {
and, like my trainer said, "white has an extra pawn but only black can win"})
16... Bh6 {a interesting move. I dont think it ahs been played (yet)} 17. Qxd4
(17. f4 Bxf4 18. Qxd4 Bh6 19. Nc7 Rb8 20. Qxa7 Bf5 21. Bd3 Qd8 22. Bxf5 Qxc7
23. Bd3 Nxg2 24. Rcf1 f5 25. h4 Ne3 26. Rf3 Re8 {is equal according to Rybka 3}
) 17... Nf5 18. Qxf6 Be6 19. Bd3 (19. Nc7 Bg7 20. Nxe6 Qd6 21. Qg5 Bh6 22. Qg4
(22. Qf6 Bg7 {is  of course a draw}) 22... Bxc1 23. Bc4 Bxb2 24. Kxb2 (24. Ng5
Kg7 25. Kxb2 Ne3 26. Qh4 Qb4+ 27. Kc1 Qxc4 28. Qxh7+ Kf6 29. Ne4+ Ke6 30. Kd2
Qd4+ 31. Ke2 Nd5 32. Qh6 Rc8 33. Re1 Rh8 34. Qd2 Qxd2+ 35. Nxd2 Rxh2 {
is equal probebly a forced draw}) 24... Ne3 25. Qf4 Qxf4 26. Nxf4 Nxc4+ 27. Kc3
Rc8) (19. Rd1 Bg7 20. Qg5 Bh6 {and white must take the draw or else} 21. Qg4
Ne3 {black gets the better position}) 19... Bg7 20. Qg5 a6 21. Nc7 Bxb2 22.
Kxb2 Qb4+ 23. Ka1 Qc3+ 24. Kb1 Qb4+ {draws} *

Thoughts? Improvments for both sides are welcomme.