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The Petroff

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caknight 04-Feb-10, 12:38	The Petroff The Petroff has often been called the grandmasters draw. Petroff's Defense is one hard nut to crack when Black plays with a proper understanding. It guarantees solid play for Black without any long term weaknesses and that is precisely the reason why we see so many Petroff games played at the top level. Facing a Petroff from the mighty Kramnik himself, Anand did manage to find a way to crack this hard nut. Let us take a look at a game played less than one week ago in Corus. Anand, V. (2790) vs. Kramnik, V. (2788) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. cxd5 Qxd5 15. Bf4 Rac8 One of the main positions that can arise out of the Petroff Defense. Black has come out with an intact pawn structure allowing no real weakness for White to attack. White on the other hand has a shattered pawn structure on the queen side but that has given him a really strong center('c' and 'd' pawns). If White manages to get c4 and d5 in at the right time it would give him plenty of space. White has a semi open 'b' file, but that has been kept in check by Black's light squared bishop on f5. There is one important thing you must keep in mind here if you are White. Allowing a blockade on c4 and allowing the exchange of the light squared bishops at the same time would be one of the worst possible things to do next to handing down your opponent some free material in a tactic. 16. h3 Be4 17. Qc1 Na5 18. Qe3 Bf8?! (18... Bf5 19. Ne5 (19. g4 Bc2 20. Qd2 Bb3 21. Ne5 f6 22. Bf3 Qd8 23. Nd3 Bd5) 19... c5 20. Bh5 cxd4 21. cxd4 Nc4) 19. c4 Qd8 ( 19... Nxc4? 20. Bxc4 Qxc4 21. Nd2 20. Ne5 Bf5 21. Qc3 b6 This position shows tremendous improvements for White, but none for Black. The White rooks are centralized and the strong center is still intact while Black's pieces are struggling to find squares due to lack of space. This puts White very much in his comfort zone. 23. Qg3 Nc6 24. Ng4 Qg6 25. d5 Na5 26. Bxc7 Bc2? (26... Bc5 27. Bf1 Rxe1 28. Rxe1 h5 29. Ne3 Qxg3 30. Bxg3 Bd7) 27. Rc1 Nb3 28. Rxc2! Qxc2 29. Nh6+ Kh8 30. Nxf7+ Kg8 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Nf7+ Kg8 33. Nh6+ Kh8 34. Be5 Qg6 35. Bg4 Rxc4 36. Qxb3 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 Rc1+ 38. Kh2 Bd6 39. f4 Bxe5 40. fxe5 gxh6 41. Qe3 Qb1 42. d6 Rh1+ 43. Kg3 Re1 44. Qf4 Rf1 45. Bf3 1-0

From

Message

caknight
04-Feb-10, 12:38

The Petroff

The Petroff has often been called the grandmasters draw. Petroff's Defense is one hard nut to crack when Black plays with a proper understanding. It guarantees solid play for Black without any long term weaknesses and that is precisely the reason why we see so many Petroff games played at the top level.
Facing a Petroff from the mighty Kramnik himself, Anand did manage to find a way to crack this hard nut. Let us take a look at a game played less than one week ago in Corus.
Anand, V. (2790) vs. Kramnik, V. (2788)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. cxd5 Qxd5 15. Bf4 Rac8
One of the main positions that can arise out of the Petroff Defense.

Black has come out with an intact pawn structure allowing no real weakness for White to attack.
White on the other hand has a shattered pawn structure on the queen side but that has given him a really strong center('c' and 'd' pawns). If White manages to get c4 and d5 in at the right time it would give him plenty of space.
White has a semi open 'b' file, but that has been kept in check by Black's light squared bishop on f5.
There is one important thing you must keep in mind here if you are White. Allowing a blockade on c4 and allowing the exchange of the light squared bishops at the same time would be one of the worst possible things to do next to handing down your opponent some free material in a tactic.
16. h3 Be4 17. Qc1 Na5 18. Qe3 Bf8?! (18... Bf5 19. Ne5 (19. g4 Bc2 20. Qd2 Bb3 21. Ne5 f6 22. Bf3 Qd8 23. Nd3 Bd5) 19... c5 20. Bh5 cxd4 21. cxd4 Nc4)
19. c4 Qd8 ( 19... Nxc4? 20. Bxc4 Qxc4 21. Nd2
20. Ne5 Bf5 21. Qc3 b6

This position shows tremendous improvements for White, but none for Black. The White rooks are centralized and the strong center is still intact while Black's pieces are struggling to find squares due to lack of space. This puts White very much in his comfort zone.

23. Qg3 Nc6 24. Ng4 Qg6 25. d5 Na5 26. Bxc7 Bc2? (26... Bc5 27. Bf1 Rxe1 28. Rxe1 h5 29. Ne3 Qxg3 30. Bxg3 Bd7)
27. Rc1 Nb3 28. Rxc2! Qxc2 29. Nh6+ Kh8 30. Nxf7+ Kg8 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Nf7+ Kg8 33. Nh6+ Kh8 34. Be5 Qg6 35. Bg4 Rxc4 36. Qxb3 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 Rc1+ 38. Kh2 Bd6 39. f4 Bxe5 40. fxe5 gxh6 41. Qe3 Qb1 42. d6 Rh1+ 43. Kg3 Re1 44. Qf4 Rf1 45. Bf3 1-0

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