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1.d4d52.c4e63.Nc3Nf64.cxd5Nxd55.e4Nxc36.bxc3c57.Rb1!?White prevents the bishop check after 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 and also puts some pressure along the b-file.7.a3!?is the other established Anti-Semi-Tarrasch line.After the natural7.Nf3the next few moves are virtually forced:cxd48.cxd4Bb4+9.Bd2Bxd2+10.Qxd20-0This is the tabiya of the Semi-Tarrasch main line. White has a massive centre, but Black is solid, without any weaknesses and has the long-term potential of creating an outside passer. Without going into details, I just want to mention two classical encounters and Black's modern developing scheme.11.Bc4Nc6?!The knight isn't that well placed here.11...Nd7!12.0-0b6is how they play nowadays.12.0-0b613.Rad1Bb714.Rfe1White scored two crushing victories in 1969 and after that the Semi-Tarrasch has lost some of its popularity for decades in top-level chess!Na514...Rc815.d5exd516.Bxd5Na517.Qf4Qc718.Qf5Bxd519.exd5Qc220.Qf4Qxa221.d6Rcd822.d7Qc423.Qf5h624.Rc1Qa625.Rc7b526.Nd4Qb627.Rc8Nb728.Nc6Nd629.Nxd8Nxf530.Nc61-0 (30) Spassky,B-Petrosian,T Moscow 196915.Bd3Rc816.d5exd517.e5Nc418.Qf4Nb219.Bxh7+Kxh720.Ng5+Kg621.h4Rc422.h5+Kh623.Nxf7+Kh724.Qf5+Kg825.e6Qf626.Qxf6gxf627.Rd2Rc628.Rxb2Re829.Nh6+Kh730.Nf5Rexe631.Rxe6Rxe632.Rc2Rc633.Re2Bc834.Re7+Kh835.Nh4f536.Ng6+Kg837.Rxa71-0 (37) Polugaevsky,L-Tal,M Moscow 19697...Be7Black calmly develops and argues that he can also do without the bishop exchange and White's 1 isn't the most useful move on the Earth.7...Qa5?is rarely a concern for White. After8.Bd2Qxa29.Nf3±his development advantage and Black's loose queen more than made up for the pawn in Degraeve - Leroy, Drancy 2016Going for7...Nc6?without exchanging first on d4 is bad due to8.d5!exd58...Ne5?!9.f4!+-9.exd5Qe7+!The only move to avoid greater concessions.9...Ne5?!10.Bb5+Bd711.Qe2+-9...Ne7?!Krasteva - Prochaieva, Monaco 202410.Bb5+!Bd711.d6+-9...Na510.Bb5+Bd711.Qe2+!Qe712.Bxd7+Kxd713.Be3±/+-10.Be3Of course White isn't interested in the queen exchange.10.Be2±10...Ne511.Nf311.Bb5+±11...a612.Rb2!±and White quickly brought the rook into the game with lethal effect in Lang - Beckett, email 20187...cxd48.cxd4Nc6used to be played in the early days of the 7.1 system, but White seems to have found the way for advantage.8...Qa5+?is even worse than a move before, as the queen has no escape following9.Bd2Qxa210.Nf3+-Black barely made move 20 in Volkov - Serra Pages, Barcelona 20189.Nf3!The modern twist.9.d5?exd510.exd5Qa5+!The difference!11.Bd211.Qd2?Bb412.Rxb4Nxb413.a3Nc2+!-+11...Qxd59.Bb5a69...Bd7?!10.Nf3Bb4+11.Bd2Bxd2+12.Qxd20-013.0-0is a worse version of 9.3 410.Bxc6+bxc611.Nf311.Qc2?!c5!=11.Ne2!?11...c5!Otherwise 12.2 is problematic.12.0-0Be7!=White has numerous try to make use of his small lead in development, but Black generally holds his own, most notably in Nepomniachtchi - Bacrot, Biel 2013.But not12...cxd4?!13.Bb2!I. Sokolov - Costa, San Bernardino 19889...Bb4+9...Be7?!10.Bc40-011.0-0b612.Bb2Bb713.Qe2Rc814.Rfd1was too passive for Black in Vitiugov - Adly, Tsaghkadzor 201510.Bd2Bxd2+11.Qxd20-012.Bb5Although the rook isn't best placed on b1, the same can be said about the knight on c6, see above. The line goes on, but it's not the subject of this article and White scores pretty well in practice.8.h4!?It's also possible to push Harry without developing the knight. Its idea will soon become clear.Going for the queen excursion without the pawn push with8.Qg4?!could have backfired in Dubov - Konaplev, Sochi (rapid) 2017 if Black findsQa5!A key idea is8...g6?9.Nf3Nc610.Bb5was played in the game.8...cxd49.Qxg7Bf610.Qg3∞9.Bd29.Qxg7Qxc3+10.Bd2Qxd49...Qxa210.Rc110.Bd3??c411.Qxg7Rf8-+10...0-0!11.Bh6g68...0-08...Bxh4?is too naive.9.Qg4Be79...Bf6?!10.e5+-10.Qxg7Bf611.Qh6cxd412.cxd4Bxd413.Nf3+-8...Nc69.Nf3should lead to Karjakin - Kramnik after 9...0-0 10.h5Instead,9.d5here is less convincing, as it doesn't really match with h4.exd510.exd5Na5∞9.h5h6Black may try to avoid the text move with9...cxd410.cxd4, and only then10.h6?dxc310...h6. The consequences of the early pawn exchange are discussed later in the article.Black can even allow the pawn to go all the way until h6 with9...b6!?The game will inevitably transpose to Sivuk - Merario Alarcon.10.Qg4!?The point of withholding 3. However, the queen can become a target.10.Nf3is the main topic of the article.10.Rh3?!Sarana - Matlakov, Chess.com (rapid) 2022cxd4!10...e5is very tempting, but11.dxe5!may have been White's idea.∆Bxh312.Qxd8Rxd813.Nxh3∞11.Qxd4Black has many ways to be slightly better due to White's broken structure, but it was forced due to11.Rg3?Bh4!and11.cxd4?e512.Rd3exd413.Rxd4Qc7-+10...Kh8!Now White has to deal with the threat of e6-e5.10...cxd4??11.Bxh6Bf612.Bxg7!+-10...e5?is too early.11.Qg3/10...f5?!was seen in Carlsen - Dominguez Perez, Saint Louis (rapid) 2019, but it's too weakening.11.Qg3!11.e5What else? Apart from closing the c8-h3 diagonal, White also opens the path for 3 and 4 ideas.cxd4!Time is a crucial factor here and both sides need to act in a precise order.11...Nc6?12.Nf3cxd4??is too slow due to12...f5±13.Bd3!A nice detail isQd513...f514.exf6Rxf615.Qe4+-14.Rb5!+-, dislodging the queenBut not14.c4??Nxe5!-+11...f5?12.Qg6Qe8seems to prevent 13.h6, but it doesn't!13.Bxh6!13.Bc4±13...Qxg614.hxg6gxh615.Rxh6+Kg8≤15...Kg716.Rh7+Kxg617.Rxe7Nc618.Rc7cxd419.cxd4Nxd420.f4+-16.Rh7Despite the queen exchange, White's attack is still raging.Nc6=16...Re817.Bb5Nc617.Bb5Re817...Bd8?18.Bxc6bxc619.g7!+-18.Ne2+-Black can also play11...Bd7!?∞if he wishes to avoid the following forcing line.12.Bd3!12.cxd4?is too cooperative.Nc613.Nf3Bb4+14.Kd1f5!15.exf6Rxf612.Qe4?!is the wrong move order due toQd5!≤12...Nd713.Bd3transposes13.Qxd5exd514.cxd4Nc612...Nd712...Qd5?13.Rb5!Just like before.Qc614.Ne2±13.Bxh6!?Forcing the issue, but it only leads to perpetual.13.Qe4f514.exf6Nxf615.Qg6keeps the game going, but White is by no means better afterQe8!16.cxd4Qxg617.hxg6b6∞13...gxh614.Qe4f515.exf6Nxf616.Qg6Qc7!The only move, but it's quite logical. Black wants to cover 3-3 with 6 and 5-5 with 5, so he needs to protect the h7 square first.16...Bd6??17.Qxh6+Kg818.Rb5!+-16...Qe8??17.Qxh6+Kg818.Rb5e519.Rxe5+-16...e5??17.Qxh6+Kg818.Bc4+Nd518...Rf719.Qg6+19.Rb5!+-17.Qxh6+Kg818.Qg6+18.Rb5!?would have asked one more question, but it's easy to answer:e519.Qg6+19.Nf3already gives Black the option to avoid the immediate draw withBd6!?19...Kh820.Qh6+Kg8=½–½