6.dc5. 6...... a5 is met by 7.b4~ (7 ..... d8
8.e5, with advantage). So 5.a3 prevents
Black's most active system! The move a3
also takes away the b4 square from
Black's pieces. The relevance of this can
be shown by comparing another move
that prevents 5...c5. viz. 5.i.d3 (protec-
ling e4). Here Black has
5...ttJc6!
6.d5
(6.lbf3
~g4)
6...
lbb4, with good play.
Finally, 5.a3
is
a subtle waiting move.
After 5...0-0
6.tilf3
White will await
Black's answer before deciding upon his
set-up
(1Le3
and ~d2, .te2 and 0-0, ~d3
and 0-0, a quick e5 etc.). In practice. the
position after
6.lC.f3
is often reached via
the move order 5.~11 0-0 6.a3. This stri-
kes me as less logical, as il gives Black the
extra option of
S...
c5.
After such a move as 5.a3 Black has, of
course. many different set-ups at
his
dis-
posal. We will investigate them in turn by
means of four illustrative games.
D MJaden Palae
• Miljenko Medic
Pula 2002
1.e4 d6 2.d4 <'C.f63.iDc3 g6 4.f4 ~g7
5.a3!? 0-0 S.tL2f3
6...c6
A passive move after which aggressive
play will gain White a substantial edge.
Here are some alternatives that are not
very popular in practice:
A) 6...
b6 7.~d3 a6?! 8.0-0 c5 9.e5
lOe8 10.ke4 J:[a7 II.de5 was quite good
for White in Van den Brink-Kohler,
Leeuwarden 1993.
B) 6...ttJbd7 7.eS
lbe8
8.~e3 b6
(8...ltJb6 9.'t1M2c6 1O.h4 h5 I Lid3 was
Murey-Pfleger, Royan 1988. Black even-
tually won,
bur
at this stage White's posi-
tion looks more attractive) 9.h4 c5 1O.h5
0,c7 II.hg6 hg6 12.'.d2 ~b7
13.'tWf2
was
erude but rather effective in
Da-
vid-Kastanieda, Istanbul Olympiad 2000.
C)
6...
1.:5!?
is interesting. Black tries
to
show that a3 has not prevented c5 at all.
7.dc5 ~a5 8.b4 'i'd8. Now9.cd6 is ans-
wered by 9...tbe4. while 9.~e3 lbfd7 is
given
as
unclear by Nunn and McNab
in
The Ultimate Pirc. The game Motwa-
ni-McNab, Aberdeen 200 I, therefore
continued 9.:bJ lLlfd7 10.'it'd2 dc5 It .e5
cb4 12.ab4 lLlb6 13.~d3 lLlc6, when
things were still rather
unclear.
7..i.e3
Also good is 7.~e2lObd7 8.c5llJd5 9.llJe4
b5 10.a4 b4 11.h4 a5 12.hS, with an edge
in David-Nouro, Stockholm 1998.
7...~bd7 8.e5 l1.Je89.h4
Against a passive black set-up this ag-
gressive thrust works well.
9...hS
Stopping the h-pawn short in its tracks but
also weakening his kingside.
10.~d3 <'C.c7
I0...~b6 looks essential. Now Palac cras-
hes through.
23