Is stubbornness a virtue in chess? It depends what kind. In the 1990’s, Vladimir Kramnik achieved enormous success playing against the King ‘s Indian Defense. Top-flight players concluded that black’s game was unsatisfactory and even the great Garry Kasparov began to abandon this time-honored opening, switching to more viable defenses.

Timur Radjabov was one player who obstinately continued to stand by his favorite opening, and for a long time he garnered poor results. But step by step, he found new resources for black in the main lines. In the just-concluded Corus super-tournament in Wijk aan Zee, he managed to accumulate 4.5 points in five rounds with the King ‘s Indian Defense, a stunning result that brought him to a three-way tie for places 1 through 3 with Veselin Topalov and Levon Aronian.

Radjabov’s encounter with Alexei Shirov is an important landmark in the evolution of the King ‘s Indian Defense.

SHIROV VS. RADJABOV (white) (black) King’s Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10. Re1 f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 This is quite fashionable today. Radjabov has a lot of bad memories of 12. Bf3 which was commonly played in earlier years. For example Shirov won an excellent game against him in 2004 after 12…c6 13. Bb2 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 fxe4 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. Rxe4 d5 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Rxe5! Bxe5 20. Bxe5 Qb6 21. Bb2! and black’s position is precarious. 12… Kh8 13. Ne6 Bxe6 14. dxe6 Nh5! This is a very important improvement, prepared for this tournament. Radjabov lost a critical game to Van Wely in 2005 after 14…fxe4 15. fxe4 Nc6 16. Nd5 Nxe4 17. Bf3 Nf6 18.b5 Nxd5 19. bxc6 Nb6 20. cxb7 Rb8 21.c5! and black’s position is already hopeless. 15.g3 Bf6 16.c5 f4 17. Kg2! In the first round of this tournament Van Wely was crushed by Radjabov after 17.g4?! Ng7 18. Bc4 Nc6 19. cxd6 cxd6 20. Ne2 Rc8 21. Bd5 Nxb4 22. Rb1 Nc2! 23. Rf1 b6 24. Rb2 Ne3! Shirov’s plan is far superior. 17… Nc6 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. Nd5! Nd4 20. Bb2 Nxe6 21.g4 Nhg7 22. Nxf6 Rxf6 23. Qd5 Qe7 24. Red1 Rd8 25. Qa5 White has compensation for the pawn, exerting pressure in the center. But he to be careful not to underestimate black resources on the king side. Now it was safer to prepare to meet black’s threats on the king side via 25. Kh1!? and 25…h5 is not dangerous because of 26. gxh5 and later Rdg1. 25… b6 26. Qd5 Rff8 27. Rac1 Now a prophylactic 27. Kh1 Qh4 28. Rg1 was appropriate. 27… h5 28. gxh5 Qh4! 29. Rc6?!

See Diagram

Once again white is too optimistic. Better was 29. Kh1! Qxh5 (In white’s favor was 29…g5 30. Rg1 or; 29…Nxh5 30. Qxe6 Ng3+ 31. Kg2 Nxe2 32. Rc7) 30. Rc6 Qh4 31. Rg1 (only not 31. Rxd6? Rxd6 32. Qxd6 Rd8 33. Qxe5 Rxd1+ 34. Bxd1 Qe1+) 31…Qf2 with an unclear position. 29… g5! 30. Rxd6? The is the last juncture at which white could organize a satisfactory defense. He had to play 30. Kh1! g4 31. Rg1 gxf3 (not too dangerous was 31…Qf2 32. Qd3 or; 31…g3 32. Rg2 either.) 32. Bxf3 Qf2 33. Qb3 with a sharp struggle. 30… g4! 31. Rxe6!? Suddenly white find himself facing unsolvable problems. Black wins in the event of 31. Bxe5 Qh3+ 32. Kg1 g3; or 31. fxg4 f3+ 32. Bxf3 Nf4+ Instead, Shirov finds a way to create wild and wooly complications. 31… Rxd5 32. Rh6+ Kg8 33. Bc4 gxf3+ 34. Kh1 Nxh5! Radjabov unleashes a beautiful combination, which leads to a winning position. He had a nice second solution in reserve: 34…Qh3! 35. Bxd5+ Rf7 36. Rg6 f2 37. Rg2 Qd3! and black wins. 35. Rg1+ Ng3+! 36. Rxg3+ fxg3 37. Rxh4 g2+ 38. Kg1 f2+ 39. Kxg2 f1Q+ 40. Bxf1 Rd2+ 41. Kg3 Rxb2 Black has already lost two queens, but because of the activity of his rooks he has a winning endgame. 42. Bc4+ Kg7 43. Bb3 Rb1! 44. Kg2 Rc8 45. Kf3 Rc3+ 46. Kg4 Rf1! 47. Kh5 Equally hopeless for white was 47. Kg5 Rc6 48. Rg4 Rh6. 47… Kf6 0-1