Slav 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5[D17]-TWIC 964

TWIC 964
The Sokolov Variation 8...a5(diagram) remains solid and a tough nut to crack. Various remedies have been proposed among them 9.Bg5 by Schandorff in 1.d4-Playing the Queen's Gambit(Quality Chess 2012).

8...a5

GM Bu Xiangzhi tried the modest 9.e3 in rd8 of the Chinese Championship and eventually ground out a win. This was to be his only win in the tournament. He finished with a modest 5.5/11.

GM Bu Xiangzhi

Photo-Chessbase

	Player	FIDE	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	Total
1	Wang Yue	2706	*	0	½	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7.5/11
2	Ma Qun	2559	1	*	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	0	1	1	6.0/11
3	Li Chao2	2686	½	½	*	0	0	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	6.0/11
4	Zhao Jun	2589	1	½	1	*	1	½	½	0	0	½	0	½	5.5/11
5	Wei Yi	2530	½	½	1	0	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	0	5.5/11
6	Bu Xiangzhi	2662	0	1	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	5.5/11
7	Yu Yangyi	2675	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	0	½	½	½	1	5.5/11
8	Hou Yifan	2617	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	*	0	0	½	1	5.5/11
9	Xiu Deshun	2534	0	½	0	1	0	½	½	1	*	1	0	1	5.5/11
10	Zhou Weiqi	2590	0	1	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	*	½	½	5.0/11
11	Zhou Jianchao	2607	0	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	*	½	5.0/11
12	Li Shilong	2558	0	0	½	½	1	½	0	0	0	½	½	*	3.5/11

More on Top Level Chess in China-3rd Hainan Danzhou GM 2012
Bu won this tournament on tiebreaks.

'The 3rd Hainan Danzhou Grandmaster Chess Tournament was organized by the Chinese Chess Association from 29th May to 7th June in Danzhou, China. Traditionally, ten top Chinese Grandmasters competed in the round robin event. The average elo of the players was 2631.

Bu Xiangzhi and former Asian champion Ni Hua shared the first place with 6.0 points each, but Bu grabs the winner's trophy on better tie-break. Bu repeated the success from the 1st Hainan Danzhou Super Tournament.-Youtube



Here is the feature game.

Bu Xiangzhi (2662) - Ma Qun (2559)
Slav 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5[D17]
ch-CHN 2013 Xinghua CHN (8.2), 24.04.2013

Position 1
Black is under some pressure and is now tied down to the weak b-pawn. What do you recommend for black?

Black to Play

31.Be3