Most amateur tournament players, at one time or another, have struggled with developing an opening repertoire. The player starts looking around for something to play and finds that there are just too many lines to learn and too many options for the other player to take the game into unfamiliar ground.

There are ways that a player can cut down on study time and strive for positions where they, rather than the opponent, can call the shots. Perhaps the best way is to seek, over a range of openings, to play the same (or similar) structure in a variety of situations. One such structure is the Botvinnik system.

The Botvinnik system is characterized (in its use as white formation) by pawns on c4, e4 and g3, with knights developed to c3 and e2 and the bishop to g2. White castles kingside and works for the pawn levers f2-f4 and b2-b4.

The ubiquitous nature of this system is demonstrated by its use against a variety of set-ups by the other side. Some English players use it against King's Indian set-ups; others use it against 1...c5, while it is also playable against 1...e5 systems. Likewise, black players may use it against the Closed Sicilian, or, depending on the white formation, against the English.

I have often used this variation as black, especially against 1.Nf3. I like the line with white's knight committed to f3, because white cannot mirror black's play and put his own knight on the flexible e2-square.

The following game, from long ago, is an example of the sting of the Botvinnik System. I had beaten Senior Master Paul Kuroda the round before, and now faced the Oklahoma state champion.

Tom Amburn (2262) vs. Randy Bauer (2210)
NSU (Oklahoma) Open, 11-16-86
English Opening, Botvinnik System

1.Nf3 c5

One note about this move order is that black must be willing to play the Sicilian after 2.e4.

2.c4 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 e5 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 0-0 8.Ne1

This is a typical maneuver in this line. White intends to transfer the knight from f3 to d5 via c2 and e3.

8...d6

BLACK HAS A TYPICAL BOTVINNIK SETUP

9.a3

This mixes ideas and doesn't work out very well. The normal approach is for white to continue toward d5 with 9.Nc2. After 9...Be6 10.Ne3 Qd7 11.Ned5 Bh3 12.a3 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Ne7 15.Nxe7 Qxe7 16.e4 f5! Black had equalized (Karpov-Radulov, Leningrad 1973).

9...a5

In the only game that I could find in my database with 9.a3, black now played 9...Be6.   After 10.Nd5 Rb8 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bd2 f5 13.Rb1 a5 14.Nc2 b5 15.b4 axb4 16.axb4 bxc4 17.dxc4 cxb4 18.Ncxb4 e4 the position was equal (and a draw agreed five moves later) in Bertok-Vlasic, Makorska 1994. This is a typical example where both sides get in their liberating pawn levers. Often when this happens there is a quick liquidation and a draw.

10.Bd2?!

This is passive. White does better in general in this line with the active Bg5 (as in Bertok-Vlasic above). Often black finds this disruptive and responds with ...f6. In that case, black must eventually play ...f6-f5 to get his black-squared bishop back into play.

10...Be6

Now black is threatening to activate his game with ...d6-d5.  By contrast, white is a long way from generating similar activity.

11.Nd5

A strategy that both sides must keep in mind in the Botvinnik is the other player blocking the center entirely (here with e2-e4). If white would do that now, the play would move entirely to the wings. In this instance, black's pieces are slightly more active (Be6 versus Bd2, black ready to play ...Nd4) so he should have reasonable chances.

I must confess that I prefer playing the Botvinnik set-up against players of similar or higher rating. Part of the reason is that the opponent is less likely to go for the stodgy totally blocked positions that can sometimes arise in this complex.

11...Rb8

This helps carry out the typical wing thrust with ...b7-b5. That advance strikes at the center, increases the scope of the rook, and may weaken the c4 pawn.

12.Rb1

If white wishes, he can wimp out with 12.a4, which puts to rest any ideas of ...b7-b5.   The play would then move entirely to the center and kingside. White probably avoided this because he didn't want to give up his chances for his own b2-b4 advance.

12...b5!

A THEMATIC “BOTVINNIK” BREAK

If you can play this move in this line, you should. Levers are everything. If the c4 pawn disappears, black can dominate the center. Because he's struck first, black has assumed the initiative.

13.Nxe7+ Nxe7 14.cxb5

Now 14.b3 f5 gives black an edge because of his better control of the center and attacking chances.

14...Rxb5 15.Qc1 a4! 16.Nc2 Qd7 17.Re1

White has no play whatsoever.  Black now seeks to open up the position, which should benefit his better-placed pieces.

17...Rc8 18.Ne3 d5

DOMINATION

Black dominates the center and envisions c5-c4 with an attack on the queenside.

19.Qc2 Rb3 20.Nf1

White, short of space, wants to move his bishop and play Nd2 to drive away the b3 rook.

20...c4!

The difference in the scope of the rooks for the two sides is instructive.

21.dxc4 Rxc4 22.Qd1 Bf5

Not surprising, black's active pieces win him a pawn.

23.Rc1 Rxb2 24.Ne3 Rd4 25.Nc2 Bxc2 26.Rxc2 Qb5 27.Qc1 Rxc2 28.Qxc2 Rc4

Controlling the open queenside files has been a recurring motif for black in this game.

29.Qd3 e4 30.Qe3 Nc6!

WHITE IS BUSTED

This simple re-development was my favorite move of the game.  The knight controls a ton of key squares in the center and on the queenside.  Now that the white queen is denied an avenue to black's back rank, black is preparing ...Qb3 and ...Bf8.

When battling two bishops with a bishop and knight, it is often useful to use the knight to contest the same color as the opponent's unopposed bishop. This is a good example.

31.Bf1 Qb3 32.Qg5 Rc2 33.h4 h6 34.Qf4 Qxa3 35.Rb1 Qe7, 0-1.

The a-pawn will end up costing white a whole piece.