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ANNOTATED GAME

Attacking for Gold
elyhim (2251) vs. dmaestro (1452)
Annotated by: elyhim (1200)
Chess opening: Caro-Kann (B18), classical, Flohr variation
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Pages: 123
This great Caro-kann starts out slow but ends with a bang. It features common chess ideas such as knight outposts, isolated pawns and attacking chess. There are three key moments in the game. The first is at move 12. Where black holds white to a dead draw. Forcing white to create something out nothing and to push the limits with queen side pawn mobilization. This leads to thw second key move 17. Where black gambles by driving white into a isolated pawn situation. At that point, I talk about how to defend against an isolated pawn and turn it into an advantage. Finally, the third key moment came at move 21. This is where white launches is finally assault against black and prevails.
1. e4 c6
When I challenged Dmaestro we have already agreed to play the caro kann

 
2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
The main line which in my opinion gives white the best chance to fight for an advantage. The two main alternatives e5 and exd5 are also playable.

 
3... dxe4 4. Nxe4
From here black has 2 main options 4. ...Bf4(classical main line) 4. ...Nbd7(Symlov/karpov). I should also mention that black can also try the much less common 4. ...Nf6 challenging white's knight immediately.

 
4... Bf5
The most solid line and dare I say where all roads lead to a draw.

 
5. Ng3
White retreats his knight to g3 preferring to play it safe(the main idea behind Ng3 is to take control of the strong outpost of f4) rather than play the sharp 5. Nc5 which is very good for black after 5. ...b6 6. Nb3 e5 gives black a good initiative. Also not good is 5. Nf3?? where the knight has wasted valuable time and blocks c2-c4.

 
5... Bg6 6. Nf3
developing. Not 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qd3 and black has managed to exchange his LSB without any real concessions. I.E the pawn weakness on the king side the occurs after white plays h4

 
6... Nf6
Black responds by developing his knight and countering whites control in the centre.

 
7. h4
Threatening to win the LSB so black is forced to create a weakness on his king side via ...h6

 
7... h6
Once the LSBs have been exchanged black will have a enduring weakness on the light squares on the king side. But history has shown that this weakness is minor.

 
8. h5
gaining space on the king side and allowing to the possibility of the h1 rook to enter the game via h4. However, the drawback is that the h pawn is very weak here and black can usually win it

 
8... Bh7 9. Bd3
Now it makes sense for white to force the exchange black has conceded a slight weakness.

 
9... Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6
some black players prefer 10. ...Qc7 in order to prevent white from playing Bf4 which denies white a great developing square for his DSB. It is also a thematic caro-kann move that sets up a counter attack on ...c5 via the move order ...Nbd7

 
11. Bf4
taking advantage of black's last move and preventing ...Qc7. Of course black would love to put his queen on c7. But in order to do so he has to either force the exchange on d6 or play ...Qa5 deflecting the bishop off of the diagonal.

 
11... Bd6
most common although if I were Dmaestro I would play the tricky 11. ...Qa5!? and now 12. c3 allows black to develop rapidly with 12. ...Nbd7 13. Ne5 Nd5 14. Qf3 Nd5 Or if 12. Bd2 Qa6 13. Qxa6 Nxa6 with a slight advantage for black.

 
12. Bxd6 Qxd6
The first main sortie is over and white has nothing worth while to show for it. The game is a dead draw

 
13. O-O
I decide to castle king side because my main idea of attack is going to be c2-c4 followed by d4-d5. Which has the advantage of breaking up black's strong control of d5.

 
13... Nbd7
This knight almost always belongs here. I am glad that Dmaestro did not play 0-0 since it has been often proven that many times in the caro kann the black king is better placed on e7 than on g7. So it is wise to forgo castling until white initiates his attack.

 
14. c4 O-O
a good solid move that does not try to force something that is not there. The other chief idea is 14. ...a5 is pointless.

 
15. Rad1
Since there is no attacking chances I decide to strengthen my center and centralize my rooks. Black has the same idea.

 
15... Rad8 16. Rfe1
with my development complete I plan to try a queen side pawn storm via a3 and b4.

 

Pages: 123