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ANNOTATED GAME

League division C2
valeriuzaharia (1764) vs. ybrevo (1855)
Annotated by: ybrevo (1200)
Chess opening: QGD Slav defence, Alekhine variation (D10)
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This game is a story of how bad it can go, if you blindly believe in what the "books" says ...
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
The Slav, which was the main theme of the recent match, Kramnik-Topalov.

 
3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. e4
White chooses the gambit-line - a very sharp continuation. Black holds on to his extra pawn on c4, but White gets a nice centre.

 
5... b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. a4 h6
According to a book by Markov and Schipkov - "Winning with the Slav" - this move prevents a Knight-move to g5. But does Black have the luxury of this kind of moves in the opening? I donīt know, it just doesnīt look right. But I decided to follow the book.

 
8. axb5 Nxc3 9. bxc3 cxb5 10. Ba3
A strong move, keeping the initiative. Now the main line goes: 10. - Be6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. 0-0 Bd5, and Black is fairly okay. The book had another suggestion though - and unfortunately I decided to try it.

 
10... g6
The idea is: 11. Nd2 a5! 12. Qf3 Ra7! when White is in greater danger than Black. Alternatively White could continue with: 11. d5!? Bg7 12. d6 Nc6 13. Qd5 Bd7, but Black is still okay.

 
11. Qb1
(!) A very natural and good refutation of Blacks opening play! The Queen attacks b5 and has an eye on the good square e4. I have simply lost too much time with the moves h6 and g6.

 
11... a6 12. Qe4 Ra7 13. d5
Now Whites centre-pawns comes rolling, and Blacks pieces are totally un-coordinated. Here already, I had the feeling it would be a short game ...

 
13... Bf5 14. Qd4 Rb7 15. g4
Forcing the Bishop away from the defence.

 
15... Bc2 16. e6 Rh7
Rooks on b7 and h7! It looks more like a joke than good opening-preparation.

 
17. Rc1 Bb3 18. Qe4 Qa5 19. Bb4 Qb6
Desperately searching for some kind of counter-play, but the Pawns on d5 and e6 are simply too strong.

 
20. Ne5 a5 21. Ba3 Na6 22. Nxf7
Enough is enough ... I canīt recall ever having had such a bad position after only 22 moves, but at least I learned a lesson: Opening-books are not flawless!