Annotated chess game: Round 3 of Los Angeles Championships

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ANNOTATED GAME

Round 3 of Los Angeles Championships
Mike J. (1743) vs. bakerbaker (1713)
Annotated by: bakerbaker (1200)
Chess opening: Old Benoni defence (A43)

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1. d4

I was Black in this game. This game demonstrates how I fought back in a hopeless position to swindle my opponent in an important tournament game.

1... c5

The Benoni defense. I challenge White's centre instantly.

2. c3

2.d5 is the sharpest line. 2.c3 is equally good, but goes into an entirely different opening. 2.c3 is better than 2.e3 because in the 2.c3 variation, White still has the option of playing for an e4 central boost, but it would take a lot more moves in the 2.e3 variation. And also, 2.c3 doesn't block in the queen's bishop as in 2.e3.

2... Nf6

This move stops White's e4 central boost. I also could've stopped it with 2...d5, going into a Slav (d4 d5 c4 c6) game with reversed colors.

3. Nf3

White shouldn't take on c5 and try to hold the pawn because it will weaken his queenside and eventually I will get the pawn back with a better position.

3... e6

This is the most flexible move.

4. Bg5

White is now threatening an e4 boost.

4... Qc7 5. e3

If White takes on f6, then I will have a potential kingside attack after ...Rg8 ...d5 ...b6 ...Bd6 ...e5.

5... b6

Central pawns are very important in this opening, so now if White trades on c5, he'll be trading a central d-pawn for a flank b-pawn.

6. Bd3

White is developing and strengthening his position while I am trying to make the accurate moves to counter his central control.

6... Bb7

Stopping an e4 boost

7. Nbd2

Threatening the e4 boost again. I was overly concerned with White playing e4. White has already moved his e-pawn so it shouldn't be a big deal if he moves it again.

7... Nd5

Now if White plays 8.e4, I have 8...Nf4 threatening White's bishop and the g2-pawn. And if 9.Bxf4, then I will have the strong bishop pair to use later in the game.

8. O-O Nc6 9. a3

Threatening to boost with b4, and also threatening to boost with c4. I wasn't very familiar with this opening, so somewhere I have made an inaccuracy allowing these threats.

9... a5

White playing b4 is more of a threat than c4, because b4 gains a lot of space and gives White a potential queenside attack, while c4 doesn't do much to help White's position, it just kicks away my annoying knight on d5.

10. c4 Nde7 11. Bf4 d6

Moving my queen is too passive and White is already overcoming me positionally. His pieces are better placed, and his position is much more solid. I was very lucky to have won this game.

12. Ne4

Attacking my weak d-pawn.

12... e5

Playing Rd8 or O-O-O is terrible, because White can play the crushing dxc5, winning at least a pawn since my d-pawn is pinned to my queen.

13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Bg3

Now I have a Maroczy-type setup because of my pawns on c5 and e5. I must be careful not to overextend my kingside pawns, because if I play 14...f5? then my pinned e-pawn will be weaker, and the white minor pieces will have access to a lot of weak squares on my third rank.

14... O-O-O

I was desperate to create some kind of imbalance here, and I was afraid of White's minor pieces if I castled kingside. Castling queenside is risky especially when you have overextended queenside pawns, but I needed some kind of imbalance if I wanted to stay alive in this game. White's pieces are clearly more active and better placed.

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