|
« TAP TO LOG IN
|
ANNOTATED GAME
WtW Modern Benoni mini-tournament VIII: Razor's Edge.
ezogelin (1600) vs. ionadowman (2098)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
ezogelin (1600) vs. ionadowman (2098)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
 Interactive |
• |  Show all comments |
• | All annotated games | • | View chessboard as: |
| ||||||
From an unusual line of the Modern Benoni, White lets slip an opportunity for Black to grab the draw. Was this deliberate? Did White hope to win a relatively inexpensive half-point? Taking that line, I turned it into a speculative attack a piece behind. White's strong and clever defence kept Black at bay for some time, the latter's assault troops battering their way towards the White King. Just when success seemed to be at hand, the attack falters when I fail to bring up my reserves. But perhaps White relaxes his vigilance - though we both missed his correct reply. Black's attack continues as White's resistance gradually weakens. A tough game, and one of the best I've played in the MT so far (17/06/2013) | ||||||
|
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 |
The MT starting position. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
6. Nf3 |
Probably the most flexible 6th move, keeping open the e4 lines, but retaining other options. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
6... g6 7. e4 |
Choosing one of the main lines, perhaps? | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
7... Bg7 8. h3 |
[!?] An unusual line, apparently designed at once to keep a Black minor piece - especially the bishop - out of g4. It is very frequently the case that Black is interested in exchanging his light-square bishop (LSB) for the knight at f3, removing one of the supports for White's e-pawn's progress to e5, but also leaving whatever recaptures on f3 none-too-conveniently placed for White. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
8... a6 |
Preparing the thematic ...b5 advance. You will see this little move in a large percentage of Benoni games... | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
9. a4 |
...as you will this reply. Black's Q-side operations are held up for the time being. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
9... Nbd7 |
[?!] Probably Black ought to have been looking at castling about now. Successive postponements were to prove mildly embarrassing in its results. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
10. Bd3 |
With g4 unavailable to Black, this advanced development (instead of Be2) seems well motivated. It supports e4 against possible Black attack, though such an eventuality looks a long way off at the moment. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
10... Nh5 |
[!?] Intending to bring a knight to e5. But 10....0-0 might well have been an inprovement before committing myself in this way. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
11. Bg5 |
[!] Most annoying. Other than bring the knight back - horrors - there was just one sensible response. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
11... Bf6 |
[!?] Of course I had to have seen this coming, but it is no less a nuisance. This bishop intervention at least puts the question to White: 'Care to exchange DSBs?' | |||||
| | ||||||
|
12. Bh6 |
[!?] I rather expected this, though there was quite a bit to be said for 12.Bxf6 (...Qxf6). | |||||
| | ||||||
|
12... Ne5 |
An intermezzo. The other knight is headed back to g7, but I wanted to get in the object of my play hereabouts... | |||||
| | ||||||
|
13. Be2 |
[!?] Preserving his LSB. As White, I might have been inclined to leave it on d3 and hope that Black exchanged his knight for it. My reply suggests I might well have taken the Knight regardless, in which case White might have saved himself a couple of tempi. | |||||
| 3 comments | ||||||
|
13... Nxf3+ 14. Bxf3 Ng7 |
The reversal of positions on Bishop and Knight on the K-side makes an odd impression. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
15. O-O O-O |
At last! | |||||
| | ||||||
|
16. Be2 |
[?!] Clearly intended to free the f-pawn to advance. But Black is in a position to stymie that plan... | |||||
| | ||||||
|
16... Bd4 |
[!] One of the features of the Modern Benoni is the control Black has over the e5 and d4 squares. A bishop established on one of these squares has an influence on both sides of the board. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
17. Rb1 |
[?] Whether this was an integral part of white's plan is hard to fathom. As it transpires, this move gave Black the chance, if he wanted to take it, to force a draw. Mind you, the respective ratings here did influence my decisions in this game rather more than they usually do. But having my eye drawn at once to the h3-square, it was hard to think of anything else... | |||||
| | ||||||
|
17... Bxh3 |
[!] Objectively, probably the best move on the board. The position is '='. But it might have been an idea to look into 17...f5 a bit more closely. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
| ||||||