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ANNOTATED GAME
WtW Modern Benoni mini-tournament VIII: Swarm
caveman1960 (1777) vs. ionadowman (2098)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
caveman1960 (1777) vs. ionadowman (2098)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
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1. d4 |
Just out of the opening, Black tries a speculative piece sacrifice that opens up a whole hive of possibilities on the Queen side. For the piece, Black gets two pawns, his mobilization proceeds apace, and a temporary bind is clamped over White's Queen wing. All very well for Black, but then what? Black's game proceeds by threats, swarming all over the board, White having to fend off attacks here, there and everywhere. | ||||
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1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 |
The real game begins here, those so far played being compulsory for this MT. | ||||
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6. g3 |
The 'Fianchetto Variation'. The general idea for White is to develop quickly and quietly, remaining uncommitted for the nonce in the centre. Once castled, his broad plan is likely enough to bring the King's Knight to d2 then c4, where it attacks d6; then begin breakthrough operations with e2-e4. | ||||
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6... g6 |
Thematic - Black's routine over the next moves can hardly be bettered. | ||||
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7. Bg2 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Nbd7 |
At this point, Black has a number of possibilities: 9...a6; 9...Qe7 (I might have played this on another day); 9...Na6. The text move has certain transpositional possibilities - it may turn into one of the other lines... | ||||
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10. a4 a6 |
...Which in fact it does. These pawn moves on the extreme flank are, of course, Black's attempt to mobilize his big asset, the Q-side pawn majority, and White's response to restrain their advance. | ||||
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11. Nd2 |
Continuing his plan, heading for c4. | ||||
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11... Re8 |
Of course the half-open e-file beckons Black's heavy pieces as a daisy does the bees. However, there was a good alternative in 11...Rb8, lighting the fuze of the rocket on b7 (i.e. getting set to advance b7-b5). | ||||
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12. h3 |
According to Bill Hartston - his book now long out of date, I dare say - gave this as one of the responses that had been tried at this point, the other being 12.Nc4 at once. Does White have to apprehend a possible ...Ng4 followed by ...Bd4 at some point? | ||||
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12... Rb8 |
Just about a gimme: this rook is there to support the advance of the Q-side pawns. | ||||
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13. Nc4 |
Completing the Knight's journey? Black has to do something about the attack on d6. I guess it is worth pointing out that d6 is the major strategic weakness that Black has to accept when playing a Modern Benoni. That is the price he pays for the dynamic strengths of the whole opening, and it is not a cheap one. | ||||
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13... Nb6 |
Had Black played the line 11...Rb8 12.Nc4 Nb6, then White would have played 13.Nxd6! here, with the idea 13...Qxd6 14.Bf4 and a skewer. The game is starting to warm up! | ||||
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14. Na3 |
So why does White not play 14.Nxd6 now? The e8-Rook supplies the answer: 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Bf4 Re5, and white has no way to augment the pin at e5. White might take the rook right off - 16.Bxe5 Qxe5 and play on with R and P vs B and N; or retain the pin as long as possible whilst building up elsewhere, e.g. 16.e4 Qe7 17.Qe2 Bd7 and the b8-Rook moves of next turn, whereupon White takes the Exchange. This might actually be a playable line for White, but I reckon I'd prefer the Black pieces in the ensuing game. | ||||
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14... Bd7 |
The way things are looking, you would think that Black's b-pawn would never get to move: a Knight blocking his path, and the hazards to be encountered upon the b5-square... I might have played 14...Bf4, but why invite the thematic e2-e4? Be it noted, the g4-square isn't available neither. So this restrained development seems to be indicated. Sometimes ones choice of move is arrived at by a process of elimination. But there was more to it than that. In my explorations of this line, I had found an intriguing possibility... | ||||
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15. e4 |
White carries on with his strategic plan. | ||||
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15... Nxa4 |
[!?] This was the 'intriguing possibility' that had drawn my attention. It had been played before once or twice, with mixed results. Black sets off a dynamite charge to get the log jam rolling down the b-file. | ||||
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16. Nxa4 Nxe4 |
Before throwing forward the b-pawn, Black wants to get as much material for the Knight as he can. So we snap up the loose e-pawn. | ||||
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17. Qc2 |
Threatening to take the knight (Bxe4)... | ||||
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17... Nf6 |
... so he must perforce retreat. Why not protect the Knight by ...f5 or ...Bf5, then? The latter is unplayable: 17...Bf5 18.g4 puts paid to that. But 17...f5 18.Nc3 actually costs Black time that White can use to bring his Knights back to safety and into the centre. Apparently paradoxically, moving the Knight again gains time - by striking at the d-pawn, but also the threat to gain several tempi with the advance of the b-pawn striking at the White Knights. | ||||
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18. Nc3 |
Hastily racing towards the centre. | ||||
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