|
« TAP TO LOG IN
|
ANNOTATED GAME
WtW Modern Benoni MT VIII: Forcing Lines
ionadowman (2101) vs. ptitroque (1709)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
ionadowman (2101) vs. ptitroque (1709)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Nimzo-Indian defence (E20)
 Interactive |
• |  Show all comments |
• | All annotated games | • | View chessboard as: |
| ||||||
Another from the Modern Benoni MT run by the WtW Club. After some early skirmishing in which Black won a central pawn in exchange for a q-side one - not the way Benonis usually go - Whites pieces find themselves heaped up on the Q-side. Seeing the White King apparently abandoned by his friends, Black sacrifices a piece for a promising looking attack. This game features some narrow forcing lines, of a type in which one can 'see' quite a long way ahead. Let's see how it went. | ||||||
|
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 |
This is the starting point of all the games in this thematic Mini-Tournament. Black looks for pawn play on the Q-side, coupled with action down the e-file, or along the long dark diagonal. White's usual plan is to storm through the centre and K-side. The battles are apt to be sharp, and bloody. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
6. e4 |
One of several options available to White, this is the most straightforward. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
6... g6 |
Preparing to bring the Bishop to g7, rather than develop on e7. Black is especially interested in controlling e5 and d4, but the squares further on are also kept under close observation. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
7. Bd3 |
This move became popular in the 1960s after White victories in the games Ojanen-Keres and Penrose-Tal. GM Mischa Tal was World Champion when he lost his game to the English master Jonathan Penrose. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
7... Bg7 8. Nge2 |
Continuing in the manner of Master Penrose... | |||||
| | ||||||
|
8... O-O 9. h3 |
The games quoted above went 9.0-0, but this move seems a very good alternative. Sooner or later White will want to play f2-f4, and he doesn't want to be outflanked by a knight or a bishop coming in at g4. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
9... Re8 |
Often a desirable placement of Black's King's Rook in the Benoni. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
10. O-O c4 |
(!?) Unexpected. Black wants the e-pawn and offers the pawn to divert the bishop's attention from it. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
11. Bc2 |
White keeps guard of the e-pawn. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
11... b5 |
Another diversion? | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
12. Nxb5 |
Why did White accept this pawn and not the other in exchange for the e-pawn? For one thing, 12.a3 - to hold back the b-pawn - would have been met by ...a5, when suddenly Black has got his thematic pawn roller well under way. The second reason is that now Black's Queen side pawns are broken up and weakened. Black will have to hope his centre operations are worth these concessions. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
12... Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Rxe4 |
Indications are that Black got some value for 'sacrificing' his Queen-side majority. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
14. Nec3 |
Planning to challenge Black on the e-file. Ordinarily one might choose to move the other knight to threaten the rook, but that would have left the e2-knight still to move, after Rf1-e1. Besides, the b5-Knight is having an inhibilting effect on Black's Q-side, it seemed to me (pressure on d6 and c7, for starters, but also the possibility of Nb5-a3xc4). | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
14... Rh4 |
Interesting! What might this portend? Of course White has to consider the possibility of ...Bxh3 and a K-side attack by Black. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
15. Re1 |
Seizing the e-file. It is often said that the best counter to a flank action is a counter-action in the centre. But Black hadn't yet declared himself... | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
15... Bxh3 |
(!?) Now he does! Considering that White has just the one piece on the K-side - the rook at e1 - this at first sight looks promising. But what follows is the first forcing line of the game. White had reason to believe he could survive this attack. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
16. gxh3 Rxh3 17. Qg4 |
Black has two pawns for the piece, but the problem he faces is that White controls most of the K-side. If Black can establish his Bishop safely at e5, maybe he could achieve something of interest, but first he has to find a decent square for his rook. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
17... Rh4 |
Hoping to gain a little time... | |||||
| | ||||||
|
18. Qg3 |
This at first seems to play into Black's hands. Now will come ...Be5 attacking this Queen. Then what? We'll see... White did have an alternative in 18.Re8ch Qxe8 19.Qxh4 but the game looked fairly even after that. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
18... Be5 |
Black looks to be making progress... | |||||
| | ||||||
| ||||||