Northumberland Open Round 1
QGD Normal Position
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.d4 Nc6
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| A 'normal' Queen's Gambit |
By transposition from the English, the game has reached the Normal Position of the Queen's Gambit Declined. A commoner move-order is 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 Nc6. Nimzowitsch recommended playing like this with white to increase positional understanding. He said sometimes White should accept an isolated queen's pawn in such positions, and at other times should inflict an IQP on the opponent, eg here it could be achieved by 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.cxd5 etc. The Normal Position fell out of favour when the strength of 4.Bg5 (after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6) became more widely appreciated in the 1890s thanks to the games of Nelson Pillsbury. Indeed 4.Bg5 was dubbed the Pillsbury Attack and is still sometimes given that name. Ironically the first three games in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database to feature 4.Bg5 in games involving Pillsbury feature him having the black pieces. It should not be thought Pillsbury invented 4.Bg5 - the move was already popular with leading players including Englisch, Blackburne and von Bardeleben.
6.Bd3 a6!?
Most popular is 6...Be7. The text may look strange, or at least slow, but is a known idea - Black intends capturing on c4 and following up with the tempo-gaining ...b5 and then ...Bb7.
7.0-0
White can cut across Black's plans with the less-popular 7.cxd5, but after 7...exd5 Black has a position that could arise from a Tarrasch Defence in which White has not fianchettoed the king's bishop.
7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 b5 9.Bb3!?
Generally speaking in such positions, White retreats the bishop to d3 unless there is chance to play a quick d5 with strong effect, which is not the case here. However in this precise position 9.Bb3!? has been the choice of some strong attacking players including Tarrasch and Janowski. Note that after 9.Bd3 Black cannot win a pawn by 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.exd4 Qxd4?? as White has 12.Bxb5+ etc.
9...Bb7 10.d5?!
Best is 10.Qe2, planning to meet 10...cxd4 with 11.Rd1.
10...exd5 11.Nxd5?!
Almost certainly better is giving up the bishop-pair with 11.Bxd5.
11...Nxd5?
A poor 'automatic' move. Black is better after 11...c4 12.Nxf6+ Qxf6 13.Bc2 Rd8.
12.Bxd5 Be7 13.e4 0-0 14.Be3 Qc7 15.Rc1 Nb4
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| How should White proceed? |
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16.Bxb7?
Correct is 16.Bxc5, when 16...Bxc5 17.Bxb7 Rad8 18.Bd5 Nxa2 19.Ra1 Nb4 20.Rd2 is equal, according to Komodo12.1.1, although Stockfish14 gives Black a slight edge.
16...Qxb7 17.Bxc5 Rad8
This intermezzo puts White in trouble.
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18.Bd4
This is best, according to the engines. The problem is both 18.Qe2 and 18.Qb3 run into 18...Nd3, while 18.Nd2 Nxa2 is also strong for Black.
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18...Nxa2?!
Probably stronger is 18...Nc6 19.Rc2 Nxd4 20.Nxd4, and now the engines give the unexpected 20...h6!? (20...Qxe4 is met by 21.Re2). Then 21.Rd2? runs into 21...Bb4 22.Rd3 Qxe4, so instead the engines give 21.g3 Bb4! 22.a3 Qxe4 23.axb4 Rxd4 with advantage to Black.
19.Ra1 Nb4 20.Qe2 Rfe8 21.Rfd1 Bf8 22.e5 Nc6 23.Qe4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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23...Qa8?
The game is equal after a precautionary move such as 23...h6 or 23...g6.
24.Ng5 g6 25.e6!? f5
If 23...fxe6 then 24.Qf3 is strong, eg 24...Rd7 25.Bc3! Rc7 26.Rac1 Qc8 27.h4 with good attacking chances.
27.Qh4 h6 28.Bf6 Rxd1+ 29.Rxd1
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29...Bg7??
White is better, but Black is still in the game, after 29...Qc8, according to the engines.
30.Bxg7 Kxg7 31.Rd7+ Re7 32.Rxe7+ Nxe7 33.Qd4+ Kf8?? 1-0
I resigned as White mates starting with 33...Qf6+. I should have played 33...Kg8 34.Nf7 Kh7, although the simple 35.g3 is very strong, eg 35...Qc8 36.Qh4 Qf8 37.Nxh6!
1-0
ReplyDeleteI have corrected my wishful thinking - thanks (again!)
ReplyDelete