Lessons From Benidorm V: Similar Is Not The Same

MY round seven game reached the following position.

White has just played 14.Bd3-e2

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Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal after, for example, 14...c6, when most people looking at the Carlsbad pawn-structure might guess the position arose from the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit (it actually arose from a Chigorin, but the structure is the same).

In the Exchange Variation, Black often plays ...Ne4, and that is what I played in the game.

But after 14...Ne4?! the forcing sequence 15.Nxe4 dxe4 (15...Rxe4? 16.Ng5) 16.Ne5 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 gave White the upper hand, according to the engines.

Position after 17.Qxe2

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In the first diagram Black has prospects of kingside play.

In the second diagram those prospects have gone, and it is White who is better-placed on the kingside, thanks to the knight on e5 and the opportunity of half-opening the f file.

On top of all that, the e4 pawn proved to be a long-lasting weakness.

LESSON: analogous positions do not always have analogous solutions.