Lessons From Liverpool: Ambition

MY round-two game against a Welsh Fide master followed mainline theory in the Classical Variation of the Caro-Kann, but by move 24 both players were on their own.

Black has just played 23...Ra8-c8 in Spanton (1947 ECF/1982 Fide) - Peter Varley (no ECF/2117 Fide)

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White's pawn-structure is inflexible, but the e3-c5 chain does a good job restricting the bishop, which otherwise would combine well with the black rooks.

White has two targets - the backward c pawn and the f pawn on a half-open file.

I chose to concentrate on the latter, starting with 24.Rhf1, which is a solid approach in that Black is obliged to take precautions for the f pawn's safety.

But Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer queenside play with 24.a4!?, which starts to try to get at c6 from the flank.

Indeed, given long enough to consider the position, the engines at times come to view the game as positionally won for White, although they fluctuate between that evaluation and awarding White 'only' the upper hand.

My move led to a draw just 11 moves later, which is a good result for a 1982 against a 2117, particularly as Varley went on to claim outright third in the tournament, gaining 20.6 elo and finishing eight places above his seeding.

And it could be argued that while 24.a4!? may be the better move, it does not restrict Black as much as my choice does, and so was, in a practical sense, the riskier play when outrated by 135 elo.

But knowing what I know now, I would play 24.a4!? if the position ever arose in one of my games again.

LESSON: good results are nice, but excellent results require ambitious play.