Lessons From Cap Negret V

MY round-five game, where I had black against Belgian Fide master Johan Goormachtigh (2188), reached the following position after White played 12.Qb3-d1.

Black has a slight lead in development, but has an IQP that looks vulnerable

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What I failed to appreciate is that, although my position is quite active, there is something of a logjam on the queenside, where my bishop has no retreat squares, and my queen and knight could be vulnerable to a pawn-fork on b4.

The engines like 12...Bxc3!?, giving up the bishop-pair but inflicting a weak pawn on White, while at the same time relieving the queenside logjam.

However, I was loath to give up my dark-square bishop, and instead defended d5 with 12...Rfd8?!, which is a developing move, but could have been met by 13.Nb5.

The game saw 13.Nd4, which might not be so strong, or at least would not be if I had taken a second opportunity to play ...Bxc3.

Instead, oblivious to the danger, I played 13...Bg6?, after which White took his second chance, and played 14.Ncb5, after which I made another mistake with 14...Ne6?, when the simple 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Bc7 gave White a large advantage.

Even with the superior 14...Na6, Black is trouble, eg 15.a3 Be7 16.b4 Qb6 17.Rc1, with what the engines reckon is a positionally won game for White.

LESSON: pieces need breathing room - when one is short of squares, particularly retreat squares, alarm bells should ring.