[Event "SCF: Vimal-Steve Round 5"] [Date "2025.04.25"] [White "Vimal Simha"] [Black "Steve Martin"] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "90+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D31"] [Opening "Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line"] [StudyName "SCF"] [ChapterName "Vimal-Steve Round 5"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/0QkSiuRN/jLthROw3"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/countersparks"] [UTCDate "2025.04.25"] [UTCTime "17:08:33"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 { A known pawn sacrifice. White can get very good play (as we will see in the game) } 6... Qxd4 (6... Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 Nf6 { I rejected this option because I thought White would castle long quickly and would get similar good play while being ahead a pawn also. }) 7. Bxb4 { Now White prevents Black from castling short } 7... Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Nf3 c5 10. Bc3 Ngf6 11. Qd2 Qg6 { Hoping to play ...Ne4, but this removes the pin on White's bishop on e2. Rather than move the queen to this side of the board, black might prefer Qc6 or developing pieces. } 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Ne4 14. Qe3 { White doesn't need to defend g2. If 14...Qxg2, then 15.Bf3 or 15.0-0-0 are probably both effective. } 14... O-O 15. Bd3 f5 16. O-O-O Nf6 17. f3 Nd7 18. Bc3 Qf7 19. Rhg1 b6 20. g4 g6 21. gxf5 exf5 22. h4 Re8 23. Qh6 Ne5 24. h5 Qg7 25. Qxg7+ 1-0