[Event "NM Crumiller vs San Marcos Simul Games: NM Crumiller vs Ben"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/1mwbUqqA/eiWsDD2X"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C10"] [Opening "French Defense: Paulsen Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Recens_Satus"] [UTCDate "2023.03.17"] [UTCTime "19:22:40"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/1mwbUqqA/eiWsDD2X"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Be7 { One of my pet lines in the French, and the main reason I'm trying to maintain some degree of anonymity as the writer of this article. (If the person reading this is a future opponent, this chess article is not actually a chess article but a virus, the kind that infects your device as well as your body and soul... unless of course you X out immediately...) While objectively not the best, 3...Be7 is an interesting way to deal with the Tarrasch and the Classical, and a great way to get your opponent out of book quickly. 3...Be7 almost always gives my opponents pause. } 4. Nf3 { The general rule of thumb in these lines is to meet Nf3 with Nf6 and Bd3 with c5. The key is to not play Nf6 prematurely, as, say, 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. f4 followed by Nf3 is, practically speaking, favorable for white (variation included below) } (4. e5 c5 5. Qg4 { is white's critical approach to these Be7 lines, but things get very messy after... } 5... g5!? { ... at which point white has to tread carefully in order to avoid getting into serious trouble. A sample line might look like: } 6. Nf3 h5 7. Qg3 h4 8. Qg4 Nh6 9. Qh3 g4 { ... with the white queen trapped. This line, along with many of the ideas discussed here, is pulled from IM Yuriy Krykun's incisive and exceptionally practical "The Unexplored French Defense," a movetrainer course available on Chessable. }) (4. Bd3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. f4 { Practically favorable for white, though objectively fine for black. }) 4... Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. dxc5 { The first point in the game at which the luck factor comes into play. I had just seen this same position a few weeks prior, in a game vs John Durston, a strong player from Austin with whom I've developed a friendly rivalry. I lost that game, badly, which led me to analyze the ensuing endgames (endgames closely resembling the one I reached against Jon) in depth. I would have been much less comfortable dealing with, say, 6. exd5 exd5 7. dxc5 and playing the IQP structure. } (6. exd5 exd5 7. dxc5) 6... dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nxe4 8. Bxe4 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Bxc5 { all forced } 10. Ke2 Nd7 11. Rd1 (11. Be3 Bxe3 12. Kxe3 Nc5 { Was the position I reached against John Durston, which is favorable for black as white's light square bishop is forced off the board. The game against Durston continued as follows... } 13. Rhd1 Nxe4 14. Kxe4 f6 15. Rd6 Bd7 16. Ke3 Ke7 17. Rad1 Bc6 18. g3 Bd5 { With black winning the exchange for a pawn. Yes, I still managed to lose. }) 11... Ke7 12. Bf4 f6 { A common idea in these structures, stopping knight jumps to e5 } 13. Bc7 { I was surprised by this move, I thought the bishop looked strange on c7, but the computer seems to like it. } 13... Bb6 14. Bd6+ (14. Bxb6 axb6 { ... was my dream, with the half open A file and Nc5 on the way. Jon, of course, did not play into this }) 14... Kf7 15. Nd4 Nc5 16. Bf3 (16. Bxc5 { If white mindlessly gobbles, black's positional issues are solved as the rook can now come to b8, relieving the c8 bishop of its unpleasant duty in defending the b7 pawn. The computer actually prefers black here despite white's lead in development. } 16... Bxc5 { Sample line... } 17. Bf3 Rb8 18. a4 Ke7 19. c3 Bd7 { ...with the light square bishop free as a bird... }) 16... e5 17. Bd5+ { I was initially a bit scared of this intermezzo, but I decided that my king was safe on g6, and the computer seems to agree... } 17... Kg6 18. Nb3 { I was happy to see this move, as it allows... } 18... Ne6 { ... with the immediate, strategically winning threat of Nf4+ and less dangerous but also appealing ideas involving Nd4+ } 19. g3 { Stopping Nf4+ } 19... a5 { I regretted playing this move almost instantly; I decided that it created too many weaknesses on the queenside. The computer doesn't hate it, but I think that white benefits more from the a5-a4 transformation than black as black's b6 bishop (and the b6 square in general) is now at risk of becoming a liability. The immediate 19... Rd8 was clearly stronger. } 20. a4 Rd8 { I wasn't sure I was actually threatening to capture on d6 because of Be4+ f5 and the ensuing complications, but according to the computer I sort of am? See sample computer line below... } 21. Bg2 (21. c3 { Sample computer line... } 21... Rxd6 22. Be4+ f5 23. Rxd6 Bc7 24. Bxb7 Bxb7 25. Rxe6+ Kf7 26. Rd1 Kxe6 27. Nc5+ Kf6 28. Nxb7 Rb8 29. Nd6 Rxb2+ { With a roughly equal position. OK computer, as we say... }) 21... Nd4+ 22. Nxd4 { Another important moment in the game, and another lucky break... I had originally planned for 22... Bxd4, expecting 23. Ba3 Bg4+, forcing off the light square bishops and essentially fixing my position, but then (again, ON 22. Nxd4) I saw this irritating intermezzo in Be7, forcing my rook either to d7 (where it hems in my light square bishop) or e8 (where it gives up control of the D file). So, I took my first pass and considered two other moves - Rxd6 and exd4. I ruled out Rxd6 pretty quickly because it gives white control of the D file in addition to the strong outpost on b5. Until Nxd4 (and this is where the luck comes into play), I had not even considered exd4 because it breaks a positional rule: it gives black an IQP (isolated queen's pawn) in the endgame. But as I looked at the position more closely, I realized that the IQP on d4 is an asset more than it is a weakness: it controls two key squares, e3 and c3, it is well defended and not easily targetable, it stops Be7 (due to Re8, pinning and winning), and it introduces several tactical motifs which favor black (more on these in a second). (All abovementioned variations included below) } 22... exd4 (22... Bxd4 23. Ba3 (23. Be7 Rd7 (23... Re8)) 23... Bg4+) (22... Rxd6 23. Nb5 Rxd1 24. Be4+ f5 25. Rxd1 fxe4 26. Rd6+ { at which point black faces the consequences of weakening b6 via 19... a5 }) 23. Bf4 (23. Be7 Re8 { Pinning and winning... }) 23... Bg4+ { The computer actually wants white to give up the exchange, which makes sense in retrospect. At the time, I assumed that f3 was the only move. } 24. f3 (24. Bf3 { Note that if Bf3... } 24... Re8+ { ... forcing the king away from the defense of the bishop. Here you start to see how the tactics favor black. }) 24... Bf5 25. Rd2 { The third and final lucky break. I knew that black was better here, but I didn't see the tactical shot... } 25... Bxc2 { ... until a few seconds before I played it. } 26. Rxc2 d3+ 27. Kd2 dxc2+ 28. Kxc2 Rac8+ 29. Kb3 Rd3+ 30. Ka2 Rc4 { Jon resigned in this position as a4 is falling (note that if b3, Rc2+ picks up the g2 bishop, and Kg1 spells disaster for white after 31... Rd1+ 32. Ka2 Rxa4+, winning the rook) and white has little to no counterplay, largely due to the weak bishop on g2. We shook hands, Jon graciously signed my notation sheet, and I ran out for some celebratory Pterry's. Man, I was happy. Thanks again for the opportunity, Jon. } *