[Event "Wiener Landesmeisterschaften C"] [Site "Vienna"] [Date "24.09.2021"] [Round "7"] [White "Julian Kern"] [Black "Opponent"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "0"] [BlackElo "0"] [TimeControl "90+30"] [Board "2"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/jk_182"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D46"] [Opening "Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense"] [StudyName "Blog"] [ChapterName "Kern-Opponent, 2021"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/HUQaPXXE/rsqkovN4"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 { I was thinking about 5.Bg5, but I wasn't sure about the theory and in general wanted to play a more positional game } 5... Bd6 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bb7 11. a3 { I wanted to make e4 work } (11. e4 e5 12. d5 (12. dxe5) 12... cxd5 13. Nxd5 Nc5 { And white has freed his DSB, but at the cost of the LSB } (13... Nxd5 14. exd5 Nf6 { This would leave white's d-pawn very weak })) 11... Re8 { After this, I was always looking for e5 from black } 12. Rd1 { Here I looked at some crazy lines } (12. Ng5 h6 13. Nxf7 Kxf7 14. Bg6+ Kf8 15. Bxe8 Qxe8 { But this looks just better for black }) 12... Qc7 13. h3 a6 { I didn't understand this move } (13... a5 { This would prevent b4 }) (13... e5 14. Ng5 h6 15. Nge4 exd4 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. exd4 { This looks better for black, since he managed to isolate white's d-pawn and get counterplay along the e-file }) 14. Ng5 { I was quite happy with this knight maneuver during the game } 14... h6 15. Nge4 Nxe4 (15... Bf8 { This should be better, since trading knights only helps white, because the knight on c3 does nothing }) 16. Nxe4 Be7 17. b4 { Now black cannot free himself with c5 and e5 also doesn't work } 17... Rac8 (17... e5? 18. d5) (17... Nf6 18. Nc5) 18. Bb2 e5 19. Rac1 { This prepares d5 again, so black has to take } 19... exd4 20. Bxd4 { Here I already felt very confident: white has managed to activate his DSB and the c6-pawn and c5-square are very weak and the b7-bishop is currently just a bystander } 20... Ne5 { I dislike this decision, since it weakens black's defence of the c5-square } 21. Be2 Rcd8 22. Nc5 Nd7 (22... Bxc5 23. Bxc5 { This wouldn't lose a pawn, but it doesn't solve black's problem. And white has also gained the two bishops }) 23. Nxb7 Qxb7 24. Qxc6 Qxc6 25. Rxc6 Nb8 26. Rc3 { I thought for quite a wile about this move, since I couldn't find any differences between the rook moves. In the end, I didn't want to give up the c-file after 26.Rb6, I wanted to keep the option to double on the c-file and keep my rook on a protected square } 26... Rc8 27. Bg4 Rxc3 28. Bxc3 Bf6 { I thought about this move, since black gets rid off white's bishop pair, but takes on a very weak kingside } 29. Bxf6 gxf6 30. Rd6 Kg7 31. Bf5 { Preventing any form of counterplay } 31... Rf8 32. g3 { The only question now is: how does white win? I wanted to bring my king in, but didn't like the line } (32. Kh2 Rg8 33. Kg3 Kf8+ 34. Kf3 Ke7 35. Rb6 Rd8 { Black is still lost, but gets counterplay }) 32... Re8 33. Kg2 Re5 34. e4 (34. Rb6 Rxf5 35. Rxb8 Rd5 36. Rb6 { I thought about going into this rook ending, since I imagined that my win should come quicker, but then I thought that it's much simpler to keep black with their bad knight }) 34... Re8 35. Kf3 Rf8 36. Kg4 Re8 37. f4 { I planned e5 here to break through } 37... Re7 38. Rb6 Re8 39. Kh5 Rd8 { Now that the rook is forced off the e-file, white can play e5 } 40. e5 fxe5 41. fxe5 Re8 42. g4 Rxe5 43. Rxb8 Re3 44. h4 { Not blundering mate } (44. g5 hxg5 45. Kxg5 { I disliked this, because I didn't want to exchange pawns }) 44... Rxa3 45. Rb6 Ra4 46. Rxh6 a5 47. bxa5 Rxa5 48. Rb6 Ra8 49. Kg5 Rh8 50. h5 { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0