[Event "USCF/WS/22VP08 (USA)"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2022.07.30"] [White "Bougher, James"] [Black "Irons, Robert"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1882"] [Annotator "Irons,Robert"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D53"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/MPKW9q1w/CYtj6CFI"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. e3 c6 7. Bd3 h6 8. Bh4 O-O { I enjoy playing this Carlsbad structure from either side of the board! } 9. Qc2 Re8 10. Nge2 Nbd7 11. O-O Nh5 { Chopping some wood, which is helpful for Black in many lines of the QGD. } 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Rab1 { Beginning a minority attack. } 13... Nb6 14. b4 a6 15. a4 Bg4!? $14 { Black is willing to trade his light-squared (bad) bishop for White's knight. } 16. b5 axb5 17. axb5 c5! 18. dxc5 Qxc5 { White has the d4 square but Black has the e4 square, and while the isolated d-pawn is weak, it is easily protected. This position is even. } 19. Nd4 Rec8 20. Rfc1 Nf6 21. Nce2 { While this move is positionally sound, it allows Black to take the wind out of White's sails. } 21... Qxc2 22. Rxc2 Rxc2 23. Nxc2 Bxe2 24. Bxe2 Ne4 25. Bf3 { After } (25. Nd2 Rd1 26. Nxf3+ gxf3 27. Ra5 { there is not much left to play for. }) 1/2-1/2