[Event "vwc14 pr. 20"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2023.09.01"] [White "Irons, Robert"] [Black "Armani, Giuseppe"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1941"] [BlackElo "2370"] [Annotator "Irons,Robert"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D34"] [Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation"] [StudyName "Check is in the Mail: November 2023"] [ChapterName "Irons, Robert - Armani, Giuseppe"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/MPKW9q1w/c37WPygR"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c5 3. c4 e6 { The structure is now the Tarrasch variation to the Queen's Gambit Declined. } 4. cxd5 exd5 5. g3 Nf6 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. b3 { Not the most ambitious line, but solid and positionally sound. } 9... Ne4 10. Bb2 Bf6 11. Na4 { Shifting the attention from d4 to c5. } 11... cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bd7 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 (14... bxc6? { doesn't work: } 15. Bxe4 Bxb2 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Nxb2 $16) 15. Bd4 Rfc8 16. Qd3 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 Qa3 18. Bh3 Re8 19. Rc2 Ng5 20. Bg2 Ne6 21. Qb2 Qxb2 22. Rxb2 Rac8 23. Rd2 d4! { The pawn is easier to defend on d4 than on d5, and this has the benefit of cutting off the knight's retreat to c3. } 24. Rfd1 Kf8 25. Nb2 g6 26. Nc4 Bxg2 27. Kxg2 Rc5 28. e3 { There is no way to attack it effectively with pieces, so it has to be a pawn attack. } 28... Rd8 29. f4 Ke8 30. Kf3 dxe3 31. Nxe3 f5 32. Rxd8+ Nxd8 33. Nc4 Ke7 34. Ke3 Nc6 35. a4 b5 36. axb5 Rxb5 37. Rd3 Nb4 38. Rd2 a6 39. Kd4 Nc6+ 40. Kc3 Na5 { Attacking both the knight and the supporting pawn, but leaving himself in position to be forced into a total liquidiation of the queenside pieces and pawns, thanks to one little check! } 41. Re2+ Kd8 42. Re5! Nxc4 43. Rxb5 axb5 44. bxc4 bxc4 45. Kxc4 Kc8 { My opponent offered a draw at this point. It seemed reasonable. } 1/2-1/2