[Event "EU-ch U18"] [Site "Bratislava"] [Date "2019.08.04"] [Round "3"] [White "Vardanyan, Aras"] [Black "Baenziger, Fabian"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1944"] [BlackElo "2358"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D20"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System"] [StudyName "benkonian's Study"] [ChapterName "Vardanyan, Aras - Baenziger, Fabian"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/egr5d3Fr/kJKORuHb"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/benkonian"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { I was doing quite well at the European U18 championship, having scored 2 big upsets in the first two rounds and playing on board 7. Unfortunately with this game a streak of 5 losses started. In this game, I got a structure which I completely did not understand, which is why I got outplayed quite quickly } 1... d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 { I didn't really know what this was at the time, but it's actually a very interesting variation with chances for both sides. Black gets the d5 square for his pieces and usually castles queenside, while white tries to use the e4, c5 squares and the c file, as well as his space with the e5 pawn, to gain counterplay } 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Ne2 Bg4 8. f3 Be6 9. Nbc3 Qd7 10. Ne4 Bd5 { I believe I had memorised the theory up until here, but that doesn't mean that I understand the opening. As is with all chess games, sooner or later we will be forced to play chess } 11. Be3?! { a bit passive. Similarly to the first game, it's important for white to understand the nature of the position. If black can consolidate with e6-be7 and castling long or short, followed by f6 or something similar, he will have no problems at all. This means white should play actively to try to exploit his lead in development } (11. Nc5! Qc8 12. a3 { trying to attack the black knights before they get better squares } 12... e6 13. Qc2! { important to defend from Nxd4 or Bxc5 dxc5 Nxe5 } 13... Bxc5 { black has to give up the bishop pair. For white, this is a decent achievement and now he can play more slowly knowing he has achieved something with his active play } 14. Qxc5 Qd7 15. Be3 a6 16. Qc2 O-O-O 17. O-O) 11... e6 12. O-O Nb4 13. Bb1 a5?! (13... Bc4 { black has too many pieces on the d5 square, he can get rid of his bishop or put it on the a6-f1 diagonal instead. A knight is ideal on d5 }) 14. a3 Nc6 15. Bd3 a4 { black is slowly gaining queenside space and has occupied the b3 square. This is no big deal as long as white finds a way to play actively } 16. Bb5 { trying to win the a4 pawn } (16. Bf2 { nice prophylaxis against the eventual Nc4 or Nd5. White should probably try to organise something on the kingside, since that's where the black king will likely go } 16... Na5 17. N2c3 Nb3 18. Rb1 Be7 19. Re1 O-O 20. f4 g6 21. h4 { black doesn't really have many targets on the queenside }) 16... Ra5 17. N2c3 (17. Bd3 { a funny maneouvre. If black goes back to a8, white has achieved something - he took away castling! }) 17... Bb3 18. Qc1 Rxb5! { an operation which I did not fully understand. What's going on here is that black is exchanging white pieces which can fight for the light squares and hoping to leave his opponent with the bad bishop on e3 against a bishop or knight on d5. This is a very good idea and exactly what the structure requires. Obviously, I did not understand this at all during the game } 19. Nxb5 Bc4 20. Nec3?? { after being confused enough, white blunders a simple discovered attack on his b5 knight } (20. Nbc3 Bxf1 (20... Na5 { black doesn't need to hurry } 21. Bf2 Bxf1 22. Qxf1 Nd5 23. Rd1 Qc6 24. Nxd5 exd5 { black can switch his strategy to controlling the c4 square instead } 25. Ng3 Nc4 26. Qe2 h5!?) 21. Qxf1 Be7 22. Rd1 Na5 23. Qf2 Nd5 24. Nxd5 Qxd5 25. Qc2 Qc4 26. Qxc4 Nxc4 27. Bc1 c6 { something like this is what black is aiming for }) 20... Na5 { oops, knight is trapped. The rest of the game is not very interesting } 21. d5 Bxb5 22. dxe6 fxe6 23. Nxb5 Qxb5 24. Qxc7 Nd5 25. Qc8+ Kf7 26. Bf2 Qe8 27. Qc2 Qc6 28. Qe4 Nb3 29. Rad1 Be7 30. f4 g6 31. g4 Rg8 32. Rd3 Bc5 33. Rh3 Rg7 34. Rg3 Nd2 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1