[Event "USCF/WS/23VP07 (USA)"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2023.05.06"] [White "Ralls, Richard"] [Black "Hoback, Benjamin"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2137"] [BlackElo "1844"] [Annotator "Irons,Robert"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A80"] [Opening "Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation"] [StudyName "Check is in the Mail: August 2023"] [ChapterName "Ralls, Richard - Hoback, Benjamin"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/oZnH5FVa/9ZVFOPYi"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5 d5 4. f3!? { A combative approach! My instinct would be more positional: } (4. Bxf6 exf6 (4... gxf6? 5. e4! $18) 5. e3 { with play against the weakened pawn structure. }) 4... e6?! $14 { Better is } (4... c5 5. e4 Nc6) 5. e4 Be7 6. e5 Nfd7 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. f4 O-O 9. Nf3 a6?! $16 (9... c5 10. Nb5 Nc6 11. c3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Nb6 13. Nd6 Rb8 $14 { and Black is slightly better off than after the text. }) 10. Qd2 c5 11. O-O-O Nc6 12. Rg1 { Announcing his intended target: the king! } 12... cxd4 13. Ne2 Nc5 14. Nexd4 Ne4 15. Qe3 Bd7 16. g4 fxg4 17. Rxg4 g6?! { This may look helpful now, but it turns out badly later! } 18. Bd3 Nc5? $18 (18... Nxd4 19. Nxd4 b5 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Qxe4 $18 { White has a clear advantage, but Black is still in the fight. The text is exactly what White was playing for. }) 19. Bxg6! hxg6 20. Rxg6+ Kf7 21. Rdg1 Ke8 22. Rg7 Rf7 23. Rg8+ Rf8 24. R1g7 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0