Attacking the exposed king1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.Nc3c65.e3a66.b3Bb47.Bd2Nbd78.Be2O-O9.O-OBd610.Qc2e511.dxe5Nxe512.cxd5...Strategizing around playing with or against an isolated queen's pawn should be
familiar to most readers. At first glance, White should be fine here, as she
is capable of blockading the isolani.12....cxd513.Nd4?!...13.Bc1!Remember
the other half of the adage for playing against the isolani: blockade *then
trade*. White should realize that she will never get Black's pieces off the
board if she goes straight for Nf3-d4.Qc714.h3Ne415.Bb2Nxf3+16.Bxf3Bf517.Qc1Rfd818.Ne2Qa519.Nd413....Bd714.Rad1Rc815.Qb1Re816.h3Bb817.Rc1Nc6Since blockading the pawn, White has made no progress
towards trading into a favorable endgame. In contrast, Black has activated
both rooks on open and half-open files, and now dislodges the blockader before
White can defend her with another piece.18.Nxc6Rxc6!Another
instructive moment. The attacking side is not supposed to want to trade pieces,
but now we can appreciate that Black simply replaced a strong knight with a
strong rook. White lost her best piece, however.19.Rfd1Qc720.Kf1d4!Now it should be clear: White's mistake wasn't that she blockaded the d-pawn,
but that she blockaded the d-pawn at a time when she would be unable to keep
the blockade. Accordingly, she was better off facilitating trades, rather than
temporarily achieving a blockade that, less than ten moves later, would end up
with Black executing the thematic d5-d4 break anyways.21.exd4Qh222.f4Bxf423.Qd3Bg324.Be3Bxh3!25.Bf3Ng426.Bg1Qh126...Qxg2+would
have been even prettier, but perhaps too cruel.27.Bxg2Rf6+28.Qf3Rxf3+29.Bf2Rxf2+30.Kg1Bh2+31.Kh1Bxg2#27.Ne4Bxg2+28.Ke2Bxf3+29.Qxf3Rxe4+0-1 Black wins.0-1