[Event "Prague open IM 2025"] [Date "2025.01.16"] [Round "8"] [White "Vardanyan, Aras"] [Black "Tolmacevs, Artjoms"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2312"] [BlackElo "2252"] [Annotator "Aras"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A61"] [Opening "Benoni Defense"] [StudyName "benkonian's Study"] [ChapterName "Vardanyan, Aras - Tolmacevs, Artjoms"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/uOWXLiTO/mt4eRug0"] [Orientation "white"] { This was a perfect example of memorising some moves but also knowing the general plans and ideas of the opening. This works especially well against "bad" openings, in this case the modern benoni. I knew my opponent might play it, so I just had to choose one of the several critical variations. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. h3 Bg7 8. Bf4 O-O 9. e3 { Just going for "a game". The stage is set and both sides know their plans. Black soon messes up and combines two different ideas instead of deciding on one. } 9... a6 (9... Nbd7!? 10. Bxd6 Re8 11. Bh2 a6 12. a4 Qb6 { This is quite original, hard to think of this as black }) (9... Qe7 10. Nd2 b6 11. Be2 Ba6 { Black is interested in piece exchanges } 12. a4 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 { Some typical moves later, white has some advantage due to the better structure, though it's still a fight }) 10. a4 Nh5 { This usually implies f5-f4. Otherwise, it opens the bishop to enable re8-nbd7-ne5, but here it's too slow } 11. Bh2 Re8?! { After this natural move, black is in rather deep trouble. He should have followed up with f5, though black's position is still not great } (11... f5 12. Be2 f4 13. O-O { This is something I had prepared, black is overextending quite a bit, but at least the position is messy }) 12. Be2 { White wants to castle and d2-nc4 in general } 12... Qb6 13. Qc1 { important to stop all dynamic counterplay. If white succeeds, he will have a stable structural advantage, not to mention the weird knight on h5 } 13... Nf6 { black admits his mistake and loses two tempi } 14. Nd2 (14. O-O) 14... Qc7 15. Nc4 Bf8 16. f3 { this move felt a bit strange, but it was based on a variation } (16. O-O Nbd7 { Now nb6 is threatened. White doesn't want to exchange knights, but the d5 pawn is hanging } 17. Nd2 { This keeps a big advantage for white, but I didn't see it }) 16... Nbd7 17. e4 { Of course it's risky to keep the king in the center for so long, but I didn't see anything bad } 17... Rb8 (17... Ne5 18. Nxe5 (18. Nd2 { Also makes sense to keep pieces on the board. Another general rule of the benoni - white has more space, so he shouldn't exchange minor pieces }) 18... dxe5 19. Bc4 { I would have probably gone for this structure change, which in general favours white. White got a protected passed pawn on d5. Importantly, the black pawn is on a6, which means that if he wants to protect the c5 pawn with b6, he has to reckon with the pawn break a5. This is structural knowledge which is acquired through studying model games. }) 18. Na3! { Simply stopping b5 } 18... Bg7 19. O-O Nh5 { With the pawn on f3, black can go for this. Now he is trying to play f5 or Be5 to attack the dark squares. } 20. Kh1 { sidestepping the d4 check } 20... Be5 21. f4! { Black has neglected developed for long enough and now it's time to strike. Of course, white's main plan in the modern benoni is to push through e4-e5 at any cost. In this game, white sacrificed the d5 pawn, but it wasn't a difficult decision. Here black can win the e4 pawn, but it comes at the price of opening up the position while black has a whole queenside undeveloped } 21... Bxc3 22. Qxc3 Nhf6 { Seemingly white can't protect his e4 pawn as after e5 the d5 pawn drops with tempo, but.. } (22... Rxe4 23. Bxh5 gxh5 24. Rae1 { The simplest, illlustrating the difference in development. Black's position is hopeless }) 23. e5! { Played quickly, as it clearly breaks black's position while he is completely unprepared for action in the center } 23... Ne4 (23... Nxd5 24. Qd2 { All the lines are opening up and black will soon resign } { [%cal Gh2b8,Ga1d1,Ga3c4,Ge2c4,Ga2f7,Gf1f7] }) 24. Qc2 f5 { relatively best, but white's position is winning } 25. Bf3 Nb6 (25... dxe5 { Black can never really open white's dark squared bishop, since he has given up his own } 26. fxe5 Nxe5 27. Nc4 { [%cal Gh2b8] }) 26. Rad1 Qg7 27. Bxe4 fxe4 28. a5 Na8 29. Nc4 dxe5 30. fxe5 b5 31. Nd6 Rf8 32. e6 Bb7 33. Qxe4 Nc7 34. Nxb7 Rxb7 35. d6 1-0