[Event "LCC Rapid Open: Game 1 - SP vs 1968 draw"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/wJ0Lomo0/s0LzYZp5"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E81"] [Opening "King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Bobotsov-Korchnoi-Petrosian Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/somethingpretentious"] [UTCDate "2017.12.09"] [UTCTime "17:43:56"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/wJ0Lomo0/s0LzYZp5"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Nge2 c5 (6... e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. cxd5 c6 11. Nc3 { This line is one idea behind Nge2, allowing the knight to back up the central pawn in time. }) 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. Be2 a6 { I believe the idea of a6 is to prevent a later Nb5, particularly when black plays Qc7. a6 could also support a later b5. } 10. O-O e6 { This move weakens the d6 pawn temporarily but prepares a later d5 break. } 11. Qd2 { Looking to double on the d file attacking the now weakened pawn. Bh6 is not a threat to trade bishops due to the overloaded queen. } 11... Nxd4 { It's common to trade this pair of knights in the Maroczy-esque structure to avoid black getting cramped. } (11... d5!?) 12. Bxd4 Qc7 { The point of a6 becomes more evident here! } { [%cal Rc3b5,Rb5d6,Rb5c7] } 13. Rac1 { Although the following sequence wins a pawn, it turns out to not be best! Black gains significant counterplay due to the misplacement of the queen, and the eventual doubling of white's a and b pawns. Better was Qe3, threatening Bb6 and getting off the file opposed to black's rook. } 13... Bd7 14. Rfd1 Rfd8 15. Bxf6 (15. Qe3) 15... Bxf6 16. Qxd6 Qa5 17. Qa3 (17. Qg3 Qb6+ 18. Kf1 Qxb2 $15) (17. Qf4? { [%cal Rf4f6] } 17... Bg5 $17 { [%cal Rg5c1] }) 17... Qxa3 18. bxa3 Bc6 { As my opponent was 1968 rated, I was keen to trade rooks. Fortunately the tactics of the position allow me to do so. As it turns out this was a wise decision as it netted my only half point of the day. } 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Rd1 Rxd1+ (20... Bxc3??) 21. Nxd1 Ba4 (21... Be7 { [%cal Re7a3] }) 22. Kf2 Bc2 23. Ke3 { King activity! } 23... Be7 { Here I missed an interesting idea with Nc3, threatening to trap the LSB. } 24. Kd2 (24. Nc3 { [%cal Rc2a4,Rc2b3,Rc2b1,Rc2d1,Rc2d3,Yd2c2,Ye3d2] } 24... Bxa3 (24... Bf6 25. Kd2 Bxc3+ 26. Kxc3 Ba4 27. Kb4 Bc6 { Although no material has been won by this operation, white preserves the extra pawn and gains significant king activity with free tempos. SF assesses this position as 3.5 for white. }) 25. Kd2 Bxe4 26. Nxe4) 24... Bxd1 25. Bxd1 Bxa3 { I was very happy to trade into an equal opposite colour bishop endgame though. } 26. Ba4 Kf8 { I stopped recording moves here in time pressure but clearly drawn (after 30 or so more moves...) and draw agreed eventually. } 27. Bd7 b6 28. Bc8 a5 29. Bd7 Ke7 30. Ba4 $10 *