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This is my first round game at the Seattle Seafair Open. The time control was G/60; my opponent is an expert, although a few points below 2000 at the time. Note to reader: I won't annotate all moves, especially forced or obvious moves.
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1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Bd6 7. Bd3 Be6
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In the QGD exchange, black usually goes for ...Be7 and ...Nbd7 first.
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  1 comment
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8. Qc2 h6 9. Bh4 Nbd7
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Standard development so far, with the exception that black has placed his dark-squared bishop on a more aggressive square, d6. But then the pin is more annoying.
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10. Nge2 O-O
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Normal development so far, hence the scarce notes.
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11. Bg3
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11. O-O?? would be a bad mistake. If your Gameknot rating is below 1500, try to figure out why 11. O-O would be a blunder.
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1 comment
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11... Nb6
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If 11. O-O?, then 11...Bxh2+! 12. Kxh2 Ng4+ followed by ...Qxh4. This knight often comes into c4 after white plays b4.
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12. O-O Rc8 13. Rfc1 Re8 14. Na4
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Now black must trade off the knight or I will play Nc5.
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1 comment
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14... Bxg3 15. Nxg3 Nxa4 16. Qxa4 Qb6
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The a pawn is a bit of a problem for black, now his queen gets somewhat out of play.
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17. b4
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Standard queenside expansion in this pawn structure.
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1 comment
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17... Bd7
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Black threatens to play ...c5 getting rid of his c pawn problem.
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18. Qb3
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This prevents ...c5 and prepares an eventual a4.
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18... Rc7
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Black's rook and queen are out of play after this move.
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19. Rab1 Be6
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As I build for b4-b5, Black just shuffles his pieces with no plan.
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1 comment
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20. Ne2
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I need to get my knight back into the game. The best plan would be Ng3-e2-c3-a4-c5
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20... Ne4 21. Rc2 Bf5 22. Nc3
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This forces off the bishops, and I like my bishop better, but I felt it was worth it to trade off knights.
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1 comment
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22... Nxc3 23. Qxc3 Bxd3 24. Qxd3 a6 25. a4
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The minority attack starts to roll.
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25... Re6 26. Rcb2 Re8 27. Qb3 Rd8 28. h3
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Do not rush when your opponent has no counterplay.
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1 comment
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28... g6 29. Rc2 Rdd7 30. Rc5
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This is a very good square for the rook. It attacks d5, can move along the 5th rank, and can pressure the c pawn later.
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1 comment
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30... Qa7 31. b5
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Standard break move.
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31... cxb5 32. axb5
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I should have played Rxc7; in fact, that was what I had in mind, but my hand move the wrong move. When I realized it, I had already captured the black awn.
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1 comment
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32... Rxc5 33. b6
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! intermezzo avoids losing pawn
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2 comments
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