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1. Nf3 b6
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An unusual reply, but with the Knight of f3, White has less chance of shoring up the diagonal. Meanwhile the b7 bishop should help neutralize any White bishop that is installed on g2. |
 
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2. e4 Bb7 3. Nc3
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Other moves are possible, but are not as logical:
3. d3 shuts in the light squared bishop and is likely to transpose into King's Indian territory, when Black has more breathing room.
3. Bd3 blocks the d-pawn and following it with c3, Bc2 and d4 seems wishful thinking to me. |
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3... e6 4. d4 d6
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With the apparently passive ...d6 I am thinking of adopting a hippopotamus formation with a double fianchetto and the knights on d7 and e7. Without his f or c-pawn as a lever on the centre, White's set up will pose me less problems. |
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5. Bd3 Nd7
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Playing the Knight to e7 first will only encourage White to play 6.h4! when both ...g6 and ...h6 are met with h5! With the knight on g8 however, 6.h4 is pointless as I can always play ...Nf6. |
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6. Qe2
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Angling for Ba6 exchanging off the potentially strong bishop, rather than an e5 advance. |
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6... a6
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Of course if either of my bishops gets removed in such a fashion, my formation loses much of its potential. So... |
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7. O-O g6 8. a4
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Preventing me from advancing with ...b5, but is it really relevant in the current position? I have already committed myself with ...b6 and ...b5 will only lose time. Perhaps simply developing with Be3 or retreating with Ne1 preparing f4 and f5 is correct. |
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8... Ne7 9. e5
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This is much too premature; White must display patience if he hopes to gain any real advantage, and this isn't it. Keeping the central tension is important; with the centre is closed, I can get on with queenside advances safer than I would have been than with an open centre. |
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9... d5
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Of course I don't want the centre to open just yet, and now I am ready to push ...c5, when Black is OK |
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10. b4
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Looking to put me off playing ...c5 opening up the queenside, but it doesn't quite work. |
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10... c5 11. bxc5 bxc5 12. Rb1 Qc7 13. dxc5
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The real question for black is where should I stick my dark squared bishop (no comments please!). After playing ....g6, it seems sensible to follow it up with ....Bg7. The problem is that the bishop doesn't really do anything here as e5 is securely defended. Instead I would rather play it out to c5 where it is far more active, hence I don't play ...Nxc5 but ....Nf5. Notice that ...Nc6 is a mistake as he can play Nb5, followed by cementing the knight on d6. Capturing the knight is worse; axb5 follwed by c6, kills me off in short order. |
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13... Nf5
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I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I couldn't see a decent move for White to play. He has developed his pieces into standard positions, castled, and has a rook on an open file. What next? Perhaps bringing the bishop to a3 is called for, but I on the other have plenty of scope for improvement; simply castling is top of the list.
In fact it is difficult for White to come up with any general plan either, as his pieces have no real coordination despite their central presence.
Maybe my opponent felt the same, as he now lashes out. |
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14. g4
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Kicking the knight away from its strong post on f5, but creating terrible weakness in his kings position |
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14... Ne7 15. Re1 h5
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Looks aggresive but I really just wanted him to play g5, locking the kingside structure for my king to hide behind, and freeing up the f5 square again. |
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16. g5
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White can hardly permit the opening of the h-file, so his hand is forced. |
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16... Nxc5
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Conisidering White is likely to play his bishop to a3 or e3 now or next, I would rather not play ...Bxc5 now as that weakens all of my dark squares when it is exchanged off. The bishop will be deployed on e7 instead.
Meanwhile I am waiting for the right time to kick my d-pawn fowards. This will open up the centre (where his pieces are rather poorly places) and my b7 bishop will suddenly come to life on the excellant diagonal which he conveniantly weakened.
Obviously White must look to stop my central advance but this is not easy; A bishop on e3 will only have to retreat if I play ...Nf5, and moving the knight to d4 will leave the e5 pawn a little shaky. |
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17. Bb5+
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White trys a cheap shot with lack of anything much better to do. |
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17... Nc6
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Obviously ...axb5 Nxb5 followed by Nd6 is terrible, so I just clear e7 instead. |
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18. Be3
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No worry of ...Nf5 any more, but now the battle revolves around the d4 square and who can occupy it first. Playing the bishop to d4 may well leave my dark squared bishop very powerful after its opposite is exchanged off... |
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18... Be7 19. Bd3 O-O 20. Qd2 d4
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Everything is developed, it is time to start the action! Whites pieces are only in each others way now, I also open the diagonal of my light squred bishop; Whites g4 advance may come back to haunt him. |
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