This first round game I faced as Black the popular 1.c4 2.g3 setup in the English, which is playable against anything Black does. I don't think it's a real threat to my repertoire, but it was only the second time I'd played against it; the first time, my opponent did not opt for an exchange on d5. I found the resulting position a little awkward, having missed an opportunity to enter a more standard Slav setup on move 6. Black is stuck defending for a while and both of us missed a (very difficult to see) tactic for White on move 16 that Komodo pointed out in analysis. I finally found my way to equality on move 18 and was content with a draw afterwards, although I could have kept some pressure up with the ...e5 break in the center.
It wasn't a bad start to the tournament, and was a good re-introduction to the practical choices one needs to make in a tournament game.
[Event "SCL 2019/04 - 45/45"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2019.04.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "valuableink"]
[Black "ChessAdmin_01"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A11"]
[WhiteElo "1599"]
[BlackElo "1608"]
[Annotator "Komodo 11.2 / ChessAdmin"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]
[TimeControl "2700+45"]
[WhiteClock "0:06:06"]
[BlackClock "0:01:46"]
{D13: Slav Defence: Exchange variation without ...Bf5 D13: Slav Defence:
Exchange variation without ...Bf5} 1. c4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} c6 {[%emt 0:00:05]}
2. g3 {[%emt 0:00:36] a common setup in the English, which can be used against
any Black move sequence.} d5 {[%emt 0:00:23] although White can exchange on
d5, there doesn't seem to be a reason to delay this, unless you're playing the
Modern Defense with ...g6.} 3. cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 4.
Bg2 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} (4... Nc6 $5 {is a less conventional
approach that delays committing the kingside knight.} 5. d4 Bf5 {would allow
Black to get the light-square bishop to its usual Slav posting on f5.}) 5. d4 {
[%emt 0:00:05] now we have a Slav Exchange pawn structure, although White
hasn't yet developed his knights.} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:19] this is the most common
move in the database, deferring development of the light-square bishop.} 6. Nc3
{[%emt 0:00:08]} e6 {[%emt 0:00:55] locking the light-square bishop to the
queenside, but I felt this was the only solid choice.} (6... Bf5 {is more in
keeping with Slav Defense ideas, but at the time I thought wasn't good due to}
7. Qb3 {which threatens both d5 and b7. However, now the d4 pawn hangs and
White's threats turn out to be ghosts.} Nxd4 $1 {and the queen does not in
fact have any good squares, after the knight move creates threats against
White, notably the fork on c2.} (7... e6 {is also good for Black.} 8. Qxb7 $2
Nxd4 9. Kf1 $17) 8. Qa4+ (8. Qxb7 $2 Nc2+ $19) 8... Nc6 9. Nf3 Qd7 $15 {
and White does not have enough for the pawn.}) 7. Bg5 {[%emt 0:00:54]} Be7 {
[%emt 0:00:15] again, a solid choice.} (7... Qb6 $5 {is an aggressive response
that scores well in the database (60 percent for Black). The main idea is} 8.
Bxf6 Qxb2 {attacking the now-hanging Nc3} 9. Rc1 Bb4 $15) 8. Nf3 {[%emt 0:02:
46]} O-O {[%emt 0:01:45]} 9. O-O {[%emt 0:02:05]} h6 {[%emt 0:02:14] I decided
to resolve the issue of the Bg5 before anything else. Anything in response
except the capture on f6 effectively wastes time for White.} 10. Bxf6 {[%emt 0:
04:53]} Bxf6 $11 {[%emt 0:00:04] the position is now very equal, with a
limited number of ideas on how to make progress.} 11. e3 {[%emt 0:00:32]
taking care of d4.} Bd7 {[%emt 0:07:03] here is where I needed to decide on a
plan. Komodo approves of the choice, which again is solid, but I would have
considered the alternative bishop development on a6 as more active.} ({A
sample game with the alternative:} 11... b6 12. Rc1 Ba6 13. Re1 Na5 14. e4 Nc4
15. Rc2 Rc8 16. Qc1 Bb7 17. exd5 exd5 18. Ne5 Ba8 19. b3 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Bg5 21.
f4 Be7 22. Na4 Qd7 23. Ree2 Bc6 24. e6 fxe6 25. Bh3 Rf6 26. Bg4 d4 27. Bf3 Bxf3
28. Rxc8+ Rf8 29. Rxf8+ Bxf8 30. Rf2 Ba8 31. Qf1 d3 32. Rd2 b5 33. Rxd3 Qc6 34.
Nc3 Bc5+ {0-1 (34) Ballesteros Gonzalez, D-Guerra Bastida,D (2290) Albacete
1992}) (11... b6 12. Qa4 Bb7 13. Rfc1 $11) 12. Rc1 {[%emt 0:06:42] my opponent
does not neglect his rook development.} Qa5 {[%emt 0:10:35] here I was looking
at improving the position of my queen and connecting the rooks on the back
rank. It ends up being more of a target than a help on the queenside, however.}
(12... Rc8 $5 {opposing rooks can't be wrong, following up with ...Be7 and
repositioning the dark-square bishop.}) 13. Nd2 {[%emt 0:05:08] The idea is
Nf3-d2-b3-c5} b5 $6 {[%emt 0:06:07] this dubious move is due to me getting
lost in the thicket of variations on the queenside, and also wanting to
justify the queen's position on a5.} (13... Qb6 14. Nb3 Rfd8 15. Nc5 Be8 $11 {
is awkward-looking but gets me to the good defensive position I reach later.})
14. Nb3 {[%emt 0:00:57]} Qb6 {[%emt 0:01:29]} 15. Nc5 $14 {[%emt 0:02:07]
although I had seen this coming, I failed to deal with it properly.} Rfd8 $2 {
[%emt 0:00:51] Komodo gives this a question mark because of the unforeseen
tactical blow given in the next variation. Both my opponent and I had assumed
that the d5 pawn was untouchable, which under normal circumstances would be
reasonable.} (15... Be8 {I rejected this at the time because it shut in the
Rf8.} 16. Ne2 $14) 16. Qb3 $6 {[%emt 0:05:50] this allows me to equalize.} (16.
Bxd5 $1 {wins at least a pawn. This is initially a hard-to-see tactical idea
because the pawn is protected by another pawn, which leads one to assume that
it is not capturable. The combination also hinges on the future vulnerability
of the Nc6 or a queen fork on g4, neither of which is easily visualized.} exd5
{is the critical path.} (16... Be8 $16) 17. Nxd5 Qb8 18. Nxd7 Qd6 (18... Rxd7
19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. Qg4+ $1 (20. Rxc6 {also wins)}) 20... Kf8 21. Qxd7 $18) 19.
N7xf6+ $18) 16... Rab8 {[%emt 0:04:38] this still allows the Bxd5 idea, but it
no longer wins, since I could now threaten White's queen in turn with the Nc6.}
(16... Be8 $5 $11 {immediately is still better.}) 17. a4 {[%emt 0:07:08]} (17.
Bxd5 $5 Na5 18. Qb4 Be7 $14) 17... b4 $11 {[%emt 0:00:47] my opponent seemed
surprised by this, probably expecting me to take on a4. Although the position
is still equal, it is now Black that has more initiative, as White has run out
of threats.} 18. Na2 $6 {[%emt 0:05:56] this buries the knight on an awkward
square and the pressure on the b4 pawn is not worth it.} (18. Ne2 $5 $11) 18...
Be8 $15 {[%emt 0:06:43] finally the bishop withdraws and is no longer subject
to tactics from the Nc5.} 19. Qd3 {[%emt 0:03:51]} Be7 {[%emt 0:02:35]
repositioning the bishop to a more productive square, as it was doing nothing
useful on f6.} (19... e5 {is Komodo's idea. I saw the general idea of this,
undermining the center, but rejected it as leaving me with an isolated d-pawn.
Concrete analysis shows that Black should come out ahead, though, thanks to
the underprotected White a-pawn.} 20. dxe5 Be7 21. Qb5 (21. Nb3 Nxe5 $17) 21...
Qxb5 22. axb5 Rxb5 23. Nd3 Bd7 $17) 20. b3 {[%emt 0:06:07] protecting the
a-pawn and covering the c4 square, so it can't be used as an outpost by one of
my knights.} Na5 {[%emt 0:04:47] pressuring b3 and with the idea of exchanging
off the Nc5, if desired. Essentially I thought it wasn't doing anything useful
on c6, so this was at least an improvement.} 21. Rc2 {[%emt 0:03:33] preparing
to double rooks on the c-file.} Nb7 {[%emt 0:03:28] at this point I didn't see
how to make progress, so essentially bailed out into a drawish position.} (
21... e5 $5 22. Rfc1 exd4 23. exd4 Bf6 $15 {would keep up some pressure on
White.}) 22. Na6 $11 {[%emt 0:00:40] I saw this as a possibility, since I have
no way of taking the knight there, but at the same time its placement on a6
means the knight has no real additional threats.} Rbc8 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 23.
Rfc1 {[%emt 0:00:18] following an exchange of rooks, it becomes very drawish,
so I agreed to my opponent's draw offer.} 1/2-1/2