Annotated Game #316: It's not the opening that's the problem

In this next first-round tournament game, I finally get the chance to play my first genuine Colle-Zukertort in a tournament (as White). Although I mess up the opening slightly, I still get a solidly even game out of it and transition into what should be a similarly even endgame. However, I fail to understand the needs of the position until it is too late and my opponent has too many active pieces and an effective bind on me.

This and some other recent results have served to validate my opening repertoire - although the new (or renewed) openings may still be a bit wobbly - and point out that my main weakness is still the middlegame transition and effective planning, while identifying my opponent's resources. I probably will still do some opening work for fun before the next tournament, but I've decided to sink a big chunk of time into middlegame study, along with a bit of endgame learning thrown in. It's not the opening that's the problem.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Expert"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "88"] [GameId "2201353605181548"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. Bb2 Qc7 {this is a bit early to deploy the queen.} 7. O-O (7. c4 {scores very well in the database, although from a small sample. White should be comfortable playing with hanging pawns after} cxd4 8. exd4 Qa5+ 9. Nbd2 dxc4 10. bxc4) (7. a3 {is the standard Colle-Zukertort reaction to a Qc7/Nc6 combination, preventing ...Nb4.}) 7... Bd6 8. a3 (8. dxc5 {this idea can be played now or later, but I miss my chance.} Bxc5 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. c4 {and Black has to be careful about Bxf6 ideas.}) 8... Bd7 9. Nbd2 {White now has the standard Colle-Zukertort formation.} e5 $6 {I believed this was premature - and it is, but not for the reasons I thought.} 10. dxe5 {here I valued the general idea of attempting to open lines to Black's king, over more concrete considerations.} (10. dxc5 $1 {I looked at this, but did not fully calculate or appreciate White's strengths after the coming pawn fork on e4, so did not consider the idea further.} Bxc5 (10... e4 $2 11. cxd6 $18 {and White is simply a piece up.}) 11. c4 {this establishes a "kill chain" in the center (c4xd5xc6xd7) that offsets Black's pawn fork on e4, thanks to Black's king remaining on e8.} e4 12. cxd5 exf3 13. dxc6 fxg2 (13... Bxc6 $2 14. Nxf3 $18) 14. cxd7+ Qxd7 15. Re1 {and Black does not have sufficient attacking compensation for the material after} Qxd3 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Qh5 $1 $16 {with his own g-pawn blocking the path to White's king, while the Bc5 is hanging.}) 10... Nxe5 $11 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Bxe5 Qxe5 13. Nf3 {obvious but a little hasty. Either of the central pawn breaks on c4 or e4 are better, to get rid of Black's dominating d-pawn.} (13. c4 O-O 14. Nf3 $11 {followed by cxd5 and Black's central pawn is eliminated.}) (13. e4 $5 {exploiting the Q+K lineup on the e-file.} O-O (13... dxe4 14. Nxe4 $11 {and Black cannot take twice on e4 because of the subsequent Re1 pin.}) (13... d4 $2 {looks aggressive, but gives White the initiative after} 14. f4 Qe7 15. Qf3 Bc6 16. Rae1 $16) 14. Re1 $11) 13... Qc7 $11 14. Qe2 {developing the queen to a useful square, while connecting the rooks. It was not essential to play it immediately, though.} (14. c4) (14. Re1) 14... O-O 15. c4 {I finally get this idea in.} dxc4 16. Bxc4 {the position is now very even.} Bc6 17. h3 {a prudent move, creating luft and taking away the g4 square from the knight.} Rad8 18. Rfd1 Ne4 {eyeing the fork on c3. I anticipated this being a problem, but I let it become worse than necessary.} 19. Rac1 (19. Qc2 {might be a simpler way to cover the c3 square and remove the fork threat.}) 19... Rxd1+ 20. Qxd1 Rd8 21. Qc2 Qd6 {the position is still equal, but now I have trouble finding a coherent and useful plan.} 22. a4 {played to restrict ...b5} (22. Be2 $11 {would anticipate ...b5 and then ask Black what he could do that is useful. The answer would be not much.}) (22. b4 $5 {is a complicated engine line that has a lot of activity with the pawn sacrfice but not much in the way of results in the end.} cxb4 23. axb4 Qxb4 24. Ne5 Rd2 (24... Nd6 25. Nxc6 bxc6 26. Ba6 $11) 25. Bxf7+) 22... h6 23. Qb2 {long think here, the idea was to improve the knight's position to e5.} Nd2 {Black short-circuits the idea, not unexpectedly.} 24. Nxd2 Qxd2 25. Qxd2 {Another long think here, now under time pressure. Removing the queens is the surest way to equality, although I mishandle the follow-up.} Rxd2 26. f3 {this doesn't lose in itself, but is the start of increasing problems for me, based on wrong ideas about the position.} (26. Kf1 {may be simplest.}) (26. Bf1 $5 b6 27. b4 Bxa4 28. bxc5 Rc2 29. Rxc2 Bxc2 $11) (26. Bb5 Bxb5 27. axb5 {followed by Rxc5 or Ra1 and capturing on a7 would neutralize any Black winning ideas.}) 26... Kf8 27. Kf1 $6 {now this attempt at centralization is less useful, because the king is tied to the defense of the g-pawn.} Ke7 28. e4 $6 $17 {now things start getting difficult.} (28. Re1 {with the idea of Re2 is the only good idea now.}) 28... f6 29. Be2 Kd6 {Black's edge in activity is now clear, although it is not yet decisive.} 30. Ke1 $2 {unfortunately this just forces Black to play the best move with} (30. h4 $15) 30... Rb2 31. Rc3 Bd7 {by this point I am likely strategically lost, given the difference in activity of the rooks and kings, with the Black bishop now about to get in on the action.} 32. g4 g5 33. Rd3+ Ke7 $19 34. Bd1 {desperation, hoping that my opponent's rook would get trapped on the kingside.} Rh2 35. Kf1 Rxh3 $6 {Black is still winning after this, but at least has more ways to go wrong now.} 36. Kg2 Rh4 $17 (36... Bxg4 $1 $19) 37. Kg3 $2 {impatient, under time pressure.} (37. Rc3 $5 {would at least make Black work for it.}) 37... h5 $19 {now Black is comfortably winning again.} 38. Rd5 hxg4 39. fxg4 Rh1 40. Rd3 Bc6 41. Bf3 Rb1 42. Rc3 Kd6 43. Rd3+ Ke5 44. Rd8 {unfortunately I noticed too late that the Bc6 with a backwards bishop move covers e8, so this is useless; I had hoped to check from behind.} Rxb3 0-1