Annotated Game #329: A Caro-Kann gambit revalidated

This next tournament game saw me as Black equalize early, in one of the very few Caro-Kann gambit lines (Advance Variation with 3...c5). My Expert-level opponent was clearly unfamiliar with this line, which sacrifices a pawn but allows Black dynamic compensation or to regain the material. White, despite some reasonable-looking moves, lost the initiative early and then allowed a tactic which gave me a winning (but not won) position. There was plenty of play left, but the main inflection point was on move 20, where calculation exhaustion led to sub-par results for me in both the calculation and evaluation process. The trajectory of the game continued downwards after that, despite some other chances for me to regain a major advantage.

Despite the loss, the parts of the game where I did play well helped re-validate the opening choice and my knowledge of how to press an advantage. As often occurs in hindsight, playing more simply and with more clarity than complexity would have given me a better game.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Expert"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "63"] [GameId "2254663898369393"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. dxc5 {entering the gambit line.} e6 {solid, but does not take advantage of Black's move order with ...Nc6.} (5... Bg4 {however felt a little loose to me at the time.}) 6. Be3 {the natural move, keeping the pawn.} Nge7 {standard development of the knight.} (6... Nh6 $5 {is an alternate way to play. This takes advantage of the fact that White has already moved the bishop once, so in effect it is a gain of tempo if the bishop takes on h6.} 7. Bxh6 gxh6 8. Bb5 Bxc5 {Black regains the pawn, accepting a long-term kingside pawn weakness but a half-open g-file to play with.}) 7. c4 {played after some thought by my opponent, who was evidently not familiar with this line.} Nf5 $11 {this obvious move now immediately equalizes, with the positional threat of capturing on e3.} 8. Qd2 $6 {apparently the purpose was to allow White to recapture on e3 with the queen, but this still allows me to get the two bishops and the initiative.} (8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. cxd5 exd5 $11) 8... Nxe3 {I decided to go for the simplifying piece exchange, rather than play ...d4 and keep the bishop on the board. Black's (slight) advantage was clearer to me this way.} (8... d4 $5 9. Bf4 {is definitely messier, with the engine suggesting ...f6 as a follow-up.}) 9. Qxe3 d4 {played now, after a good deal of thought. Objectively, it does not give me an advantage, but it does provide full compensation for the pawn. This is more of an attacking move, also controlling c3 and e3.} (9... Qa5+ $5 {was my main alternative, looking to recapture on c5 with the double attack. Now White has to be careful, for example} 10. Nc3 $2 (10. Qd2 {is safest.} Qxd2+ (10... dxc4 $5 {would be a way to keep the queens on the board.} 11. Bxc4 Qxc5) 11. Nbxd2 Bxc5 12. cxd5 exd5 {during the game, I didn't like the idea of having an isolated queen pawn position here, although the engine gives Black (who has the two bishops in an open position) a slight edge.}) 10... Bxc5 {with the threat of d5-d4.}) 10. Qe4 Bxc5 {a logical move, restoring material equality, and I could find nothing better here, although the White queen's placement looked awkward to me.} (10... f5 $5 {is the engine recommendation.} 11. exf6 gxf6 {I actually did think about this briefly, but did not like how airy my king now looked. On the upside, Black now has a more dominant central pawn mass.} 12. Qh4 h5 {taking away the h5 square from the White queen} 13. Nbd2 e5 $15 {Black's central pawn chain provides an advantage, while the king is safe enough.}) 11. Nbd2 a5 {I had another significant think here, primarily about preventing a3/b4 ideas for White. This is a thinking process improvement, paying more attention to preventing my opponent's plans.} 12. O-O-O {I was glad to see this appear on the board, since it seemed to validate my queenside-oriented play. However, it is not in fact bad, and things are still equal.} a4 {the correct reaction, restraining White's b-pawn and preparing to advance further if not stopped.} 13. a3 Qe7 {forming a Q+B battery against a3, with potential sacrificial ideas.} 14. Qc2 {bringing the queen back for defense.} Bd7 {another long think here. There is no decisive tactical continuation, so getting the bishop developed seemed logical.} 15. Bd3 $2 {this is a blunder, allowing the tactical strike} (15. Kb1 $11) 15... Bxa3 $1 {this is a deflection tactic, although it takes another move to fully form.} 16. Ne4 {deciding to preserve the b-pawn.} (16. bxa3 Qxa3+ 17. Qb2 Qxd3 $19 {snapping up the hanging bishop.}) 16... Bc5 $19 {I debated for a while which retreat square, and picked the less good option, although I should still be winning. The text move seemed more solid, defending the d4 pawn again, and I would have been fine with a simplifying minor piece exchange.} (16... Bb4 $19 {would be superior for attacking purposes, however, for example} 17. Kb1 a3 18. b3 O-O $19) 17. Kb1 b6 {this move was the result of over-fancy and inaccurate calcuation involving a potential White capture on c5, although again Black should still be winning.} (17... Nb4 {was the most obviously good move.}) (17... a3 $5 18. b3 Nb4 $19) 18. Qd2 a3 {correctly pressing the advantage.} 19. b3 a2+ (19... Bb4 {I seriously considered, but again rejected placing the bishop on this excellent attacking square.}) 20. Ka1 Na5 $6 {this move was the real let-down, not being able to handle the calculations and evaluations after a prolonged stressful sequence. The threat to b3 is easily handled.} (20... Bb4 $1) (20... O-O {would have sufficed to maintain a strong advantage, but I did not like castling and appearing to place the king in the White pieces' sights.}) 21. Bc2 $1 $17 (21. Be2 $2 Nxb3+ $1) 21... Bc6 $6 {now king safety starts becoming more of an issue for me, as well as having the Rh8 out of play.} (21... O-O) 22. Qf4 $6 {my opponent keeps giving me chances to maintain an advantage, but at this point my understanding of the position has failed.} (22. Nd6+ $5 Bxd6 23. exd6 Qxd6 24. Nxd4 O-O $11) 22... Bxe4 $6 (22... Bb4 $1 {again is best, as the mate threat on c3 cannot be ignored.} 23. Rd3 Bxe4 24. Qxe4 O-O $19) 23. Qxe4 Qa7 $2 {wrong major piece on a7.} (23... Ra7 24. Nxd4 g6 {preparing ...O-O and with at least a small dynamic advantage for Black.}) 24. Nxd4 Bxd4+ {exchanging off a good minor piece, but now White dominates the d-file.} (24... Qb7 {essentially forcing the exchange would be the best defense, but I did not consider the possibility.}) 25. Rxd4 g6 $4 {right general idea, but wrong execution.} (25... Rc8 {and now} 26. b4 $2 {does not work due to} Nc6 $19) 26. b4 $1 {now White just rolls over my position.} Nb7 27. Qc6+ Kf8 28. Rd7 Qa3 29. Qf3 Qxf3 30. gxf3 {the queen trade is no relief, due to White's dominant pieces, especially the Rd7.} Ra7 31. Be4 Kg7 32. Rxb7 1-0