One of the chess classics have said that bad plan is better than none at all. Sometimes its true but in many situations bad plan is worse then no plan at all. On the other side – a good plan is definitely better than absence of plane, especially in positions in which you are unable to create immediate tactical clash. In this game my opponent lacked good plan which was main reason why his position became bad.
Korch - Redmike
Queen's Gambit Thematic tournament
http://www.redhotpawn.com,
Game 4924486
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5
Going into Carlsbad system. As I`m not Berliner I wil not claim that White should win (like he did in his "System" ), but in my opinion it`s one of the most dangerous weapons against Queens gambit declined.
4….exd5
Interesting alternative is 4…Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 with complicated position
5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0–0 7.Bd3 c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Nf3
Another good move is 9.Nge2 with 2 possible plans:
1) old plan of castling queen side with pawn storm attack on enemy king;
2) castling king side with intention of f3 and e4.
9…Re8 10.0–0 Nf8
Overprotecting h7 and freeing squares for white squared bishop.
11.Ne5
Idea of genial American chess player Harry Nelson Pillsbury successfully used in many of his games. His success in Queens gambit declined with knight on e5 created phrase “If Pillsbury moves his knight on e5, he wins”.
11… h6
Rare, but probably playable move. Much more popular choices are 11….Ng4 and 11…N6d7.
12.Bh4 Nh5?!
Forcing exchange of black squared bishops, but probably better was 12…Ng4 making white knight to choose to be exchanged or to retire, as knight on e5 seems to be more dangerous than bishop on h4.
13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Rae1 Nf6
Knight on h5 moved with only intention to exchange bishops, so he may return to f6 as on h5 he is useless.
15.f4
Now we can sum up opening results. White has better position and Black must find good plan to neutralize their initiative in king side. The best plan seems to exchange knight f6 for knight on e5 (after Nfd7 or Ng4) and then (depending on which pawn White will take) playing Be6 (if fxe5) or Ne6 (if dxe5, with intention to counter attack in center). Instead of that Black did not find any plan and started to mark time.
15… N6d7 16.Qf2 Nf6?!
As it was pointed out in previous comment, Black should have exchange on e5 with plan mentioned before.
17.Qh4 N6d7?!
Another move without serious plan. It would be better to try for some counter play with 17…Qb4.
18.Qg3
White are not going to help opponent with exchange of queens, as after that White would decrease their attacking possibilities in king side and black would be able to push on center after driving white knight from e5.
18…Nf6?!
Another move without plan.
19.h3
Planning pawn storm on kingside.
19…. Bd7 20.Qh2 c5
Finally Black realized that they should make some activity, but due to previous knight moves without plan it is not too effective.
21.g4 cxd4 22.exd4 Qb4 23.Qf2
White has obvious advantage - their pieces are placed more active and they have clear obvious plan while Black lack constructive ideas. At the same time Black have not made obvious mistakes so far. Lack of good plan was their main problem. And its very hard for humans to defend positions like that – that’s the reason why Black mistakes in next moves are natural.
23… Bc6?
Decisive mistake, but it was not so easy to find good moves. The best chance for black was 23…Ne6, but anyway – after 24.Be5 White has large advantage.
24.g5
Starting attack
24… hxg5?
Losing immediately, but also after 24….Ne4 25.Bxe4 dxe4 26.d5 Black will have pawn down with bad position.
25.fxg5 Black resigned 1–0 as they had to choose between giving up knight or allowing decisive attack on f7
PGN version
[Event "Queen's Gambit Thematic"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Korch"]
[Black "Redmike"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D36"]
{One of the chess classics have said that bad plan
is better than none at all. Sometimes its true but in many situations bad plan
is worse then no plan at all. On the other side - a good plan is definitely
better than absence of plane, especially in positions in which you are unable
to create immediate tactical clash. In this game my opponent lacked good plan
which was main reason why his position became bad.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
Nf6 4. cxd5 {Going into Carlsbad system. As I`m not Berliner I wil not claim
that White should win (like he did in his "System" ), but in my opinion it`s
one of the most dangerous weapons against Queens gambit declined.} exd5 {
Interesting alternative is} (4... Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5) {
with complicated position} 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Nf3 {
Another good move is} (9. Nge2 {with 2 possible plans: 1) old plan of castling
queen side with pawn storm attack on enemy king; 2) casling king side with
intention of f3 and e4.}) 9... Re8 10. O-O Nf8 {
Overprotecting h7 and freeing squares for white squared bishop} 11. Ne5 {
Idea of genial American chess player Harry Nelson Pillsbury successfully used
in many of his games. His success in Queens gambit declined with knight on e5
created phrase "If Pillsbury moves his knight on e5, hewins"} h6 {
Rare, but probably playable move. Much more popular choices are} (11... Ng4 {
and}) (11... N6d7) 12. Bh4 Nh5 $6 {
Forcing exchange of black squared bishops, but probably better was} (12... Ng4)
{making white knight to choose - to be exchanged or to retire as knight on e5
seems to be much more dangerous than Bishop on h4} 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Rae1 Nf6 {
Knight on h5 moved with only intention to exchange bishops, so he may return
to f6 as on h5 he is useless.} 15. f4 {Now we can sum up opening results.
White has better position and Black must find good plan to neutralize their
initiative in king side. The best plan seems to exchange knight f6 for knight
on e5 (after Nfd7 or Ng4) and then (depending on which pawn White will take)
playing Be6 (if fxe5) or Ne6 (if dxe5, with intention to counter attack in
center). Instead of that Black did not find any plan and started to mark time.}
N6d7 16. Qf2 Nf6 $6 {As it was pointed out in previous comment, Black should
have exchange on e5 with plan mentioned before.} 17. Qh4 N6d7 $6 {Another move
without long term plan.It would be better to try for some counter play with} (
17... Qb4) 18. Qg3 {White are not gonna help opponent with exchange of queens,
as after that White would decrease their attacking possibilities in king side
and black would be able to push on center after driving white knight from e5.}
Nf6 {Another move without plan} 19. h3 {Planning pawn storm on kingside.} Bd7
20. Qh2 c5 {Finally Black realized that they should make some activity, but
due to previous knight moves without plan it is not too effective.} 21. g4 cxd4
22. exd4 Qb4 23. Qf2 {White has obvious advantage - their pieces are placed
more active and they have clear obvious plan while Black lack constructive
ideas. At the same time Black have not made obvious mistakes so far. Lack of
good plan was their main problem. Lack of good plan was their main problem.
And its very hard for humans to defend positions like that - that/^s the
reason why Black mistakes in next moves are natural.} Bc6 $2 {Decisive mistake,
but it was not so easy to find good moves. The best chance for black was} (
23... Ne6 {but anyway - after} 24. Bf5) {White has large advantage} 24. g5 {
starting attack} hxg5 $2 {Losing immediately, but also after} (24... Ne4 25.
Bxe4 dxe4 26. d5 {Black will have pawn down in bad position.}) 25. fxg5 {
Black resigned, as they had to choose between giving up knight or allowing
decisive attack on f7} 1-0
Nice Game ... The Carlsbad QG is really troublesome for black. The minority attack with Rab1, b4, and b5 can really be aggravating. It seems to me black has to just sit back and defend patiently in such positions. I know black is supposed to counterattack on the kingside, but those attacks seldom bear fruit. Do you have a nice game where black wards off the minority attack and becomes very active? I have a book titled Middlegame Strategy With The Carlsbad Pawn Structure, but I never made time to read it. On another note, I remember Bobby Fischer playing 4. ... Nxd5 in one of his games with Black.
Thanks for posting the game. Handshake
nice game...I love seeing games with a clear plan, rather than a tacticle blow up. I know often those blow ups occur from the building of a plan, but often games get posted with one cheap shot tactic that works....
hopefully you can swing out and check out my annotated game I posted a little while ago