D46 Semi-Slav: 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3, Black avoids the Meran (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Bd6 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 O-O 8.O-O Nbd7 9.e4 e5 10.d5)

The game below was played in the first round of the third WORLD OPEN RAPID tournament that I have played at the FIDE Online Arena. I played quite well in this game for some time and then I started to mess things up a bit. I won only due to the fact my opponent lost on time. That being said I think that the engine was a bit too optimistic in its evaluation of the position where the game ended. It does not even show a convincing path to victory for White before it thinks that White is completely winning. In my arrogant opinion Black's d-pawn is quite strong and offers nice counterplay. I may look Black's position too optimistically as I was playing with the black pieces in this game but unless there is something other in the position than winning a pawn for White, then I can't really say that White is winning. Maybe further study of the end position is required to give a better evaluation but this will do for now.

If you have been visiting this blog before, you have undoubtedly seen some chances in it. I have today tried different layouts and other things in order to make this more friendly to mobile devices but it might be far from perfect still. I do like the old layout in some ways better but this layout has its own good aspects as well. There might be some changes in the near future as well but the content will always be accessible in one way or another. I have added two mate in ones, one mate in two, one mate in three and one mate in six today. Until tomorrow, my fellow chess enthusiasts!

[Event "Tournament 27969182"] [Site "online arena"] [Date "2015.03.16"] [Round "1"] [White "chamo47"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D46"] [WhiteElo "1685"] [BlackElo "1839"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] 1. d4 (1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 {1/2-1/2 (58) Keller,H-Stoeckl,E Vienna 1947}) 1... Nf6 (1... d5 2. c4 c6 (2... e6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 {0-1 (49) Akkok,D (1866)-Sari,E (1462) Manavgat 2015}) 3. Nf3 {0-1 (39) Mensch,E (2225)-Boudre,J (2380) France 1998} (3. Nc3 Nf6 {1/2-1/2 (19) Schlitzer,F (1837)-Salecker,P (1673) Wiesbaden 2017})) 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 (4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 Nbd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. Nc3 {1/2-1/2 (58) Keller,H-Stoeckl,E Vienna 1947}) 4... e6 5. e3 {D45 Semi-Slav Defense: Main Lines} Bd6 (5... Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. e4 dxc4 {0-1 (39) Mensch,E (2225)-Boudre,J (2380) France 1998}) 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 O-O 8. O-O Nbd7 9. e4 e5 10. d5 $2 {-0.93/22 [#] D46 Semi-Slav: 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3, Black avoids the Meran} (10. Be3 $14 {0.64/21 keeps the upper hand.}) 10... cxd5 {0.29/22} (10... Nb6 $1 $17 {-0.93/22} 11. Bb3 cxd5 12. Nxd5 Nbxd5 13. Bxd5 Nxd5 14. Qxd5 Qc7 15. Rd1 Be6 16. Qd3 Rfd8 17. Be3 f6 18. h3 Qa5 19. Bd2 Qb6 20. Be3 Qxb2 21. Rdb1 Qa3 22. Qxa3 Bxa3 23. Rxb7 a5 24. Rab1 Rdc8 25. R7b6 Bxa2 26. Ra1 Rc2 {Mensch,E (2225)-Boudre,J (2380) France 1998 0-1 (39)}) 11. Bxd5 (11. exd5 Nb6 12. Bb3 Bg4 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. Ne4 Qe7 16. h3 Bh5 17. Ng3 Bg6 18. Re1 Nd7 19. Nd4 {1/2-1/2 (19) Schlitzer,F (1837)-Salecker,P (1673) Wiesbaden 2017}) 11... Nxd5 12. Nxd5 Nc5 $146 {0.73/20} (12... h6 $11 { -0.11/23}) (12... Nb6 13. Bg5 f6 14. Nxb6 Qxb6 15. Be3 Qd8 16. Qd5+ Kh8 17. Rfd1 Be7 18. Qb3 Qe8 19. Rac1 b6 20. Rc7 Bd8 21. Rc3 Bb7 22. Nd2 Rf7 23. f3 Rc7 24. Rxc7 Bxc7 25. Nf1 Rd8 26. Rxd8 Qxd8 27. Ng3 {Keller,H-Stoeckl,E Vienna 1947 1/2-1/2 (58)}) (12... Nf6 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Qb3 Rb8 16. Rfd1 Be6 17. Qb4 Re8 18. Rd3 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Qc7 20. Rad1 Rbd8 21. Qa4 a6 22. g4 Qc8 23. h3 g5 24. Kg2 h5 25. Nh2 Kg7 26. gxh5 Rh8 27. h6+ {Akkok,D (1866)-Sari,E (1462) Manavgat 2015 0-1 (49)}) 13. Re1 {-0.21/20} (13. Qe2 $1 $16 {0.73/20}) 13... Bg4 14. h3 Bh5 15. b4 {-0.23/20} (15. Nc3 {0.23/21 should be considered.} ) 15... Ne6 $11 16. Bb2 $2 {-2.01/19 [#]} (16. g4 $11 {0.01/22} Bg6 17. Bb2) 16... f6 $2 {0.00/22} (16... Ng5 $1 $19 {-2.01/19 ...Nxf3+ is the strong threat.} 17. Qb3 Nxf3+ 18. gxf3 Kh8) 17. Qb3 Bf7 18. Qe3 {-0.91/20} (18. Qc2 $11 {0.00/22}) 18... Nc7 {-0.42/22} (18... a5 $1 $17 {-0.91/20}) 19. Nxc7 $15 Qxc7 20. Rac1 {-0.70/21} (20. a3 $11 {-0.29/22}) 20... Qe7 21. a3 a6 {0.00/25} (21... a5 $17 {-0.99/20} 22. Nh4 g6) 22. Red1 {-0.87/19} (22. Nh4 $11 {0.00/25} ) 22... Rac8 {0.10/24} (22... a5 $17 {-0.87/19} 23. b5 a4) 23. Qd3 {-0.42/21} ( 23. Nh4 $11 {0.10/24} g6 24. Nf3) 23... Rcd8 24. Qe3 {-0.57/21} (24. Nh4 $11 { -0.09/24} g6 25. Qg3) 24... Bc7 25. Qe2 {-0.82/21} (25. Rd2 $11 {-0.30/25 keeps the balance.}) 25... Bb3 {-0.36/27} (25... b5 $17 {-0.82/21}) 26. Rxd8 Rxd8 27. Qe3 {-0.89/20} (27. Nd2 $11 {-0.29/25} Be6 28. Nc4) 27... Rd1+ { -0.02/27} (27... Be6 $17 {-0.89/20}) 28. Rxd1 (28. Ne1 $5 Ba4 29. Rxd1 Bxd1 30. Nd3 $11) 28... Bxd1 29. Qd3 Qd6 30. Qc3 Ba4 31. Nd2 Bc6 {-0.36/26} (31... Qc6 $17 {-0.84/22}) 32. f3 Bb6+ {-0.17/22} (32... Bb5 $15 {-0.59/21}) 33. Kh2 $11 Bd4 {0.09/24} (33... Qe6 $15 {-0.37/22}) 34. Qc4+ Kf8 {0.43/20} (34... Kh8 $11 {0.00/26} 35. Bxd4 exd4+ 36. Kg1 d3) 35. Bxd4 $14 exd4+ 36. Kg1 g6 {1.07/24} ( 36... d3 $14 {0.42/26}) 37. Qd3 {0.00/27} (37. Kf2 $16 {1.07/24}) 37... Bb5 $36 {Black is pushing.} 38. Qb3 $2 {-1.66/23} (38. Qc2 $1 $11 {0.00/27 and White stays safe.}) 38... d3 $2 {0.00/28} ({Black should try} 38... Qc6 $1 $19 { -1.66/23 Threatens to win with ...Qc1+.} 39. Qb2 Qc3 40. Qxc3 dxc3) 39. Qc3 Qb6+ {0.70/23} ({Better is} 39... Kf7 $11 {0.00/28}) 40. Kh1 {0.00/22} (40. Qc5+ $14 {0.70/23} Qxc5+ 41. bxc5) 40... Ke7 41. Kh2 Kd6 $2 {4.60/19} (41... Qe3 $11 {0.00/26}) 42. Nb3 $2 {0.16/25} ({White has to play} 42. a4 $18 { 4.60/19}) 42... Qe3 $2 {2.39/23} (42... Ke6 $11 {0.16/25}) 43. Qd2 $4 {-2.17/22 } (43. Qxf6+ $18 {2.39/23 is the narrow road to win.} Kc7 44. Nc5) 43... Qe2 $4 {3.06/21 Accuracy: White = 24%, Black = 13%. . Loss on time!?} (43... Qxd2 $19 {-2.17/22 and all is fine.} 44. Nxd2 Ke5) 0-1