D02 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4 (1.d4 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.Nf3)

The game below was played on the first round of a tournament that was held at Salo between November 1st and November 2nd of 2008. The tournament was held in memory of FIDE Master Aarne Hermlin, who had died on November 17th, 2007, while playing a game for Salon Shakkikerho (Salo Chess Club in English) in a team match against EtVaS. The tournament had two groups of 30 players and I played in group B.

The first clear mistake in this game was played by my opponent on move 9, when he played Nc3 and allowed the move 9...Qxd4 to be played, which wins a pawn. The position below is after White's 9th move. Keijo should have played 9.Nxc6 instead of the move played in the game.

While this mistake certainly helped me, it was not the mistake that decided the outcome of the game. My position was not without its weaknesses and after the knights were traded on c6, it left a backward pawn for me on c6. That pawn gave my opponent some counterplay and he started to put some pressure to that pawn with the move 13.Rc1. With accuarate play that counterplay should not be enough for the lost pawn. Actually my opponent made things worse for himself by playing 17.Kf2 in the position below.

The moves 17.b4 and 17.g4 were better alternatives. The move 17.Kf2 is understandable, since it connects the rooks and allows the rook from h1 to be activated. However, it was not what the position required. 17.b4 would have, for example, prevented me from playing 17...c5, a move that frees my position a bit. After the double square advance of the b-pawn, my c-pawn would have been stuck at c6 for awhile, making it a weakness for me for a longer period of time. Everything went well for me until we reached the position after 20.h4. I played the move 20...d4 in the position below. It was a better idea to play either 20...dxe4 or 20...c4.

When I look at that position now, almost 8 years after this game was played, my move looks horrible, unfortunately it also was a really bad move and did not just look like one. It did not fully turn the tables, it just resetted the game to a balanced state. Luckily for me and unfortunately for my friend, Keijo blundered with 21.Rc4, which turned out to be the mistake that cost him the game. The only move that could have saved my opponent was 21.Bf1. I have added mate in one puzzles 514 & 515, mate in two puzzle 730 and mate in three puzzles 655 & 656 today.

[Event "Aarne Hermlinin muistoturnaus"] [Site "?"] [Date "2008.11.01"] [Round "1"] [White "Riekkinen, Keijo"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "1572"] [BlackElo "1710"] [Annotator "Stockfish 7 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "112"] [EventDate "2008.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 {Indian Game: Tartakower Attack} (2. g4 e5 {Indian Game: Gibbins-Wiedenhagen Gambit, Oshima Defense} (2... Nxg4 3. e4 (3. f3 Nf6 4. e4 { Indian Game: Gibbins-Wiedenhagen Gambit, Maltese Falcon}) 3... d6 4. Be2 Nf6 5. Nc3 {Indian Game: Gibbins-Wiedenhagen Gambit, Stummer Gambit})) 2... d5 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. Nf3 {D02 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3. Bf4} h6 5. c4 c6 (5... e6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nd7 8. Nc3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Be4 10. Qb3 Be7 11. Nd2 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Nb6 13. e4 O-O 14. Ba3 Bxa3 15. Qxa3 Qd6 16. Qb3 c5 17. Nf3 Qc6 18. Rfe1 Qa4 19. dxc5 Qxb3 20. axb3 {Shilyakin,G (2006) -Topchiy,V Taganrog 2013 1-0 (43)}) 6. cxd5 (6. Qb3 Qb6 7. c5 Qxb3 8. axb3 Bxb1 9. Rxb1 Nbd7 10. b4 g6 11. Ne5 a6 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd2 Bg7 14. Bc3 O-O 15. Kd2 f5 16. f3 e5 17. e3 Rae8 18. Rbe1 Re7 19. f4 exd4 20. exd4 Rfe8 {Gorman,D (2324)-Sturt,R (2294) Philadelphia 2011 1/2-1/2}) 6... cxd5 7. Qa4+ {N} (7. Qb3 Qb6 8. Qxb6 axb6 9. Nc3 e6 10. O-O Nc6 11. Bf4 Ne4 12. Nb5 Kd7 13. Ne5+ Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bc5 15. Be3 Ra5 16. Nd4 Rha8 17. Rad1 Rxa2 18. f3 Bxd4 19. Bxd4 Nc5 20. e4 Bg6 21. exd5 exd5 {Bronstein,D-Polugaevsky,L Riga 1958 1-0 (38)}) (7. Nc3 e6 8. Ne5 (8. O-O Nc6 9. a3 Be7 10. b4 a6 11. Bb2 b5 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. e3 O-O 14. Nd2 Qb6 15. Nb3 a5 16. bxa5 Nxa5 17. Nxa5 Qxa5 18. Qb3 b4 19. axb4 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 Bxb4 21. Na4 Ra8 22. Nc5 Ra2 {Nguyen,T-Pham Thi Ngoc,T Hanoi 2002 1/2-1/2 (32)}) 8... Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. h3 Qb6 11. Na4 Qb5 12. Nc3 Qb6 13. b3 Nc6 14. Be3 Rac8 15. Na4 Qb5 16. g4 Bh7 17. Nxc6 Rxc6 18. Nc5 b6 19. a4 Qb4 20. Nd3 Qd6 21. Bf4 Qd8 {Horvath,A (2299)-Csom,E (2134) Budapest 2002 1/2-1/2 (36)}) 7... Nc6 8. Ne5 {White threatens to win material: Ne5xc6} Qb6 {Black threatens to win material: Qb6xd4} 9. Nc3 {White threatens to win material: Nc3xd5} (9. Nxc6 Bd7 {=}) 9... Qxd4 {=/+} 10. Nxc6 Qxa4 11. Nxa4 bxc6 12. Bf4 e6 13. Rc1 Bb4+ 14. Kf1 (14. Bd2 Bxd2+ 15. Kxd2 Kd7 {+/-}) 14... Rc8 15. a3 Be7 16. f3 O-O 17. Kf2 (17. Be3 Nd7 18. Nc5 Nb6 {+/-}) 17... c5 18. Rhe1 Rfe8 (18... g5 19. Bd2 { +/-}) 19. e4 Bg6 20. h4 (20. Be3 d4 21. Bf4 {+/-}) 20... d4 {Black has a new protected passed pawn: d4} (20... dxe4 21. fxe4 e5 22. Be3 {-+}) 21. Rc4 {?} ( 21. Bf1 {!? = and White can hope to live}) 21... Nd7 22. Rec1 e5 (22... Bh7 23. Bf1 f5 24. exf5 Bxf5 25. Re1 {+/-}) 23. Bd2 (23. Bh3 {!?} f5 24. exf5 {+/-}) 23... Nb6 24. Nxb6 axb6 25. a4 (25. Ra4 f5 {+/-}) 25... Ra8 (25... f5 26. exf5 Bxf5 27. Re1 {-+}) 26. Ra1 (26. Bh3 Reb8 {-+}) 26... f6 (26... b5 {!? makes it even easier for Black} 27. Rcc1 bxa4 28. Rc4 {-+}) 27. Rcc1 Bf7 28. Bf1 Reb8 29. Bd3 Bb3 30. Bb5 Ra7 31. Bc6 Rc8 32. Bd5+ {?} (32. Bb5 {-+}) 32... Bxd5 33. exd5 Rd8 34. b3 (34. Ke2 Rxd5 35. Kd3 Rd8 {-+}) 34... Rxd5 (34... f5 {and Black can already relax} 35. h5 {-+}) 35. Rab1 (35. Ke2 f5 36. Kd3 Rd8 {-+}) 35... Kf7 (35... f5 {might be the shorter path} 36. h5 {-+}) 36. Ke2 Ke6 (36... Rd8 {seems even better} 37. g4 {-+}) 37. h5 (37. Kd3 Rd8 {-+}) 37... f5 38. Rc4 (38. Kd3 {does not save the day} Rd8 {-+}) 38... Rd8 39. Re1 (39. Rcc1 { doesn't get the cat off the tree} Bd6 {-+}) 39... Kd5 {Black plans e4} 40. Kd3 (40. Ra1 {is not the saving move} Bd6 {-+}) 40... Bd6 41. g4 (41. Ke2 {cannot change destiny} e4 {-+}) 41... fxg4 42. fxg4 Rf8 43. Ke2 (43. Rcc1 {cannot change what is in store for White} e4+ $1 {Decoy: e3} 44. Kc2 Rf2 {-+}) 43... e4 44. Rf1 (44. Kd1 Rf3 45. a5 Rxb3 46. Rc1 bxa5 47. Rf1 {-+}) 44... Rxf1 45. Kxf1 Rf7+ 46. Ke2 Rf3 {Black intends e3} (46... d3+ 47. Kd1 Rf1+ 48. Be1 Bf4 49. Rc2 Rxe1+ 50. Kxe1 dxc2 51. g5 c1=Q+ 52. Kf2 Qc2+ 53. Kf1 e3 54. Kg1 Qf2+ 55. Kh1 Qf1#) 47. a5 (47. Be3 {a fruitless try to alter the course of the game} Rxe3+ 48. Kf2 Rg3 49. Rc1 e3+ 50. Ke2 Ke4 51. Re1 d3+ 52. Kd1 Bf4 53. b4 d2 54. Ke2 dxe1=Q+ 55. Kxe1 Rg1+ 56. Ke2 Bg3 57. a5 Re1#) 47... bxa5 (47... d3+ 48. Kd1 Rf1+ 49. Be1 Bf4 50. Rc2 Rxe1+ 51. Kxe1 dxc2 52. g5 c1=Q+ 53. Kf2 Qb2+ 54. Ke1 e3 55. b4 Qd2+ 56. Kf1 Qf2#) 48. Bxa5 (48. Kd1 {is no salvation} d3 49. Kc1 Rf1+ 50. Kb2 Be5+ 51. Rc3 Rf2 52. Kc1 Bxc3 53. Bxc3 Rc2+ 54. Kb1 Rxc3 55. Kb2 Rc2+ 56. Ka3 Kc6 57. g5 d2 58. b4 d1=Q 59. b5+ Kxb5 60. g6 Qd3#) 48... Rxb3 ( 48... d3+ 49. Kd2 Rf2+ 50. Kc1 Rf1+ 51. Kb2 Be5+ 52. Bc3 d2 53. Bxe5 d1=Q 54. Ka3 Rf3 55. Bc3 Rxc3 56. Rd4+ Kxd4 57. Ka4 Qxb3+ 58. Ka5 Qb4+ 59. Ka6 Ra3#) 49. Rc1 Rb2+ 50. Kf1 e3 51. Bd8 d3 52. g5 (52. Ba5 {hardly improves anything} Ke4 53. Kg1 d2 54. Ra1 Rb4 55. g5 e2 56. Bxb4 d1=Q+ 57. Kf2 cxb4 58. Rxd1 exd1=Q 59. g6 Qc2+ 60. Ke1 Kf3 61. Kf1 Qb1#) 52... hxg5 (52... Bh2 53. Bb6 Rf2+ 54. Ke1 d2+ 55. Kd1 Rf1+ 56. Kc2 dxc1=Q+ 57. Kb3 Qb1+ 58. Ka3 Rf2 59. g6 Qb4#) 53. Bxg5 Ke4 54. h6 (54. Re1 {does not solve anything} Bf4 55. Bxf4 Kxf4 56. h6 d2 57. Ra1 Ra2 58. Rb1 Kf3 59. Kg1 e2 60. Rb3+ Kg4 61. h7 d1=Q+ 62. Kh2 Qxb3 63. h8=Q e1=Q#) 54... gxh6 55. Bxh6 (55. Bxe3 {is not much help} Kxe3 56. Kg1 Re2 57. Ra1 Kf3 58. Rb1 Kg3 59. Ra1 c4 60. Rb1 Bc5+ 61. Kf1 Rh2 62. Ke1 Be3 63. Ra1 Rh1#) 55... Kf3 (55... Bh2 56. Rc4+ Kf3 57. Bxe3 Kxe3 58. Rh4 Rf2+ 59. Ke1 Bg3 60. Re4+ Kxe4 61. Kd1 Rf1+ 62. Kd2 Be1+ 63. Kc1 Bc3#) 56. Bg7 (56. Bxe3 { doesn't get the bull off the ice} Kxe3 57. Kg1 Re2 58. Ra1 c4 59. Rb1 d2 60. Ra1 Re1+ 61. Kg2 Rxa1 62. Kh3 Rg1 63. Kh4 d1=Q 64. Kh3 Qh5#) 56... Rg2 (56... Rg2 57. Bh6 e2+ 58. Ke1 Bg3+ 59. Kd2 e1=Q+ 60. Kxd3 Qe4+ 61. Kc3 Be5+ 62. Kb3 Qb4#) (56... d2 57. Bxb2 e2+ 58. Kg1 dxc1=Q+ 59. Bxc1 e1=Q#) 0-1