[Event "e2e4.org.uk Hinckley Open"] [Site "Hinckley Island Hotel, Leices"] [Date "2012.08.25"] [Round "2"] [White "Abbott, Mark V"] [Black "Pleasants, Allan J"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A41"] [WhiteElo "1968"] [BlackElo "2070"] [Annotator "Alan Dommett"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] {Tartakower System [A41]} 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 {At first sight this looks to be a very strange move, but on my database of GM games there are over 1015 of them whacking up the early e-pawn and only 25% are wins for White!} 3. dxe5 dxe5 4. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {Most players of the white pieces, when confronted with this position, will simply not know the best squares to put the minor pieces on, but it is exactly the opposite situation for Black, who will ALWAYS play the following... f6, c6, Be6, Nbd7, Kc7... only varying the move order to suit the variation chosen by his opponent. This is precisely the plan adopted by Allan here and the next passage of play is as instructive as it gets in showing how difficult it is for White to gain the usual advantage associated with making the first move.} 5. g3 Be6 6. b3 c6 7. Nf3 f6 8. Bg2 Nd7 9. O-O Kc7 10. Bb2 Nh6 ({Taking immediate toll of the bishop vacating the c1/h6 diagonal. Black could also plough on with} 10... g5 11. Rd1 h5 {and, if White decides against halting the onrush by advancing his own h-pawn, after} 12. Nc3 h4 13. Rac1 Rd8 {Black has a comfortable game, being able to dictate when the h-file is opened. }) 11. Nc3 Rd8 12. Rad1 Nf7 13. Ne4 Be7 14. a3 {Reduced to this ultra-slow queenside expansion, White can only await the anticipated heavy artillery attack on the other wing.} g5 15. Nfd2 Rhg8 16. b4 Nb6 $5 {A distraction from the task in hand, but one that exposes his opponent's white-square weaknesses.} 17. c5 Nc4 18. Bc1 f5 19. Nc3 Bf6 ({Steady positional improvement, although} 19... h5 20. Nxc4 Bxc4 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Re1 b6 {was also a possibility had the bishop stayed put and then} 23. cxb6+ axb6 {leaves White little by way of decent moves. As it turns out, as a result of re-routing the bishop, he overplays his hand anyway...}) 20. b5 $2 e4 21. Nxc4 Bxc4 {Suddenly White is overloaded with threats to both pawns and knight.} 22. b6+ axb6 23. cxb6+ Kc8 ( {Preferring to safe haven the king rather than pawn grab, but} 23... Kxb6 24. Be3+ Kc7 {would have kept defences intact and any open file attacks at bay.}) 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Na4 Bxe2 26. Re1 Bb5 {Pawn advantage secured regardless, a hit on the knight now leaves an unenviable choice of escape squares. Sadly for White, he selects the one that loses the exchange and Black cruises to victory. } 27. Nc5 $2 Bc3 28. Rf1 Bxf1 29. Bxf1 Rd1 30. Be3 Bd4 31. Bxd4 Rxd4 32. a4 Ne5 33. Ne6 Nf3+ 0-1