[Event "AIWCF Analysis "] [White "Saxena Alok"] [Black "Srinath Tanmay"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Srinath, Tanmay"] [Result "*"] [Date "2023.??.??"] [PlyCount "72"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Nf3 Bd7 6. Be2 Bb5 $1 {It's important to insert this move immediately. Positionally speaking, this is what Black desperately craves for, but the resulting positions show that despite this exchange in our favour, we still need to be a bit precise. Luckily, that precision is not that hard to execute.} 7. dxc5 $1 {I never paid much attention to this move, but two of my CC opponents played this against me in a AIWCF thematic tournament. In a practical game, this might be a serious test, as Black needs to remember quite a few details. The plus point for us though is that White also needs to be seriously prepared.} Bxc5 {The only move that comes close to working.} 8. b4 $1 {This is the most critical idea.} Bxf2+ $1 { Like it or not, Black has to enter the madness.} 9. Kf1 $1 Bc6 $1 {It's important to preserve this bishop for now.} 10. a4 a6 $1 {Forced.} 11. Na3 { White can either start with this or with a5. It makes no difference.} Be3 12. a5 Qa7 13. b5 $1 {White also has to be precise. This is the only move that keeps his position above 0.00 :)} axb5 14. Nxb5 Bxb5 15. Bxb5+ Nc6 16. Bxe3 $1 Qxe3 17. a6 $1 {The best move. If I remember correctly, Adhiban stops here with a claim of an opening edge for White. I agree that it's not fully equal, but Black can neutralise this temporary initiative with a few precise moves.} Qa7 $1 {A nice retreat.} 18. Nd4 Nge7 19. Rb1 bxa6 $1 {This is the main point. We sacrifice a piece for 2 or 3 pawns.} 20. Nxc6 $1 $146 {A novelty at the time of writing this survey, but it has been tried in both my AIWCF thematic games by Alok Saxena and Om Prakash. This is definitely critical.} Qc7 21. Qa4 O-O 22. Nxe7+ Qxe7 23. Bd3 {The most critical position for the assessment of this line as a whole.} Rfc8 $1 {The point. By quickly mobilising his army Black can start some active counterplay. We will soon win the c3 pawn and that will give us 3 pawns for the piece. Even if White wins the a6 pawn the nature of the pawn structure guarantees us good drawing chances.} 24. Qd4 {The critical idea.} Qa3 $1 {Luckily for me I have the time to analyse the position very deeply. This was the move I played in both my games, and it works quite well!} 25. h4 Rxc3 26. Rh3 Rc1+ 27. Kf2 $1 {This is perhaps White's best chance.} Qa2+ 28. Rb2 Qa1 29. h5 $1 {Somehow, Alok Saxena kept finding these nettlesome ideas!} a5 $1 {The last precise move. Now our pawn will start rolling.} 30. h6 Rd1 31. Qc3 Rh1 $1 32. Rxh1 Qxh1 33. Qc6 Qh4+ 34. Kg1 Rd8 35. Qb6 a4 36. Rf2 g6 $44 {Alok Saxena - Tanmay Srinath, AIWCF 2023. The game soon ended in a draw. It's clear that Black has enough compensation for the missing piece.} *