[Event "Maine open"] [Site "Waterville"] [Date "2022.??.??"] [Round "1"] [White "max"] [Black "Gabriel eaton"] [Result "*"] [ECO "D02"] [Annotator "Hendrix,Wyatt"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,66,19,31,14,30,27,1,22,27,25,46,34,16,16,10,-9,34,32,42,42,24,39,11, 24,19,8,26,30,40,39,36,85,85,91,54,59,60,80,63,97,63,97,108,121,63,150,151,107, 0,-73,-536,-535,-548,-566,-564,-576,-602,-572,-885,-806,-29989,-29990,-29993, -29990,-29991,-29992,-29993,-29994]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c3 c5 4. dxc5 Nc6 $2 {I believe black wanted to prepare an...e5 push with complete central control. However, I think this move is not correct, now the knight has to be wary of various b5 pushes. This causes a variety of problems, most importantly the undermining ...b6 won't really be playable. ...a5 and ...e5 will also be somewhat hard to achieve.} (4... e6 {Is how most of the games have continued and is more accurate} 5. b4 a5 {and without the knight on c6 being hit by a b5 push this works out much better} 6. e3 axb4 (6... b6 {is also very reasonable, and perhaps more practical if you didn't know this in advance} 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bxd7+ Nfxd7 (8... Nbxd7 $4 9. c6 Nb8 10. b5 $18) 9. O-O bxc5 {and Gelfand went on to beat his long-time coach in the game 0-1 (64) Huzman,A (2562)-Gelfand,B (2676) lichess.org INT 2020}) 7. cxb4 b6 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10. a4 bxc5 11. b5 {With an extremely interesting position}) (4... a5 {is also fine, and it seems like a Slav with reverse colors. There are some key differences however due to white having the move here.} 5. c4 (5. b4 {is not playable in the "normal" Slav as the knight would be on c3, but here it is fine.} e6 6. e3 axb4 7. cxb4 b6 {actually transposes to 4...e6 above}) 5... e6 {and black will win back the pawn on c5 with a close to level position}) 5. b4 $16 a6 (5... b6 $2 6. b5 Nb8 (6... Na5 7. c6 a6 8. a4 $18) 7. c6 a6 8. Bf4 $1 $18) (5... e5 { could actually be played as 6.b5 does not win the e-pawn due to the hanging pawn on c5 at the end. However, it does not solve black's problems.} 6. e3 (6. b5 $2 Na5 7. Nxe5 Bxc5 $15) 6... Be7 7. a4 O-O 8. Be2 $16 {White has a large advantage as black is struggling to get enough compensation for the pawn.}) ( 5... g6) 6. Bf4 g6 7. Ne5 $6 {At first this would seem wrong, as if anything the knight on c6 was causing black problems. White also spends 2 full tempi to exchange off these knights and black has time to finish up development. However, white does shut down b6 ideas forever, which will be worth the time. white should have played Nd4 instead where ... Nh5 can be met by Bg5.} (7. Nd4 $1 Bg7 (7... Nh5 8. Bg5 Bg7 9. e3 $1 O-O 10. Nd2 f6 11. Bh4 $16) 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Be5 {with a transposition to the game, where 7....Nh5 has been avoided.}) 7... Bg7 $2 (7... Nh5 $1 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bc1 $1 (9. Bg3 $2 Nxg3 10. hxg3 Bg7 $17 {There's nothing real happening down the h-file.}) (9. Be5 $6 f6 $15) 9... Bg7 {Black is ahead a little in development and will be able to play ...e5 with enough compensation for the pawn.}) 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Be5 $14 O-O 10. Nd2 Bh6 11. Bxf6 exf6 12. Nb3 f5 (12... a5 $1 13. bxa5 $6 (13. e3) 13... Rxa5 14. Nxa5 $2 Qxa5 {and white is having trouble defending the c-pawn effectively, or example} 15. Qc2 Bf5 16. Qb2 $6 d4 $19) 13. g3 Re8 14. Bg2 Qe7 15. Nd4 Qe5 16. O-O Bd7 17. a4 f4 18. a5 fxg3 19. hxg3 Qh5 20. Bf3 Qh3 21. Bg2 Qh5 22. Bf3 Qh3 23. Qd3 Re3 $5 24. fxe3 $4 (24. Bg2 Rxd3 (24... Qh5 $2 25. fxe3 $18 {and now there's no more tricks}) 25. Bxh3 {Would win as due to the hanging bishop on d7, black is forced to acquiese to even more exchanges.} Bxh3 26. exd3 Bxf1 27. Kxf1 $18 {With a technically winning position (27...Bd2 is met by 28.Ne2 followed by Rd1).}) 24... Qxg3+ 25. Bg2 Bxe3+ 26. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 27. Kh1 Qxc3 28. Nf3 Re8 29. Ng5 Rxe2 30. Rad1 Qg3 31. Rg1 Qxg5 32. Bh3 Qh4 33. Rd3 Bxh3 *