[Event "BUCA Championships 2025"] [Site "Leicester"] [Date "2025.02.22"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Goh, Cameron"] [Black "Sivakumar, Ashvin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E00"] [WhiteElo "2003"] [BlackElo "2256"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "56"] [EventDate "2025.02.22"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 {A move with a host of transpositional possibilities to openings such as the Tarrasch (if Black plays d5 and c5; or the fianchetto variation of the Modern Benoni-if Black plays c5 and White replies d5- or if not then many variations of the English can arise; or the Catalan (if Black plays d5). The move 3.g3 cuts out the Queens Indian Defence unless Black plays the slightly inferior version of d5 combined with a later b6. Finally in some lines of the Bogo-Indian, for example where Bb4+ is replied to by Bd2 and then Black plays a5, White can even consider Bg2 and e4.} Bb4+ 4. Nd2 {White hopes to obtain the two bishops by playing a3 soon but the move slightly restricts White's development. Much more popular is} (4. Bd2) 4... c5 {Amongst Black's many viable options although sometimes Black selects the flexible 0-0 here.} 5. a3 (5. dxc5 {is the main alternative with one representative high level game going} Bxc5 6. Bg2 O-O 7. Ngf3 d5 8. O-O Nc6 {Aronian-Gelfand, W-ch Blitz Moscow 2010.}) 5... Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 {At first sight this looks odd but in fact is the best recapture. After} (6. Bxd2 cxd4 {its White who struggles to equalise. For example,} 7. Nf3 (7. Bb4 Nc6 8. Nf3 Nxb4 (8... e5 $5) 9. axb4 b6 10. Qxd4 O-O {Leonardi-Markocic, Novo Gorica op 2015.}) 7... Nc6 8. b4 e5 9. b5 e4 {Manor-Biehler, EU-ch U21 Groningen 1986.}) 6... cxd4 (6... Nc6 {can also be considered and after} 7. Nf3 (7. d5 {allows} Nd4 {Xu-Goltseva, Speed Chess (Women) Q2 Chess.com INT blitz 2020.}) 7... Ne4 {is the game Ivanchuk-Wei, FIDE World Cup Baku 2023.}) 7. Nf3 {Possibly a better option than} (7. Qxd4 {allowing} Nc6 {although both moves are played by highly rated players.}) 7... b6 (7... d5 {is the other main choice and a favourite of Karjakin.}) 8. Bg2 Bb7 9. Qxd4 ({After} 9. O-O {Black has the slightly curious line available of} Bxf3 {an example being Shankland-So, chess24 Banter Blitz Cup final INT 2020 which ended abruptly after .} 10. Bxf3 Nc6 11. b4 Rc8 12. Bb2 Ne5 13. Qg5 Nxc4 14. Bxd4 O-O 15. e4 h6 16. Qh4 Nd2 17. Be2 Nfxe4 {0:1.}) 9... Nc6 10. Qh4 {The most aggressive of White's many possible queen moves. After the obvious} (10. Qd6 Qe7 11. Bf4 Ne4 {Black is fine as in Grba-Rakic, SRB-ch U18 Girls Vrnjacka Banja 2007.}) 10... Ne5 11. O-O {The most natural but somewhat better was the unusual line} (11. Nxe5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 {and Black has problems, for instance,} Be4 (12... Bb7 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Bxf6 gxf6 {Xu-Zhou, CHN-chT China 2016.}) 13. Bg5 Bf5 (13... d6 $2 {loses to} 14. Ng4) 14. e4 Bxe4 (14... d6 15. O-O-O $16) 15. Ng4 {Rakic-Urosevic, Serbia-ch (Women) Vrnjacka Banja 2006.}) 11... Nxf3+ 12. exf3 (12. Bxf3 Bxf3 13. exf3 d5 14. Rd1 Rc8 {is about level as in Fallowfeld-Murawaski, 4 NCL Easter op Daventy 2022 but this too ended quickly via} 15. b3 Qe7 16. a4 dxc4 17. Ba3 Qb7 18. Kg2 c3 19. Rac1 Nd5 20. Rxd5 {1:0.Black is soon mated and White doesn't even need to bother to win the queen after} exd5 21. Re1+ Kd7 22. Qe7+ Kc6 23. Qd6#) 12... h6 {Not forced as Black can allow the pin on f6 by} (12... d5 13. Bg5 dxc4 14. Qxc4 (14. Rac1 Bd5) 14... O-O {with a comfortable game.}) 13. b3 ({Alternatively} 13. Bg5 {when Black has} Rc8 {with the idea of Rc5.}) 13... O-O 14. Bb2 Bc6 (14... d5 {is again preferable with a reasonable game following} 15. Rad1 Ne8 ({but not} 15... Nd7 16. Qd4 Nf6 17. Qe5 {with some pressure.}) 16. Qd4 Qc7) 15. Rad1 Rc8 16. Rfe1 {White is well developed with rooks connected and pressure on the central files. In contrast Black has not an obvious safe square for the queen.} Ne8 (16... Qc7 {is no use due to} 17. Bxf6) ({whilst after} 16... Qe7 17. f4 Rfd8 18. f5 {and after the exchange of bishops, by either party, White may increase the pressure on f6 by Rd3 and Rf3.}) 17. Qd4 (17. Qxd8 {is also promising as} Rxd8 18. f4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Nc7 20. a4 (20. Be5 Ne8 21. Rd3) 20... d5 21. Ba3 {both provide White with an edge.}) 17... Qf6 18. Qd2 Qf5 19. Re5 Qg6 (19... Qh7 20. a4 Nc7 21. Ba3 ({or} 21. Re2 {are better for White.})) 20. h4 $6 {Seemingly strong in threatening h5 pushing the queen back further and also allowing the Bg2 to go to h3.. However, stronger was} (20. a4 {clamping down on the possibility of b5 as} d5 {loses to} 21. Ba3) 20... f6 {Pushing White back creates a small but acceptable weakness on e6. SImpler though was} (20... Nc7 21. h5 Qh7 22. a4 f6 23. Ree1 Qf5 24. g4 {with a level game.}) ({or just} 20... d5) 21. Re3 Nc7 22. Bh3 Rfd8 (22... b5 {is more accurate. The rook move further defends the backward pawn on d7 but does not assist in ensuring d5 can be played as e6 is loose. Another problem which is not immediately obvious is the d7 pawn/Rd8 set up is in effect pinned by the Qd2/Rd1.}) 23. Qe2 (23. Rd3 {is a good alternative attacking Black's weakest point whilst reinforcing the pin.}) 23... Re8 (23... b5 $5 {gives Black more play.}) 24. Kh2 {A safety first move although gaining more space are} (24. a4) ({and} 24. f4) 24... Re7 {Continuing with the plan of over-protecting d7 and e6 which is fine but note that Black has been pinned to the back 3 ranks for most of the game.} 25. Rd6 {Both players are becoming obsessed with the e6 pawn. Again} (25. a4 {and}) (25. f4 {ensure White keeps a bind on Black.}) 25... Ne8 {Ejecting the rook is fine and should ensure Black a good game.} 26. Rdxe6 $6 {An imaginative idea based on the Bh3 indirectly attacking the Rc8. This must have come as quite a shock and Black does not respond optimally.} (26. Rd4 {is the quieter way keeping a grip on the position.}) 26... dxe6 (26... Bxf3 {doesn't deflect from winning a clear pawn after} 27. Qxf3 dxe6 28. Bxe6+ Rxe6 29. Rxe6) 27. Rxe6 $6 {Leaving Black with a difficult situation but} (27. Bxe6+ {fails to} Rxe6 28. Rxe6 {and with Black fully co-ordinated White has insufficient for the piece.}) 27... Rec7 $6 ({The counter-intuitive} 27... Rb7 {wins for Black as White is unable to exploit the loose rook on c8. For instance.} 28. Rxf6 (28. Rxc6 $2 Rxc6) (28. Re7 $2 Rxe7) 28... Nxf6 29. Bxc8 Rb8 (29... Rc7 {also wins.}) 30. Qe6+ Kh7 31. Qxc6 Ng4+ $19) ({Of course} 27... Rxe6 {loses to} 28. Qxe6+) 28. Rxc6 Rd8 {The result has been checked on the BUCA web site so it appears Black lost on time. Nevertheless after} (28... Rd8 29. Re6 {White has two raking bishop and dominates the board which is winning after, for example,} Rcd7 (29... Nd6 30. f4) 30. Bc3 {An unusual and interesting game.}) 1-0