[Event "BUCA Championships 2025"] [Site "Leicester"] [Date "2025.02.22"] [Round "1.24"] [White "Jasko, Edgar"] [Black "Goh, Cameron"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A22"] [WhiteElo "1775"] [BlackElo "2003"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "2025.02.22"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] {[%evp 0,84,19,-18,-9,-12,-22,-35,8,-3,68,88,103,55,102,118,118,119,127,108,113,115,120,132,173,170,176,168,188,184,206,171,199,111,122,115,132,122,142,112,141,115,144,171,296,317,324,167,379,143,142,147,147,134,139,122,122,131,131,127,124,133,129,132,122,129,142,89,66,14,15,-132,-144,-149,-149,-260,-261,-271,-275,-290,-291,-309,-303,-1227,-1288,-1340,-1359]} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 (2. g3 {is the move order recommended in Kosten's outstanding, if slim, book "Play the Dynamic English".}) 2... e5 {The reversed Sicilian.} 3. Nf3 {Simple development provoking a response from Black regarding the e5 pawn.} ({In a much more recent book (and Chessable Course)} 3. g3 {is again preferred by Williams and Pallister in "The Iron English"-a review of which is in section 6 of this web site.}) 3... e4 {Certainly playable although more solid options are} (3... d6 {which may lead to a KID after} 4. d4 Nbd7 5. e4 g6 ({or an Old Indian after} 5... Be7)) (3... Nc6 {the four knights variation around which there is much theory}) (3... d5 {yields a reversed Dragon giving White an extra move in a sharp Black opening.}) 4. Ng5 (4. Nd4 {leads nowhere, despite being played often by Rakhmanov, and Black has an easy game by} Nc6 5. Nxc6 ({as well as after} 5. Nc2 Bc5 {Kramnik-Aronian, Titled Tuesday intern op 30 Jan Chess.com INT blitz 2024.}) 5... dxc6 {as in the game versus Moiseenko, W-ch Rapid Khanty Mansiysk 2013.}) 4... d5 {a move that is relativly rare but ensures the position is opened and Black's development is easier. Instead} (4... b5 {A wild-west move which leads to a very unusual game. It used to be considered dubious but has become the most common move in this position. Now White may try and hold the pawn, allowing Black d5, by} 5. cxb5 {Gordievsky-Fedoseev, Aeroflot op Moscow 2019.} ({or play in a more restrained manner with} 5. d3 {Zagorski-Garcia IIundain, Olympiad-32 Yerevan 1996.})) (4... c6 {looks the steadiest move and is played by many of the World elite players. But Black can still stir up complications at the cost of a pawn with} 5. Ngxe4 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Ng3 h5 {Robson-Aronian, AI Cup Play in Chess.com INT rapid 2023.}) (4... Qe7 {is Black's other option, fully playable despite blocking the Bf8 as can also occur in the Old Indian, when complicated play results from} 5. Qc2 d5 {Dimitrov-Aulia, Golden Sands Europe op 2014.} ({as well as by} 5... Nc6 {De Jager-Kiek, Haarlem Masters 2017.})) 5. cxd5 (5. d4 {is not a problem for Black who has a comfortabl game after} Bb4 6. Bd2 Nc6 {Anderson-Batemen, CServe e-mail 1996.}) 5... Bf5 {Logical in developing a piece to protect the advanced pawn but indequate due to White reply. Somewhat better was} (5... Nxd5 6. Ngxe4 c6 {Mouryc-Zak, CZE-chT 2D 2018 althugh White retains an extra pawn countered by Black's easier development.}) ({Gambit play with} 5... Bc5 6. Ngxe4 Bb6 7. Nxf6+ {Flores Becerra-Ruiz, La Pampa-ch Santa Rosa 2019.}) ({or} 5... c6 6. dxc6 Nxc6 7. Ncxe4 {Gros-Bauchaire, Montigny le Bretonneux op 2021 provide Black with little for the pawn.}) 6. Qb3 {The best option for White in this position hitting Black's weak b7 pawn and indirectly f7.} h6 (6... c6 {is refuted by} 7. Qxb7 $18 {Paccione-Robertson, IECC O e-mail 2002.}) ({If} 6... Bd6 {White can win a clear pawn with} 7. Ngxe4 ({rather than} 7. g3 {with a small edge in Ponsa Asensio-Gonzales Lopez, Barcelona Sant Marti op-B 2023).})) 7. Ngxe4 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 Nd7 {White is close to winning with two extra pawns and Black having just a small lead in development. Little better though was} (8... Bxe4 9. Qa4+ Nd7 10. Qxe4+ Be7 11. Qc2 O-O 12. e4 {Staiger-Chabot, NATO-ch Oslo 1990.}) 9. Qe3 Bxe4 (9... Be7 {attempting to rapidly castle can be met with} 10. d6 Bxe4 (10... cxd6 11. Nxd6+) 11. dxe7 Qxe7 12. f3 {and wins.}) 10. Qxe4+ Be7 11. g3 Nf6 {yielding an ending in which Black has just some play in the exposed d5 and e2 pawns.} (11... O-O {is no help as White easily holds the extra material via} 12. Bg2 Nf6 13. Qc4) 12. Qa4+ Qd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. Bg2 Rhe8 15. d3 Bc5 16. e4 {White returns one pawn to be able to castle. However, this idea leaves a weak d3 pawn hence Black is able to generate some threats,} (16. Bd2 {is much stronger as Black cannot gets at the d5 pawn due to the exposed king.} Bb6 (16... Rad8 17. Rc1 Bb6 18. Bh3+) 17. e3 Rad8 18. Bc3 Kc8 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Kd2 $18) 16... Nxd5 17. O-O Nb4 {Immediately hitting the backward d3 pawn.} 18. Rd1 Bd4 {Not only blockading the pawn but attacking b2.} 19. a3 Na6 20. Rb1 c5 21. Be3 (21. b4 Rad8 {gives some hope due to Black's more active pieces.}) 21... Rac8 22. Bxd4 cxd4 23. Rbc1 {Otherwise Rc2.} Kd6 24. Rxc8 $6 (24. e5+ {is far stronger winning the exchange and game after} Kd7 (24... Kxe5 25. Bxb7) (24... Ke6 25. Bh3+ f5 26. exf6+) 25. Bh3+) 24... Rxc8 25. e5+ Kc7 26. Rc1+ Kb8 27. Rxc8+ Kxc8 {Unexpectedly Black has some play due to a possible Nc5.} 28. f4 ({If} 28. b4 {then} Nc7 {could then head for b5 for if} 29. a4 Na6 $11) ({Centralisation of the bishop with} 28. Bd5 {should win following} Nc5 29. Bc4 ({but not} 29. Bxf7 Nxd3)) 28... Nc5 29. Be4 Na4 {Continuing to pose White problems.} 30. b4 Nc3 31. Kf2 b5 {Appearing to clamp down on the queen's-side and potentially threatening Nb1.} 32. Bc6 {White is still a safe pawn up after this, which is not a serious blunder, but continuing to centralise the king wins if Black goes for the a3 pawn,} (32. Kf3 Nb1 33. Bf5+ Kc7 34. Ke4 Nxa3 35. Kxd4) 32... Kc7 33. Be4 {too passive and Black is surprisingly back in the game due to the latent threat of Nb1.} (33. Be8 f6 34. Kf3 Nb1 35. Ke4 {would win as above.}) 33... Nb1 34. f5 Nxa3 35. e6 {generates a passed pawn but loses. White had to steady the ship with} (35. Bd5 f6 36. exf6 gxf6 37. Bb3 Nb1 $11) 35... fxe6 36. fxe6 Kd6 37. Bf5 Nc2 {now winning easily.} 38. Kf3 Nxb4 {The agile knight triumphs over the passive bishop} 39. Ke2 a5 40. h4 a4 41. g4 a3 42. g5 a2 0-1