Here's a game I managed to draw against a NM. It was a real rollercoaster where I think he misplayed the opening, I blundered some space and a tempo soon after, spent some time on the backfoot, and ended up with a position where I had a queen for three pieces.

I think I just got outplayed in the middlegame, but had a passed pawn that just about allowed me to hold my position together, and it was eventually drawn in the face of a three-fold repetition.

Good game. I have to wonder about 3. a3? I mean, why block a potential Bishop check that is most likely not going to happen (especially since the check can be easily blocked). While I am not a master, I teach chess classes in the school system and privately, so I'm analyzing games (especially openings) on a daily basis. His development seems a bit all over the place without a specific target in mind (the center?).

I don't know about White rolling his King-side pawns so early, especially when it blocks in a Bishop with great possibilities. I actually like your position going into move 16. At first glance I didn't notice the potential but after reexamination I saw a few sweet spots for Black!

It would seem that your game got stronger and White was having to keep up. I was definitely more impressed with your play than your opponent! Thanks for the posting. I'm really going to go through this game when I have time this weekend!

Thanks Hugh. I presume a3 was a preemptive move of some sort to avoid going into a Nimzo Indian, but it just encouraged me to go for a Benoni set up with an extra tempo (which I didn't use particularly well).

I'm not sure his development was all over the place - perhaps the kingside pawn structure was a little dubious but he found ideal squares for his knights on c3 and c4, and the bishop on f4. Two of those pressured my weak d6 pawn, and it was around this weakness that most of the middlegame play was centred.

You'll notice that at move 27, for example, white had three pieces gunning at the d6 pawn, with only one black piece defending it directly. It was only tactical threats that saved it from execution (e.g. Nc4 threats, forking queen and d6, or the discovered check from the queen on a7).

I found it difficult to generate counterplay and find space for some time. Perhaps 20...h5 was a wasted opportunity in that respect. 29...Rdc8 was a good move, though, and it allowed me to break free from the shackles of defending d6. Maybe if I'd handled the queen and rook better I could have found a win after that, I don't know.

I don't know why I'm so hung up on a3 but it seemed so unnecessary, especially if it was to avoid a Nimzo Indian position. However, it is easy for me to sit here, after the fact, and review the game. It's another thing to be sitting in your opponent's seat playing a game with you. I say that because I don't like to be critical of other people's games. I've learned a lot (but certainly not everything) about game analysis from teaching chess in a classroom setting. You have to be careful when you examine a move because you cannot read the mind of the person who made the possibly questionable move so you don't have an absolutely accurate motive behind the method. Therefore, you do some computer analysis and find yourself further befuddled (at least I do with some positions)!

Yeah, I must retract my statement about his development being "all over the place" because on further examination I came to similar conclusions as you. I guess I felt that there were some weak pieces but you're right about the Knights and Bishop.When reexamining the overall development, I did notice an underlying method to what I first thought was a bit of madness.

The other thing I didn't take into consideration was the psychological effect that the NM title played in my thought process. I assumed that I would see a more tightly played opening. Why? Because the opponent was a NM. No such bright thinking on my part! Case in point, Josh Waitzkin. Josh is a brilliant player but in some of the games I've seen analysis and commentary on (by Josh), he describes his love for chaotic positions. Prior to him saying that, I had wondered about a few of his positions which, like your opponent in the above game, seemed "all over the place." After hearing Josh's analysis, the positions made sense. I'm sarting to think I know less and less about simple analysis with each passing sentence, LOL!

The position of his pieces going into move 27, specifically the piling up on the d6 pawn seemed a bit of an overkill. I try to avoid too much of a build up on a pawn unless absolutely necessary. Then again, I think I see his reasoning. However, I really want to run this game through a thorough analysis with my computer because some interesting positions arose (you have already mentioned them so I don't want to repeat myself).

I'd love to use this game in one of my classroom lectures. I teach an intermediate class to kids who are really good chess players. I'd like to see what they think, if its alright with you. I've been using a lot of games from friends here at chess.com for the lectures because my students really appreciate games played by good players who are not titled players. I think you played some wonderful moves and had some really interesting positions. Let me know if this is alright with you! Thanks again for posting your game.

Lastly excuse any typos or grammetical errors. I have had an exhausting day that was a bit on the stressful side. Thus I'm too tired to check my writing!

What is strange is the use of a3 with d5. He could have replied to your ...c5 thrust with e3 or dxc5 (in both cases aiming at playing b2-b4 later, justifying a3).

And yes, it's probably an anti-Nimzo move.

Well, there you have it: a3 again! Can you ask your opponent why he played a3? I'm now intrigued about that move. I get the anti-Nimzo Indian angle but there had to be more to it than that (Gabriel is probably sick and tired about my fixation on this move, especially since Gabriel played such a great game). Let me know about using your game for one of my classes.

I'll see if he doesn't mind shedding some light on a3. I think it's simply to avoid going into a Nimzo Indian, but it's hardly been played in OTB master games, presumably because in the line the game went into it seems to lose a tempo.

By move seven we were out of book, which I guess is also something white was happy about, since it avoids me keeping pace with him just by playing book moves, and gives him room to try to outplay me.

And please feel free to use this game in your class! Hope they enjoy it, and maybe one of the budding talents can offer some interesting insights into the game.

Dunno, looks like white was winning almost the entire game to me... you make some pretty random moves like Nh5 and h5 and a5.

Bg4 is odd too.  As black you're already a bit behind (in a benoni I feel like even a little bit more so) so it's wrong to think that because you gain one tempo you can start looking for punishment... just play it like a normal benoni and your tempo will likely mean you get = faster than normal.

After the queen for rook and piece I thought white was still winning but can't find a way :p and anyway I thought you played fine after that.

30 ... Rc4 was a great find, and probably a shock for your opponent. You seemed to be on the back foot throughout, but that's the price for black against strong players. Well done.

>:)

87654321: thanks!

waffllemaster: I agree I was on the back foot for pretty much the entire middlegame, but the position just about held together.

Bg4 was odd only because of Nd2 (which I didn't really give due consideration) - otherwise I was just going to swap the bishop off, which doesn't normally get much play in Benoni structures, and could then develop with Nd7. Nd7 was probably a better choice in any case.

Nh5 is definitely a strange looking move, and probably is bad, but there's not really much else for black to do. White also gave himself a bad bishop on g2 in kicking the pieces backwards.

h5 probably wasn't that great a move either, but I don't see what's wrong with a5 - it pushes the passed pawn with tempo. Though the pawn's unlikely ever to reach the first rank, the closer it gets the more white's forces are distracted and forced to watch over it. I had to do something, since my position simply couldn't sustain the pressure building on it for much longer.