The Siege of Leningrad: A Positional Upset

Game 1: Siege, Standoff, and Strike

In the first game of the Leningrad Dutch (A84) series, we will see a positional struggle between Chess.com members fcpanginen and albatros1 turn into an all-out 7th rank invasion.

The game follows a non-mainline variation of the Leningrad where Black plays an early preventitive c7-c6, while White locks his QB outside of the pawn chain early and plays e2-e3. These slower pawn moves are what help to keep the game closed until pawn tensions in the center cause Black to open lines. Unfortunately, Black does not open the right lines in the center (there may be a psychological cause for this), leading to an upset after White brings his Queen in to maraud the weakened Black King's positon.

The game will be presented with guess-the-moves at appropriate points. Be sure to check the Moves List for variations. So, without further adieu:

What would you play as Black after 8. Nf3?

What would you play as White after 17... Rd8?

What would you play as White after 25... Be8?

What would you play as White after 30... Kh8?

Summary

As stated in the final note, this game represents what can happen if players enter a closed game in the Leningrad Dutch. White was able to outlast his opponent in patience in the closed position, which allowed him to open it favorably using a little psychology in the process. The 7th rank invasion proved deadly for Black, who did not have the space to deal with it effectively. Despite missing a strong tactic, White was able to gain enough Kingside pawns to ensure a victory despite having sacrificed the exchange earlier. Overall, this mostly-closed game is quite different from some of the tactical firestorms that we will see in later Leningrad Dutch games. Hope you learned a bit from this game, and stay tuned for Game 2!