
King's Indian Draw Again
One has to be always aware of the extent to which not-so-obvious misplays can affect a game. I've come to this conclusion after drawing a second King's Indian Defense within a week and looking through it. The play was a bit defensive, and during the whole game my opponent and I exchanged only a pawn and a knight each. In the late opening I misplayed, as I decided to keep the center closed with a kind of a stonewall formation, where White had some more space and a better pawn structure. That created some troubles for me, as I couldn't easily develop my pieces. A bit later White also misplayed, offering a knight exchange, which let me solve my development problems, and also lock the queenside. With an equal position, we both concentrated on kingside maneuvering, but agreed to a draw a few moves later as there were no obvious ways to fight for an advantage. This game is an example of how a strategically not correctly evaluated move can cause long-term troubles, with either giving the opponent a lasting advantage or transforming a favorable position into an equal one.