Positional Play Simplified

I hope you guys appreciate the effort I have to go through to post these topics. Every single time I try to start a thread, if it contains a game or diagram in it once I click "Save and preview" or just "Submit new forum topic" it just get lost forever. I'm on my way to taking at least 3 hours just trying to post this simple game. Ok, rant over.

This won't be a particularly impressive or even interesting game for high rated players. It's purpose is to demonstrate simple, yet crucial concepts to beginner/intermediate players. It's a game I played as Black against my Uncle.

Okay, Posting a game with a board isn't working. Here it is without one:

Also for some reason I can't enter any !?,?!,!!,??,!,? symbols. :( 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. e3 dxc4 4. Bxc4 c5 5. Nf3 cxd46. Qxd4 1st crucial mistake. Both Nxd4 and Qxd4 relinquishes the advantage of having the 1st move as White. Qxd4 even more so due to the early exchange of Queens, but after both moves because of both side's symmetrical pawn structure with no weaknesses, and the fact that neither side has any pawn centre Black has basically equalized and has a comfortable game. The dream situation to want to achieve after only 6 moves. My uncle told me after the game that he was worried about getting an isolated pawn after exd4, but in fact it is the clear best move for the player who wants to fight for the advantage: Some players believe that having an isolated pawn at any stage of the game is only a weakness, but this is thinking from Wilhelm Steinitz's time and in fact in the modern day game it is known that in this type of position such a technical structural weakness will be balanced out by White's superior space, time and central control. Therefore after exd4 a dynamic, double edged game can be expected, where White will be trying to use all these qualities to put significant pressure onto Black's position via the creation usually of numerous threats. Black on the other hand with his inherently more solid pawn structure in an ideal situation will try to 1st develop as quickly as possible so that he can take set up a blockade on the key square on d5 (both to stop the threat of White's pawn from advancing and to post a piece on a great central square), then through "active" defense and whenever possible simplification of the material on the board try to neutralize White's attack and play for an Endgame where White's threats will have dried up and the isolated pawn can really become more of a clear weakness for White.. For an in-depth grounding in IQP (isolated Queen's Pawn) situations Baburin's "Winning Pawn Structures" is very popular. 6... Qxd4 7. Nxd4 a6 Securing b5. 8. O-O Nf69. Nc3 Bc5 10. Rd1 Bd7 So far both sides have been playing correctly in this position by developing sensibly and not creating any unnecessary weaknesses. 11. Bd2 The mistake that tips the balance in my favour. That statement may seem strange because of my previous comment about isolated pawns, however comparing this situation to the position after move 5.cxd4 there is one massive difference: the Queens are off the board! therefore this time White can't expect to gain any sort of attack out of what space he gains after Bxd4 exd4, and therefore Bd7 is only allowing me to create an unnecessary weakness in his position..  11... Bxd4 Gaining the Bishop pair is insufficient compensation. 12. exd4 Bc6 Immediately my Bishop keeps a stern eye on d5. When playing against an isolated pawn such as this, the square directly in front of it is a crucial one to control. As discussed in thorough detail in "My System" by Nimzowitsch, if that pawn is allowed to advance White could not only rid himself of his main weakness, but also certainly open up new lines of attack for his pieces. I'm also preparing to play Nbd7-b6.. 13. Re1 O-O 14. Rad1 Nbd715. Bf4 Nb6 16. Bb3 Nfd5 Setting up what is known as a "mechanical" blockade (where a piece actually directly occupies the blockading square, rather than simply tries to control it from afar). The reasons for why the "mechanical" blockade is usually much stronger than the indirect blockade is again discussed in quite thorough detail in "My System". Basically there are 2 main reasons: 1. Even if it may seem we have the square in front of the pawn under total control White always can maintain the nasty threat of advancement, even if he's willing sacrifice the pawn to perhaps clear the way for a piece to access the square it used to occupy or to "awaken the pieces at the rear" and therefore gain superior activity. 2. Of course also simply posting our piece on a great central square is usually a worthwhile strategy as well.. 17. Bg3 Another error to do with pawn structure. Bxd5!? may have been an interesting option as the new opposite coloured Bishops situation to arise may have given White good drawing chances (opposite coloured Bishops Endgames are notoriously drawish).. 17... Nxc3 18. bxc3Compare this new situation to the one from a move ago. It is even worse for White for a few main reasons. 1. The new "backward" pawn on c3 is even easier to attack for White than the previous isolini on d4 (a "backward" pawn being a pawn which is at the base of it's pawn chain and therefore can't be defended by one of it's kind). And 2. Some more Nimzowitsch wisdom: "Any square directly in front of an opponent's pawn which can be safely occupied by one of our own pieces can be considered a weakness", or something like that. Here we can see that according to his logic another weak square has now appeared on c4 where we can post another of our pieces. In conjunction with the d4 weakness my pieces are going to find great squares! 3. Even though it may not seem significant, another weakness on a2 has now appeared. And in an endgame, because only one pawn weakness is often not enough to win material off of, having it as a "back-up" 2nd weakness could prove useful (this is called the principle of the 2 weaknesses).. 18... Bb5 The correct way to play such dominant positions such as this one is to take every possible opportunity to clamp down on the opponent's possible counter-play. Here, not only am I planning to play Bc4 soon, but also c4 could have been quite an unpleasant resource for him! 18.Bd5?! 19.Bxd5 exd5 (19.Nxd5 20.c4) 20.Re7.. 19. Rd2 Rfc8 Simple, yet effective. In positions such as this it's important to attack the main weakness, not necessarily in expectation of winning it any time soon, but to force your opponent's pieces into passive defensive roles while you improve the positions of your own pieces with tempo. 20. Rc1 Bc4 21. h3 This actually loses material by force now. f3 would have put up more resistance, but unfortunately was played a move too late. One of my Uncle's main problems in this game I think was his lack of attention to my own plans.. 21... Nd5 22. Rdc2 Rc6 23. f3 Rac824. Be1 Bxb3 25. axb3 Nb4 26. Re2 Nd3 27. Rcc2 Nxe128. Rxe1 Rxc3 29. Rb2 Rd3 30. Re4 Rc1+ 31. Kh2 g632. b4 Rc4 33. b5 a5

Yes!

Very nice at first glance (Im sure, I will take a closer look later). The opponent has only one weakness on the c4 squere, and the way you used it is a very good positional manner, although the opponent could have shown a more stubborn resistence.

Thank you for posting this.

Well, as I mentioned he actually had a few more weaknesses than that!

Glad you liked it.

the game was nice, the comments were really good..

you made me learn something out of them..i have tried reading so many gm articles , but i find more in this...

if it contains a game or diagram in it once I click "Save and preview" or just "Submit new forum topic" it just get lost forever. I'm on my way to taking at least 3 hours just trying to post this simple game.

Believe me, I feel your pain. I've been there many times...

That's great. I guess sometimes GMs when trying to explain things to less gifted players don't care to explain concepts which to them are obvious, and so get a bit too heavy with the analysis of variations, which can get quite confusing to a not very advanced player..

Now I've learned my lesson though and always save my work into a word document 1st..

yea , most GMs really dont care..

Nice post, nuclearturkey.

I think I speak for 95% of the community when I say, you make valuable contributions here. 

Well, I wouldn't say that exactly. Just that they are usually better equipped to comment on games for a more advanced target audience.. If you like a style of annotating which focuses more on the key ideas, IM Jeremy Silman would have to be your man!

Well done my son, you've seen the light at last. lol

Woah, Nice game.

Thank you.