After winning my first game in the tournament in round 8 I was certainly in a good mood before this game. And yet, having been paired up, I played an opponent with the highest FIDE elo that I have ever played against up to that moment. I had no experience in the opening that happened in the game - Modern Benoni, 8.Bb5+ variation. Putting most of my pieces to the wrong squares was one mistake I committed, getting into time pressure was another. 29.Qf3? seemed to be a decisive oversight, even though it was not my last one:)

White: Jiganchine,R (2115) Canada

Black: Boskovic,D (2401)    Yugoslavia

 [A67] World Youth (9), 20.10.2000
[Annotated by Roman Jiganchine]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 After the game the captain of the Canadian team, I. Lipnowski said the fianchetto variation [6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 would probably suit my style better than the sharp Taimanov line that I played in the game.] 6...g6 7.f4

The advance of the 'f' pawn seems to be natural, yet it has its drawbacks: 1) if the pawn stays on f4, the scope of the c1 bishop is limited 2) dark squares become weakened in White's position, especially the a7-g1 diagonal 3) the 'e4' pawn cannot be supported by f2-f3 4) I have to spend a tempo and delay development of my pieces Of course, if White manages to play f4-f5 or e4-e5, all these drawbacks disappear. If not..., well this game shows what happens if White fails to achieve the breakthrough in the center. [7.Nf3 is a classical variation] 7...Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 [8...Nbd7 9.e5 leads to great complications. I had studied the lines before the tournament but would certainly have a hard time trying to remember them. This type of position requires precise knowledge.] 9.a4 This flexible move is A. Zaitsev's idea. White makes a useful move, the purpose of which is to prevent Black from expanding on the queenside, and does not yet reveal where he is going to retreat with the bishop 9...0-0 [9...Na6 10.Nf3 Nb4 11.0-0 a6 12.Bxd7+ Bxd7 13.f5 was played in a "historic" game Kasparov,G-Nunn John D M/ Lucerne 1982; 1-0 (23)] 10.Nf3 Na6 11.0-0 Nc7 [11...Nb4] 12.Bc4 [12.Bxd7 Bxd7 13.f5 this typical idea has become quite famous after Kasparov-Nunn, 1982 game 13...gxf5 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bf4 Ne8 16.Qd2 a6 17.h3 b5 18.axb5 axb5 19.Rxa8 Qxa8 20.exf5 Bxf5 (20...b4 21.Ne4 Qa6 22.Ng3±) 21.Nxb5 Qa6 22.Nc3 and White is slightly better (NCO), Georgadze-Kovacevic, 1998] 12...Nb6 I was really surprised by this move. It seemed to me that the only appropriate square for the knight is on f6, but not on b6. The point, however, is that Black's knight can return to d7 (probably its best place) after the c8 bishop been allowed to escape to g4, with the purpose of being exchanged. 13.Bd3N I spent about 7 minutes on this move. I simply did not know where the bishop should stay. [13.Ba2 would have been more logical: if the bishop went to c4, the only reason for it could have been to stay on the a2-g8 diagonal 13...Bg4 RR 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nd7 aimed at preventing e5, but still... (15...Na6 16.a5 Nd7 17.Bc4 Nb4 18.Nb5 Qf6 19.Qb3 a6 20.Nc7 Rac8 21.Ne6 Pergericht,D-Gruenfeld,Y/ Bruxelles 1985/Inf 40 (21)) White continues with 16.e5 dxe5 17.f5 Ne8 18.Ne4 and White is slightly better (NCO)

 18...Nef6 19.fxg6 hxg6 20.Bg5 White's pressure on the 'f' file is devastating; combined with the weakness of black squares in Black's position it results in winning a piece. 20...Qb6 21.Nxf6+ Nxf6 22.Bxf6 Bxf6 23.Qxf6 Qxb2 24.d6 1-0 Rajlich,V-Yu Mingyuan/2000/ (27); RR 13.Bb3 is probably worse, the bishop is not as safe here as on a2 13...Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nd7 16.e5 dxe5 17.f5 e4 18.Nxe4 Ne5 19.Qg3 c4 20.f6 Bh8 21.Qxe5 Re8 22.Qd4 cxb3 23.Nc3 Ne6 24.Qf2 Nf8 25.Bg5 Nd7 26.Qh4 Re5 27.Rf3 Qb6+ Ilic,D-Gruenfeld,Y/1988/0-1 (40); 13.Be2 even this would have been better 13...Bg4 otherwise White will play h2-h3 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3] 13...Bg4 14.Be3 the plan of bringing the bishop to f2 is a standard one, but now it seems to me that 14.Be3 was a bit premature. If White plays f4-f5 the bishop may go to g5 or f4 with a tempo from c1 (as in Rajlich,V-Yu Mingyuan and in Kasparov-Nunn, mentioned above) , so I would just waste a tempo buy playing Be3. Also, after I remove the bishop from c1, the b pawn becomes undefended. This later allowed my opponent to get strong pressure along the 'b' file. [14.h3 deserved attention 14...Bxf3 15.Qxf3 a6 16.f5 (16.e5 dxe5 17.f5 Nbxd5 18.Be4 Nxc3 19.bxc3 and White has some compensation for two pawns) 16...Nd7 17.Bf4 Ne5] 14...Re8 15.Re1 [15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 A) 16...Nd7 17.e5 dxe5 18.d6 (18.f5) 18...Ne6; B) 16...Rb8 and now 17.f5 seems to be a bit risky as it concedes the e5 square; White does not get anything in return for it 17...Nd7 18.fxg6 fxg6 B1) 19.Bf4 Rf8 20.Qg3 Ne5 21.Bxe5 (21.Bc2; 21.Nb5) 21...Bxe5 with Black controlling the e5 square; B2) 19.Qf7+ 19...Kh8 20.Nb5 Nxb5 21.Bxb5 Re7 22.Qf3 Ne5 (22...Bxb2) ] 15...Rb8 16.h3 [16.Bf2; 16.Nb5 Nxb5 (16...a6 17.Nxc7 Qxc7 18.a5 Nd7 19.Ra2 Nf6 20.Bf2) 17.axb5 Bxb2 18.Rxa7 Bc3] 16...Bxf3 17.Qxf3 a6 18.Bf2 [18.a5 Nd7] 18...Nd7 19.a5 b5 20.axb6 Rxb6

now Black's advantage is obvious. All his pieces are ideally placed, while mine are scattered across the board. I was not sure of how to evaluate the pawn structure, as both sides have weak pawns on the queenside. Here is what the book "Mastering the Modern Benoni and the Benko Gambit" says about this structure: Speaking generally, we may say that this queenside situation is favorable for Black, but it must not be forgotten that the main aim of the moves a4 and a5 is simply to slow down Black's counterplay in order to gain the precious time necessary to effect a central breakthrough" 21.Ra2 Boskovic keeps putting pieces on the 'b' file, while my bishop stands passively on f2 21...Qb8 [I am sure that Boskovic saw (just as I did before playing Ra2) that he could win a pawn with 21...Rxb2!?. This leads to complicated play, White gets initiative for the pawn 22.Rxb2 Bxc3 23.Ra2 (23.Rb7 Bxe1 24.Bxe1 Qc8) 23...Bxe1 24.Bxe1 but was probably worried about giving up two of his best pieces, with the rest of his army remaining quite passive. 24...Qf6!? is an interesting attempt to organize an attack on White's pawn center (24...Qa8 25.Qf1; 24...Qe7 25.Bc3 Nb5 26.Bb2 Nd4 27.Qf2²; 24...Nxd5 25.Rxa6) 25.Bf2 (25.Bxa6 Qd4+ 26.Bf2 Qxe4 27.Qxe4 Rxe4 28.Bd3 Re7 29.Ra7 Nxd5 30.Bb5 N7b6; 25.Kh2 Nxd5 26.Rxa6 Qxf4+ 27.Qxf4 Nxf4 28.Rxd6 Nxd3 29.Rxd3 Nf6-+) 25...Ra8 26.Qe2 a5] 22.Re2 Qb7 23.Rd2 I spent about 40 minutes on this move, not being able to find a decent plan, leaving myself with about 27 minutes for 17 moves. [23.e5 dxe5 24.Be4 exf4 (24...Rd6 25.fxe5 Bxe5 26.Na4 Nxd5 27.Nxc5 Nxc5 28.Bxc5 Rd7 29.Rd2 with compensation 29...Red8 30.Bxd5 Rxd5 31.Rxd5) 25.d6] 23...Rb3 With my last move I admitted that I am just going to sit and wait for Black to come and get me, so he tries to create some active play [23...Rb4] 24.Bc4 Rb4 25.Qd3 Nb5 [25...Nb6 A) 26.b3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb3 28.Rdc2 Qb4 29.Be1 Rb1 30.Nxb1 (30.Kf2 Bd4+ 31.Ke2 Rb3 with Black still keeping some edge) 30...Qxe1+ 31.Qf1 Bd4+ 32.Rf2 Rxe4-+; B) 26.Bxa6 26...Nxa6 27.Qxa6 Qxa6 28.Rxa6 Nc4 (or 28...Bxc3 29.bxc3 Rb1+ 30.Kh2 Rxe4 31.Kg3 Nc4 32.Rc2 Rd1 Black is much better here) 29.Re2 Nxb2] 26.Bxb5 axb5

The position has simplified; two pairs of minor pieces are gone, a factor that should favour Black, as he still has a bit less space, at least in the center. On the other hand, here White at least has one positional trump: the a-file. Black's rook on b4 is actively attacking my b2 and e4 pawns, but it is not very mobile 27.Re2 [Here I considered 27.Rd1 with the idea of transferring the second rook to the a-file, but Black is able to win some material after it: 27...Bxc3!? 28.bxc3 Rbxe4 A) 29.Rda1 Rxf4 30.Ra7 Qc8 31.Bg3 (31.Qxb5 Ne5 32.Bg3 Re4) 31...Rf6 32.Bh4 Rf5; B) 29.Rb1 29...b4 (or 29...c4 ) 30.cxb4 Rxb4 31.Rxb4 Qxb4 32.Ra7 Nf6 33.f5 c4 34.Qd4 Qb1+ 35.Kh2 Qxf5-+] 27...h5 28.Kh2 [28.Ra5; 28.Re1 A) 28...Ra8 29.Rea1 (29.Rxa8+ Qxa8 30.Nxb5? Qa6) 29...Rxa2 30.Rxa2 A1) 30...Bxc3 31.bxc3 Ra4 (31...Rb3 32.Qc2 c4 33.Ra7 Qc8 34.Bd4±) 32.Rb2 (32.Re2 b4 33.cxb4 cxb4 34.e5!²) 32...b4 33.Be1; A2) 30...c4!? how else can Black make progress? 31.Qc2 Nc5 32.Bxc5 dxc5 33.e5 Rb3 34.Qe4 b4 35.Na4 Rd3 36.Nxc5 (36.e6 Qxd5 37.exf7+ Kxf7 38.Qxd5+ Rxd5 39.Nb6 Rd1+ 40.Kh2 c3-+) 36...Qxd5 37.Qxd5 Rxd5 38.Ra8+ Kh7 39.Ne4 Rd7 40.Rc8 and White has a big advantage; B) 28...Rb8 29.Rea1] 28...Rb8

29.Qf3? In time trouble, I commit a serious error during maneuvering [29.Re1 Bd4 30.Bg3 and the position is still full of struggle] 29...Rb3 played instantly 30.Ra3 [30.Qd3 b4 31.Qc2 bxc3] 30...Rxa3 31.bxa3 b4 32.axb4 cxb4 33.Nb1 [33.Na4 b3 34.Nb2 Qb4 35.Qd3 Ra8 (35...Qa3 36.Bd4 Nc5 37.Qc3 Bxd4 38.Qxd4 Rb4 39.Qc3÷) ] 33...b3 34.Qd3 b2 Black has obtained an extremely powerful passer. It is almost all over 35.Bd4 Bxd4 36.Qxd4 Qb5 37.Re1 Rc8 38.Qd2 Qb3 39.Re2 Rc1 40.Re1 only now did I see that [40.Qxb2? loses after the simple 40...Rxb1!] 40...Rxe1 41.Qxe1 Qd3 42.Kh1 Nc5 43.e5 now this push only demonstrates how weak my pawns are 43...dxe5 44.fxe5 Qxd5 45.Qe2 Qd4 46.Nd2? A blunder in a completely lost position 46...Qxd2 0-1

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