B14: Caro-Kann: Panov-Botvinnik Attack with 5...e6 and 5...g6

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Bd3 Practice suggests 7. cxd5 is a better continuation. 7... dxc4 8. Bxc4 O-O 9. O-O a6 Black's game is already quite comfortable. Practical experience suggests the game favors black slightly. 10. Bd3 A weak looking move, the text seems to concede an important diagonal and relieve presure on black. Move interesting alternatives for white are a4, Bb3, and Ne5. 10... b5 11. a3 Bb7 12. Be3 Nbd7 13. Qe2 Nb6 14. Rac1 Nbd5 15. b4 Qd6 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Nc3 It is important to always consider the whole board, but here I forgot about the pawn grab with check on a7. As a result I am losing a pawn. 17... a5!? with white not well coordinated to defend the queen side, this looks quite promising. 18. Bxh7+ Breaking open black's pawn fortress and picking up a free pawn in the process. 18... Kxh7 19. Rxc3 I am going to have some difficulty here. So, I decided to take advantage of open diagonals and newly opened h-file to give white a few tactical problems to think about too. 19... Rh8 20. Ne5 Kg8 21. f4 g6 22. Qc2 Kg7 23. Qe2 White seems to be without a plan. 23. d5!? Rac8 24. dxe6 Qxe6 25. Bc5 23... Bd5 The bishop feels good on d5 24. Rfc1 Bf6 Also interesting is 24... Bd8 25. Bf2 which holds back the intrusion Rc7. 25. Qd2 The immediate 25. Rc7 Rhf8 is much better. 25... Rh5 26. Rc7 Bxe5 27. dxe5 Qd8 28. Qf2 An interesting plan to continue the presure might be 28. h3!? Bc4 29. Rd7 Qe8 28... Bc4 Taking advantage of white's tentative play to break the coordination of the rooks. 29. Rc5 29. Bb6 Qd3 30. Qe3 Qxe3+ 31. Bxe3 Rd8 looks like a more active continuation for white. 29... Qd3 30. Qd2 Qxa3 Grabbing the pawn may not be best, but I felt it was an important step toward eqaulizing the position. 31. Rc6 Rd8 I love this move! 32. Rd6 32. Rxa6! must be considered 32... Rxd2 33. Rxa3= 32... Rxd6 33. exd6 Rd5 34. Qc3+ Qxc3 35. Rxc3 Rxd6 Now, it's a matter of technique. 36. Kf2 Kf6 37. g3 37. g4 e5 37... Kf5 Black's position is very strong now. 38. h3 Ke4 39. Ke1 Rd3 40. Rxd3 Bxd3 41. Kf2 Bf1?? Yikes! The idea of this move was to force the weaking advance h4, but it loses a valuable tempo and allows white to get his bishop back to the the a5-d8 diagonal ensuring the draw. The path to the win is via 41... a5 42. bxa5 b4 when the threat of the advanced b pawn makes it impossible for white to both stop the b pawn and keep the king side pawns intact. 42. h4 Bc4 43. Bb6 Now the postion is drawn. The remaining moves are of no consequence. 43... f5 44. Bd8 Kd3 45. Bb6 Bd5 46. Bd8 Kc3 47. Ba5 Be4 48. Ke3 Kc4 49. Kd2 Kd4 1/2-1/2 [J Todhunter]