1. e4 e6 2. d4 a6 3. Bd3 b5 4. Nf3 Bb7<\/strong><\/p>\n Gjon plays almost every opening in the book, but he always has some ideas behind whatever opening he plays. Here he isn’t just playing the Birmingham Defense for the hell of it; he’s actually been reading about it. Nevertheless, I feel as if he gets into trouble because his approach is just a bit too slow.<\/p>\n 5. O-O Nf6 6. Re1 h6?!<\/strong><\/p>\n Normal here is … Be7 or … d5. It seemed to me after 6. … h6 that Black has played one non-developing move too many, and White should therefore play ambitiously.<\/p>\n 7. e5 Nd5<\/strong><\/p>\n This knight embarks on a journey that is very familiar from the Alekhine’s Defense: Nf6-d5-b6-c8-e7-f5. But in the end, Black has very little to show for all these knight moves.<\/p>\n 8. c3 c5<\/strong><\/p>\n After the game we thought that 8. … d6 might have been an improvement for Black. But 8. … c5 certainly seemed natural at the time.<\/p>\n 9. a4! cd 10. Nxd4 b4<\/strong><\/p>\n I thought that this move\u00a0was a pretty important concession, and now I feel as if White has a definite plus.<\/p>\n 11. c4 Nb6 12. a5 Nc8 13. Nb3 …<\/strong><\/p>\n FEN: rnnqkb1r\/1b1p1pp1\/p3p2p\/P3P3\/1pP5\/1N1B4\/1P3PPP\/RNBQR1K1 b kq – 0 13<\/p>\n I’d be interested to hear what my readers think about 13. Nb3. Even though it is an unforced retreat (or repositioning move), I really liked it because (a) it is flexible, and (b) it fights for the dark squares. Black’s KB cannot come to c5, and White has ideas of possibly playing c4-c5 himself, followed by Nd2-c4-b6 or d6. By comparison, if White plays 13. Bf4, 13. … Qh4 might be a little bit annoying. 13. Nb3 keeps my options open; I might play Bf4 or I might play f2-f4.<\/p>\n In the game the knight turned out to be a super-powerful piece, but that does not necessarily mean that 13. Nb3 was therefore correct.<\/p>\n 13. … Nc6<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps Black should try … d6 or … d5, even though it looks scary to open lines against his uncastled king. The problem is that in the game, Black gets a lifeless position with no chance of counterplay.<\/p>\n 14. Bf4 Qc7 15. Bg3 N8e7 16. N1d2 Nf5?!<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s hard to suggest anything better. The other alternative, 16. … O-O-O, gives white a pleasant choice between lines like 17. f4 (with the idea Bf2-b6)\u00a0 or 17. c5 (with the idea Nc4-d6+).<\/p>\n 17. Bxf5 ef 18. e6! …<\/strong><\/p>\n FEN: r3kb1r\/1bqp1pp1\/p1n1P2p\/P4p2\/1pP5\/1N4B1\/1P1N1PPP\/R2QR1K1 b kq – 0 18<\/p>\n Of course my 18th move came as no surprise to Gjon. The fact that he allowed it to happen shows just how desperate his position has become.<\/p>\n 18. … Bd6<\/strong><\/p>\n Not giving up just yet. The alternative try is 18. … f4, but Black can’t actually win White’s bishop. For example, 19. ed+ Kxd7 (or 19. … Kd8 20. Re8+ Kxd7 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. Qg4+) 20. Nf3+ Kc8 21. Re8+ Nd8 22. Bxf4.<\/p>\n 19. ed+ Kf8 20. Nc5! …<\/strong><\/p>\n As I said, this knight unexpectedly turns into a monster.<\/p>\n 20. … Bxg3 21. hg g6<\/strong><\/p>\n Black’s king needs luft, but real safety is impossible.<\/p>\n![\"gjon](\"https:\/\/danamackenzie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/gjon-4-30-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Position after 13. Nb3. Black to play.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Position after 18. e6. Black to move.<\/em><\/p>\n