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Garcia,GM - Bauer,Rick [E03]
NB Simul, 2001
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 The Catalan is an opening I have had a lot of trouble with in the past. I have finally developed a reliable antidote. 4...dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 [5...Bd7 6.Qxc4 Bc6 is another good way to fight for equality.] 6.Bg2 a6!? The threat to secure the c-pawn allows Black to develop his queenside, which is the key to an effective defense of the Catalan. 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc2 [8.Qc6 Rb8 9.Bf4 is probably what Gildardo was thinking of.] 8...Bb7 9.Bf4?! This move makes no sense here, with the c-pawn mobile. 9...c5 10.0-0 Rc8 11.a4?! White plays very aggressively and winds up in worse trouble. 11...cxd4 12.Qd3?! [12.Qd1 Bc5] 12...Nc5!? Black wins the a-pawn. 13.Qxd4 Nxa4 [13...Qxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Nxa4 would also win the a-pawn, but I figured the Bb7 was more active than its counterpart on g2.] 14.Qa7? Playing for complications, White puts his queen in jepardy. 14...Nc5! 15.Ne5!? Nd5! [15...Ra8? 16.Bc6+!!‚] 16.Bxd5 Qxd5!? 17.Nf3 [17.f3? Nb3 18.Ra2 Bc5+] 17...Qd8!? Back to the goal of trapping the Qa7. 18.Be3 Ra8 19.Bxc5 [19.Qxc5?! Bxc5 20.Bxc5 f6!?] 19...Rxa7 20.Bxa7 Be7 21.Nc3 0-0 22.Rfd1 Qc7 23.Bd4 Rd8 24.Rac1 Bxf3 25.exf3 Qb7 26.Kg2 Bf6?! In my haste to trade off pieces, I compromise my pawn structure. [26...b4!? 27.Ne4 f5] 27.Bxf6 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 gxf6 29.Ne4 Kg7 30.b4!? White tries to set up a blockade of the queenside. 30...Qc7 31.Rd4 f5 32.Nc5 a5!? but it is broken 33.Nd3 Qc3 34.Rd7 axb4 35.Nf4 Qc6 36.Rd8 b3 37.Nh5+ Kh6 38.Nf6 b2 0-1
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