[Event "Sants 2013"]  [Site "Barcelona"]  [Date "2013.08.27"]  [Round "5"]  [White "Iturrizaga, Eduardo"]  [Black "Munoz Pantoja, Miguel"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A43"]  [WhiteElo "2550"]  [BlackElo "2455"]  [PlyCount "69"]  [EventDate "2013.??.??"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 ({If you intend to play e5, then there is a strong argument  for doing it now. With the knight on it's original square Black is more  flexible and Bf8 will have two alternative routes in order to be exchanged for  Bc1 (e7-g5 and h6).} 2... e5 3. e4 d6 {and now} 4. Bb5+ {is a wise check,  intending either} Nd7 ({or} 4... Bd7 5. a4 {when it becomes quite tricky for  Black to arrange the queenside in a satisfying manner.}) 5. a4 Be7 6. Nf3 {,  when there is no Bg4 (followed by Bxf3 and Bg5)}) 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 e5 {This is  generally only played after White is committed to c2-c4. The reason is that  without a pawn on c4 a white knight there will become almost too strong.} 5.  Nf3 Bg4 $6 {It is not a bad idea to exchange the white squares bishop for a  knight if you are able to exchange the dark squared bishops in the process.  Black is generally happy to play with two knights against knight and bishop  (preferably white squared).} 6. Be2 Bxf3 7. Bxf3 {The downside of this  exchange is that Black becomes completely passive since the two possible  sources of counterplay - b5 and f5 - both become almost impossible to achieve  under favourable circumstances when there is no counterpart to Bf3.} Be7 $2 ({  The principled move here is} 7... g6 $1 {intending h5 and Bf8-h6. After} 8. g3  {Black gets a decent - though still worse - position with} (8. a4 h5 9. b3 $1 {  I like this better.} Bh6 10. Bb2 {and White has a small but clear advantage.})  8... h5 9. a4 Bh6 10. Bxh6 Rxh6 {Instead of 8.g3 I would try the line with 8.  a4.}) 8. g3 {A calm move that fulfills more than one purpose. Firstly, it means  that Nf6-somewhere, can be met with h4, avoiding the exchange of the dark  squared bishops. Secondly, it aims to keep protecting the e4-pawn with the  bishop, in order to give the knight the freedom to find a better purpose. And,  thirdly, the bishop will eventually be very well placed on h3.} O-O (8... h5 9.  h4 $1 {and Black gets nowhere.}) 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Bg2 {I find this position  quite horrible for Black and it seems truly mysterious why one would like to  play like this against Iturrizaga.} ({However, the mystery becomes even bigger  when you consider that Munoz Pantoja has played this position once  before! I know; some say that the best way to win a game is to get into a  worse position. But this position!?!} 10. a4 Qa5 11. Bd2 a6 12. b3 $6 (12. Bg2  {would lead to our main game and is clearly the stronger move.}) 12... c4 $1  13. Rb1 cxb3 14. cxb3 {Now White is better, but Black is no longer forced to  handle a losing pawn structure.} Rac8 15. b4 Qd8 16. a5 Ne8 17. Be2 (17. h4 $1)  17... Bg5 18. Be1 g6 19. Na4 f5 20. b5 Ra8 21. bxa6 bxa6 22. Nb6 {and White  went on to win in Grigoryan,K (2550)-Munoz Pantoja,M (2455)/XV Sant Marti Open  A 2013.}) 10... a6 11. a4 {Now a4-a5 is a positional threat that will turn the  black queenside into a sitting duck.} Qa5 $6 {This superficially active move  only makes matters worse. Still, from a human point of view, it might be the best  practical move; trying to stir things up a bit.} ({The slow} 11... b6 {  intending to play on the kingside, does not work.} 12. Qe2 g6 13. Bd2 Kh8 14.  Nb1 Ng8 15. Na3 f5 16. exf5 gxf5 17. Nc4 {In this kind of pawn structure Black  generally comes to regret not having a white squared bishop. The reason can be  seen after:} Ngf6 18. f4 e4 19. Bc3 b5 20. Ba5 Qe8 21. Ne3 {when Black cannot  hold the f-pawn.}) 12. Bd2 $1 {The main point here is that Black sooner or  later must move the queen and at that point White will himself play a4-a5,  when the Black pawn-structure will become crippled.} c4 $5 {This is definitely  the right thing to do here. Black is positionally bankrupt, but maybe he can  get enough activity with Be7-d8-b6 and Nd7-c5, to compensate for everything  else?! No, not against Iturrizaga...} 13. Qe2 $1 Rfc8 ({Black does not get  anywhere with} 13... Qb4 14. Rfb1 $1) ({and} 13... Qc5 14. a5 {is similar to  the game.}) 14. Nd1 $1 {Very instructive. The knight is not doing anything on  c3, so Iturrizaga leads it towards a more promising future on e3 (from where  it attacks the c4-pawn and threatens to jump to f5).} Qc5 15. a5 $1 {This is a  very important move. Without it White would not be able to claim any advantage  at all. Now the Black queenside is bound to fall into further disarray.} Bd8 (  15... Rab8 16. Ne3 Qb5 17. Rfb1 g6 18. f3 {freeing Bg2 from the protection of  e4} Bf8 19. b3 {and Black's best:} c3 20. Qxb5 axb5 21. Be1 Bh6 22. Bf2 {just  is not god enough. b4 and Bf1 is coming next.}) 16. Ra4 $6 ({It was more exact  to play} 16. Ne3) 16... b5 ({Here Black could have played} 16... Qb5 $1 17. Ra2  (17. Rb4 Qxa5 18. Rxb7 Qa4 19. Bb4 Nc5 20. Nc3 Qe8 21. Bxc5 Rxc5 22. Rb4 $14)  17... Nc5 18. f3 b6 19. axb6 Bxb6 20. Kh1 Na4 {with better chances than in the  game.}) 17. axb6 Nxb6 18. Ra5 Qc7 19. Ne3 g6 20. Bb4 {This is exactly what  Black should not have allowed to happen. At the same time; after move 7...Be7,  this is one logical continuation. Black has to play in a desperate manner and  if White keeps cool, then Black will be busted.} Rcb8 21. c3 Be7 22. Rfa1 Qc8 {  Only one White piece that does not participate in the game. How to bring it  into the game?} 23. f3 $1 Ra7 24. Bf1 {The pawns are falling. The rest is  simple.} Rc7 25. Rxa6 Ne8 26. Qf2 Rcb7 27. Qe2 Rc7 28. Ra7 Rbb7 29. Rxb7 Qxb7  30. Ba5 Nf6 31. Bxb6 Qxb6 32. Kh1 Nd7 33. Nxc4 Rxc4 34. Qxc4 Qxb2 35. Ra7 1-0