Being surprised early in the opening is never good, especially if the surprise is relatively sound and tough to “refute”. I have been playing main line 1.d4 for a while now and there are very few things I don’t know what to do against. This was one of them. No longer.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5?! { (0.16 → 0.93) Inaccuracy. e6 was best. } { A56 Benoni Defense } (2… e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4) 3. d5 a6 4. a4 e5?! { (0.91 → 1.49) Inaccuracy. e6 was best. } (4… e6 5. Nc3 Qe7 6. a5 d6 7. Nf3 exd5 8. Bg5 Qd8 9. Bxf6) 5. Nc3 d6 6. e4 Be7 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Nge2 Ne8 9. f4? { (1.15 → 0.03) Mistake. Be3 was best. } (9. Be3 Nd7) 9… exf4 10. Bxf4 Bg5 11. O-O Nd7 12. Bg3 Qe7 13. Kh1 Ne5 14. Ng1 Bf6 15. Be2 g6 16. Nf3 Ng7 17. Qc2 Bd7 18. a5 Nh5?! { (0.00 → 0.64) Inaccuracy. Rae8 was best. } (18… Rae8 19. Rae1 Ng4 20. Bf4 Nh5 21. Bd2 Bd4 22. e5 Bf2 23. Rxf2 Nxf2+ 24. Kg1 Bf5 25. Qc1) 19. Bxe5 Bxe5 20. Nxe5 Qxe5 21. Bxh5 Qxh5 22. Rf6 Qe5 23. Raf1 Bf5 24. R6xf5 gxf5 25. Rxf5 Qd4? { (0.60 → 2.02) Mistake. Qg7 was best. } (25… Qg7 26. Qd2) 26. Qc1?? { (2.02 → 0.00) Blunder. Ne2 was best. } (26. Ne2) 26… f6 27. Qf1?! { (0.00 → -0.65) Inaccuracy. Qf4 was best. } (27. Qf4 Rad8 28. h3 Kh8 29. Qf3 Rde8 30. Qf4) 27… Rae8 28. h3 Kg7 29. Qf4?! { (-0.15 → -0.76) Inaccuracy. Qf3 was best. } (29. Qf3 Re5) 29… Re5 30. Qg4+ Kh8 31. Rf3 Rg5 32. Qf4 Qe5 33. Qe3 Rfg8 34. Rf2 f5 35. Qf3 f4?? { (-2.24 → -0.28) Blunder. Rg3 was best. } (35… Rg3 36. Qe2 f4 37. Qf1 R3g6 38. Kg1 Qd4 39. Kh2 f3 40. Rxf3 Rxg2+ 41. Qxg2 Rxg2+ 42. Kxg2) 36. Ne2 Rg3?? { (-0.18 → 2.34) Blunder. Re8 was best. } (36… Re8 37. Nxf4) 37. Nxg3 fxg3 38. Qf6+ Qxf6 39. Rxf6 Re8 40. Rf4 Kg7 41. Kg1 h5 42. Kf1? { (2.46 → 0.96) Mistake. h4 was best. } (42. h4 b6 43. axb6 Rb8 44. Rf3 Rxb6 45. Rxg3+ Kf6 46. Rg5 Rxb2 47. Rxh5 a5 48. Rh6+ Ke5) 42… b6 43. Rf3?! { (1.00 → 0.03) Inaccuracy. axb6 was best. } (43. axb6) 43… bxa5 44. Rxg3+ Kf6 45. Ra3 Rb8 46. Rxa5 Rxb2 47. Rxa6 Ke5 48. g4 hxg4 49. hxg4 Rc2 50. Ra4 Kxe4 51. g5 Rh2 52. Ra6 Ke5 53. Ra8 Rh4 54. Re8+ Kd4 55. Re6 Rg4 56. g6 Kxc4 57. Rxd6 Kd4 58. Kf2 c4 59. Kf3 Rg1 60. Kf4 c3 61. Rc6 Kxd5 62. Rxc3 Rxg6 { The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2
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