A Caro-Kann

This game is not particularly special, but it does illustrate some important themes in the Panov-Botvinnik attack in the Caro-Kann.

1 d4 d5 2 e4 c6 3 ed cd 4 c4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6  This move and 5...Nc6 are both played about 40% of the time.  5...Nc6 leads to a completely different type of game, however.

6 Bf4 Be7 7 Nf3 0-0  This is the usual move here, but black must know what he's doing if he is going to allow white's response of 8 c5.

8 c5 h6?  This move is weak.  Usual is 8...b6, after which the play can get tricky.

9 b4 a6 10 a4 Nh5 11 Be3 Nd7 12 Bd3 Nhf6  One gets the feeling that black is floundering around, while white is making progress in getting his queen-side pawns rolling.

13 0-0 Qc7 14 Re1 b6 15 Qe2 (Qc1) bc 16 bc Bb7 (e5) 17 Reb1 Qc6 18 Rb2 Ne4 19 Rb3 (Qc2) NxN 20 RxN Nf6 21 Rb3  (Better is 21 Ne5, but I am fixated on the idea of getting control of the b-file.

21...Ne4 22 Rab1 Rab8? 23 Qc2 (Qb2) Rfc8 24 Rb6 Qd7 25 Bxa6 (c6) Qc7? (Bxa6) 26 RxB RxR 27 RxR Qd8 28 c6? (missing RxB) Qa5 29 Bd3 Kf8 30 BxN de 31 Qxe4 Qxa4 32 h3 Bd6 33 Ne5 (Bf4) Qd1+ (BxN) 34 Kh2 BxN 35 QxN Qc1??  Black blunders his queen in mutual time trouble, but I had a forced mate anyway.  1-0