If White does not play this move, Black may consider the Benko Gambit with 8...b5

Heading for the Modern Benoni. With the inclusion of the moves a4 and a6, the Old Benoni with 8...e5 becomes an interesting alternative. One of the basic plans against the Old Benoni structure is a3 and b4 (see for example Dlugy-Bereolos 1989 US Open) but that is no longer possible. Glek played 8...e5 against Goldin in Moscow 1992. That game ended in a draw.

More common here is 10...Nbd7, but I had played the text before.

More common is 11.Bf4 to try to take advantage of Black's delay in playing Nbd7.

This move makes a strange impression, but Black is in danger of reaching a passive position with 13...Re8 14.Nc4 and 15.Bf4. On b4 the rook in combination with the dark square bishop exerts strong pressure on White's queenside, giving him difficulty in developing his queenside pieces.

I don't think this move poses much of a challenge to Black. The natural square for this knight is c4 eyeing d6 a ready for the jump Na5-c6 after ...b5. Calvin Blocker played 15.Ra2 against me in the 1998 Kings Island Open with the normal opening advantage for White.

[16.Bd2 Rxb2]

We were both running a bit short of time already to reach the time control at move 35, so neither one of us was averse to repeating some moves.

Not completely necessary, but my plan was ...c4 ...Rb3 ...b4 with pressure on the queenside. Black could also consider moving his queen off of the a-file in order to meet b3 with ...Na3 and knight moves with ...Rxb2. On those considerations 26...Qf8 or 26...Qb8 guarding the d-pawn are alternatives.

Deliberately aiming for complications in the time scramble. I saw White's reply would win a piece, but thought my passed pawn would give me compensation. I also was very superficial in my examination of 28...Rxb3 29.Rxb3 cxb3 30.Qxb3 thinking that my weaknesses at b5 and d6 would give White a large edge. However, as Goldin pointed out after the game 30...Qa4 would probably give Black a small advantage. Suddenly, b5 is a strong passed pawn instead of a weak one, and White has a weakness of his own on d5. After, 31.Qxa4 bxa4, White cannot play 32.Nxd6 because of 32...a3 -+. After 32.Bb4 Nxd5 33.Bxd6 Black's outside passer gives him a small edge. White can also look at alternatives on move 31, but Black looks OK in all cases.

[31.Nxd6 Rc1 32.Be4 is probably even stronger]

Now Black has some reason to keep playing since Bg2 will not be a factor for a bit.

Not 33...Qa1 34.Qd8+ Bf8 35.Bh6 mating. A better chance was 33...h5 making luft, and perhaps eyeing the g3 pawn later, although White still has a close to winning advantage.

Now Black is constantly plagued with back rank problems.

A slight mistake, since the Bg2 will not be able to stay on the b1-h7 diagonal, but no real damage is done.

[40... b1=Q 41.Rxb1 Qf2+ 42.Kh1 and Black still hasn't solved his back rank woes.]

Finally ending resistance as either the b or d pawn must fall

[45... Qd2 46.Kg3]