Game Analysis: 2026 Bill Wright Open, Round 5

We are back with another classical game from a recent event in St. Louis. This one I think was quite instructive, featuring an unusual opening variation that I knew nothing about over the board.

Sargsyan, Anna (2423) - Paciorkowski, Lev (2448)
2026 Bill Wright Open, St. Louis, MO (Rd. 5)
G/90+30

My opponent is a strong international master from Armenia and now one of the top female players in the US.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 (D)

A small note on opening strategy in these games (at least, at 2400+ level). All the games from this event were publicly recorded, and I had already played the King's Indian in round 1. So from that standpoint, one might say that it is "risky" to repeat the same opening, especially against a strong player who would be able to prepare something serious against it.

However, the other approach is to say that you know your openings like the back of your hand, and that it would be impossible to surprise you with anything, even a super rare sideline. So therefore, you should have nothing to fear in being too predictable. Further, because you play the same opening all the time, you will accumulate a lot of experience in the resulting structures and still be able to "feel" your way through unfamiliar positions if you do get them.

I don't think there is necessarily one right approach. Of course at the top level you see people play different openings almost every game. (I do not qualify as a top player, in case that needed clarifying.) For other players like myself who don't do chess full-time, it's much more practical to have one main opening and stick to it. For the King's Indian specifically, there are a few reasons why I really like it, even as a main weapon in these open tournaments:

• You can almost always guarantee a fight. This makes it especially attractive against lower-rated opponents we want to win against with the black pieces. White does have some options to try and kill the game, like the Exchange Variation, but black can still play to avoid lines like that if desired.
• Black has so many different variations to play, even in the most heavily studied classical main line. This means that you can still surprise people by switching to a different sub-variation that you maybe haven't played in a while, even if it is still all part of the "King's Indian".
• You do not have to worry about any move order tricks white often tries by starting with 1.Nf3 or 1.c4 instead of 1.d4. For instance, if you are a Grunfeld player, after 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 you have to learn a completely separate variation, because if you continue 2. ... g6, white can play 3.e4, when suddenly you will not be playing a Grunfeld anymore. If you play the King's Indian, our first moves are Nf6-g6-Bg7 pretty much no matter what, so we are completely unaffected by these move order shenanigans and can always get our desired opening system.
• In open tournaments there is often not that much time to prepare for each game anyway, so this makes predictability in the opening less of an issue.

Anyway, let's get back to the game. Anna surprised me with the very rare 5.Bd3!? (D)

I am not even sure this system has a name. For some context, it is white's 6th most common move in the position, being played only about 3% of the time. I suppose you could call this the Sarana system, since GM Alexey Sarana has apparently played this a lot, mostly in rapid/blitz games. He scores almost 90% with it too (albeit against mostly lower rated opposition, but still including some strong players), so clearly there is some venom here.

After not too much thought (just a couple minutes), I simply castled 5. ... 0-0. Rare variation or not, opening principles are still opening principles, and I figured this cannot be a bad move. Later I will come back to this point to show how I think black should react to this system, but for now I will just say that the immediate 5. ... Nc6 is the most serious alternative.

6.Nge2 (D)

Here I again thought for a couple minutes and actually came up with what I think is indeed the best move now for black: 6. ... Nc6! It's a little unusual to do this before playing e7-e5, but I do have some general knowledge from similar positions that in the structure after 6. ... e5!? 7.d5!, the bishop on d3 actually can be very well-placed, since it drops back to c2 in response to ...Nc5, and keeps the e4 pawn overprotected.

7.0-0 (7.d5?! Ne5=- did not worry me) 7. ... e5 The other alternative which I will discuss later is 7. ... Nd7. 8.d5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Ne2 Re8 11.f3 c5 12.Ng3! (D) (White should not entertain 12.dxc6? bxc6 13.Nxd4, when my intended 13. ... Qb6 14.Be3 Ng4! is at least equal for black.)

Unbeknownst to me during the game, I have actually figured out the main line for black in this variation. After Anna's last move though, we reach a position which it turns out is just good for white. At least, that is my opinion after having done some deeper analysis afterwards.

This is kind of like a Benoni structure, except black's pawn which normally would be on e7 (and breaks with ...e6 early on) is on d4. This has the main point of blocking the bishop on g7. Now, normally in these structures, the bishop on g7 is black's best minor piece. But in this case, it is severely restricted by that pawn on d4, which is the main source of black's difficulties here.

In fact, this is already a critical moment for black! I do want to give myself some credit for how I reacted in this unfamiliar position, because I did intuitively sense the long-term danger here. For example, I correctly judged that 12. ... a6?! (a commonly chosen move, even by some strong GMs) is already just bad for black after 13.a4!+/-. Indeed, the best case scenario there will be this kind of position after 13. ... Rb8 14.b3 Bd7 15.a5! b5 16.axb6 Qxb6 17.Ra3! (D)

In this structure, that d4 pawn would typically have gone to e6 and then ultimately been traded for either the pawn on c4 or e4. Compare the position above with the following one:

(Let's pretend white got the free move Kh1 to avoid any ...c4+ tactics.) In the previous version with the pawns still on d4/c4, white had a clear advantage. However, with those pawns traded, even black can be better. There is now the added resource of ...Bb5, and the Bg7 enjoys a completely open diagonal to operate on.

Going back to the position after 12.Ng3, there are only two viable moves for black, and I played one of them: 12. ... b5! (D) (The engine also proposes first 12. ... Nd7 13.f4 and then 13. ... b5!)

Benko gambit style. Black can't afford to sit around and play slowly, because white will not be too far away from organizing a decisive central breakthrough with f4-e5.

13.cxb5!? Actually, I did think during the game that 13.b3! could be even stronger, not even entertaining black's attempts at stirring up trouble on the queenside. Then white can go back to preparing f4-e5. (The engine agrees with this assessment, and this is ultimately why I think black should look for an improvement earlier.) 13. ... a6 14.Bf4 Nd7 (14. ... axb5 15.Bxb5 Re7 also deserved attention, to ensure that the b-file gets opened.) 15.a4! (D)

I have handled things pretty well so far. But, I am only human and here the difficulties of the position exceeded my capabilities. The only idea here to maintain a playable position is 15. ... h5!, when for example after 16.Qd2 (16.Bxd6? c4! and Nd7-b6 is good for black) 16. ... h4 17.Nh1 h3 the position is just messy and unclear.

Instead, I was far too tempted by the prospect of getting white's dark squared bishop, and played a serious inaccuracy: 15. ... Ne5?! to which white replied with the expected 16.Bxe5! Bxe5 17.f4! Bg7 18.Qf3+/- (D)

This is the position I was anticipating we would reach after my 15th move. However, I badly mis-evaluated it from a few moves back. I more or less naively assumed that with my "strong" unopposed dark squared bishop, I can figure something out here. But in fact, this is a dream position for white, all thanks to my own pawn on d4. Further, I actually cannot get the b-file open anymore, which means there is very little counterplay on the queenside. So, white has a free hand to prepare some breakthrough with e4-e5.

18. ... axb5!? (according to the engine, it would have been preferable to try something like 18. ... Ra7!? instead, keeping the tension on the queenside, followed by ...Qa5-b4 at the right moment to look for counterplay with the queen. I did consider this strategy but didn't really believe it could work to send my queen so far away from the kingside where white is planning to break through.) 19.axb5! White importantly keeps the b-file closed. 19.Bxb5? Bd7 lets black right back into the game. 19. ... Rxa1 20.Rxa1 At least now I thought I have less to worry about on the kingside, with white's rook gone from f1. 20. ... Qc7 21.Bc4 (D)

The position is still very unpleasant for black. It's not lost yet, but it is certainly a desperate situation. I considered the option of 21. ... d3!? 22.Qxd3 Bxb2 23.Rb1 but thought that would just be a thankless defensive task where I will have to passively blockade the b-pawn and hope that white cannot crack through in the long-run. While that is a correct assessment, it is unfortunately the best black can do from this position.

Instead, I played 21. ... Bd7? (D)

Actually, this move should lose on the spot! I saw what white's strongest response was here, but I didn't see how I'm supposed to stop it, and reasoned that I can hardly play with my bishop on c8 the whole game and allow Ra8.

If you have any familiarity with Benoni structures, you should immediately be considering the breakthrough 22.e5!, which just wins for white. What I saw during the game was 22. ... dxe5 23.Ne4?! exf4 24.d6 Qd8 25.Qxf4+-, when black's position is simply on the verge of collapse. Actually, even stronger would be 23.d6! exploiting the fact that 23. ... Qxd6? 24.Bxf7+! wins on the spot.

Instead of that, Anna quickly played 22.Qb3?+/-, which I think was her only real mistake this game. White still maintains a clear advantage, but finding this e5-d6 sequence really would have ended the game in short order.

We continued 22. ... Rb8 23.Ra6 Bf8? In practice still a very difficult position for black. An engine will always hold against a human, but I am no engine. Apparently, the surprising 23. ... Bh6! 24.Ne2 Bc8! 25.Rc6!? Qa5! would have given white some more serious problems to navigate. 24.b6+- (D)

White should have a decisive advantage now, and Anna did not give me any more chances. I continued 24. ... Qd8 25.b7 Qc7 26.Ra7 Kg7 27.Ba6 There is just nothing for black to do but wait passively until white maneuvers the Ng3 over to the queenside with decisive effect. I tried the desperate 27. ... c4?! 28.Qxc4 Qb6 29.Ra8 Rxb7 30.Bxb7 Bb5 but there are a million reasons why this doesn't work. Anna ended things convincingly: 31.Qc8 d3+ 32.Kh1 d2 33.Qxf8+ Kf6 34.e5+ dxe5 35.Qh8+ Ke7 36.Qxe5+ Qe6 37.d6+ 1-0

Ouch!

So actually, if we go back to the position after 5.Bd3 (D)

in my humble opinion, an easier way for black to play is with the immediate 5. ... Nc6! (instead of my 5. ... 0-0). After 5. ... Nc6 6.Nge2, now black can carry out the following idea: 6. ... 0-0! 7.0-0 Nd7! (D)

Hitting the d4 pawn. Notice how we are avoiding 7. ... e5!? 8.d5 Nd4 which would transpose into the game after 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2. Our goal is to get a position without this blocking pawn on d4 so that the Bg7 keeps an open diagonal.

After 7. ... Nd7, the two most sensible moves are 8.Be3 and 8.Bc2. Black does not need to worry about 8.d5!? Nce5 9.f4 Nxd3 10.Qxd3 when there 10. ... f5!= puts white's center under a lot of pressure, with our other knight coming to c5.

So let's first look at 8.Be3 (D)

Now the circumstances have changed, and black should proceed with 8. ... e5! 9.d5 Nd4, since if white tries 10.Bxd4?! exd4 11.Nb5 black is in time to get good piece activity, e.g. 11. ... Ne5 12.Nbxd4 c5 13.dxc6 bxc6=-. There is more than enough for a pawn in that position. So white needs to try to play more slowly and live with the knight on d4; this is a position that can be explored deeper.

In case of 8.Bc2 (D)

Now again, 8. ... e5! seems to be working out for black. After 9.d5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Ne2, the difference is that our knight is already on d7, which means 11. ... Ne5! (D) is possible

White cannot comfortably defend the c4 pawn (12.Bb3? d3 13.Nf4 f5!-/+ is just bad for white). This means that we will end up exchanging c4 for d4 and the Bg7 will enjoy an open diagonal. After 12.Nxd4 Nxc4 13.Rb1 (D)

Black should further continue with 13. ... Re8!=, and then look to play c7-c5 soon.

By the way, I do think that starting with 5. ... Nc6! is important. In case of 5. ... 0-0!? (which is the move order I played in the game), white actually has the option of 6.Nf3 (although it's rarely played). That would still be playable for black (e.g., 6. ... e5 7.d5 a5+=), but starting with 5. ... Nc6! takes that option out entirely, because then 6.Nf3!? Bg4 is completely fine for black, with e7-e5 and Nd4 coming next. (It is important to note that 5. ... 0-0!? 6.Nf3 Bg4!? 7.Be2!+= is not the same, because black's knight isn't already on c6, and 7. ... Nc6 can be met strongly with 8.d5!+/-.)

That's all for this time. We'll see if we can look at a few other games from this event later.