The center is locked up (the pawn on e4 has nowhere to go), but if Black tries ...c5 to crack it open, White can play Nf3; recapturing after cxd4 gives White a fine knight outpost on d4 from which to assist in the queenside assault.

<I have included in this book the following instructive game from Petrosian's period as champion, for the reason that it is the direct forerunner of my game with Portisch, played 21 years later in a stage of the World Cup in Skellefteå. Portisch vs Kasparov, 1989 It is a rare instance of the complete matching of the pawn structure, with identical material and... result! But the main point of this example is to show how chess ideas are passed on from one generation to another.

In both cases there was the seemingly thoroughly studied 'Carlsbad' structure, and both times the player with Black surprised their peacefully-inclined opponent with effectively one and the same plan.>

15..Nb6!
<An original and very deep positional idea. Black avoids the exchange of the 'good' knight at e5, and moves his knight to the 'bad' square b6. But in fact, the knight is predatorily eyeing the c4-square, in anticipation of the standard minority pawn attack b2-b4-b5. And in general, after the exchange of the light-squared bishops, Black has play aimed at exploiting the weak light squares in the opponent's position. As for the e5-knight, let it stand there for the moment...>

21..Nd6
<Now the structure in question has arisen.

Surprisingly, Black already has some positional advantage: White's usual play on the queenside - the minority pawn attack - has come to a standstill (he cannot play b2-b4-b5, since Black always has ..a7-a6), whereas some rather unpleasant tests await him on the kingside. There is also a long-term factor: Black, paradoxical though it may seem, has the better pawn structure. But why?! - both sides' pawns appear to be good. For the reason that it is much easier for him to build up an attack against the opponent's pawn base! Whereas usually in the 'Carlsbad' formation it is just the opposite, and it is White who succeeds in generating an attack, which is why it is generally considered that the pawn structure is better for him.

Petrosian demonstrates an original exception to the rules. The key role here is played by the sentry knight at d6, suppressing any attempts with b4-b5. Under its watchful eye Black can calmly prepare an advance of his kingside pawns.>

22.Rac1
<It is hard playing when you can't see a plan that is even slightly active. Bobotsov begins marking time, avoiding the 'hole-forming' 22.b4 and a2-a4. But I remember that when I was annotating the aforementioned game with Portisch, I recommended the cumbersome manoeuvre of the knight to c3, even though it involved losing a mass of tempi, in order nevertheless to be able to play b4-b5. It is only with the break-up of Black's queenside that White can obtain any real targets to attack.>

30.Nh2
<Completing the inglorious march of this once powerful knight. In the meantime Petrosian has unhurriedly strengthened his position and his advantage is now obvious.>

33..g5
<An energetic pawn sacrifice, although in the given instance it was possible to manage without it. But this is again an instructive moment: the 'cautious' Petrosian gives up a pawn! This means that the position is already so ripe for decisive action, that Black does not begrudge giving up one of his infantrymen. In contrast to modern computers, which consider such sacrifices to be blunders, even at that time a strong player realised that preparatory moves such as 33..Qf7 (followed by ..g6-g5), even though not bad, were no longer necessary.>

34..f5
<A strong attack on the king now develops, with White's extra pawn not playing any role. Bobotsov loses very quickly, but it seems to me that it is already impossible to find a satisfactory defence here.>

Notice that if white tries to save his Q with 38.Qxf3 then Petrosian had another card in his sleeve - 38.Qxf3 Rf8 39.Qe2 (39.Qd1 Rxg2+ 40.Kxg2 Rf2+ 41.Kh1 Qh3 and mate after several spite checks by whites) Rf2! 40.Qxf2 (if Qd1 or Qd3 then 40..Qh3 followed with Qxg2#) Nxf2 41.Kxf2 Qe4 and whites are buried alive

I thought "Queenmate" was a pretty elegant title for this masterpiece when it was GOTD on 9/22/04 though.

This being said if this game is ever repeated as GOTD, it would be cool if they used your pun. :)

I like this variation of the queens gambit declined so much that I even try to play it with the white pieces.