Trades help, not hinder, an initiative if they eliminate good defensive pieces.
Lajos Portisch White
David Bronstein Black
Monte Carlo 1969
Queen’s Gambit Declined D06
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c5!? 3 cxd5
Also good is 3 ♘f3 dxc4 4 ♘c3 cxd4 5 ♕xd4! ♕xd4 6 ♘xd4. A curio went 6...a6 7 ♘d5 ♔d8 8 ♗d2 ♘d7 9 ♗a5+ b6 10 ♘c6+ ♔e8 11 ♘c7 mate!
3...♘f6 4 e4!? ♘xe4 5 dxc5 ♘xc5 6 ♘f3
White transformed his extra pawn into fast development and a strong d5-pawn.
6...e6 7 ♘c3 exd5 8 ♕xd5!
Black’s weaknesses are not exploitable after 8 ♘xd5 ♗e6 9 ♗c4 ♘c6.
8...♕e7+
Without a queen to defend (8...♕xd5 9 ♘xd5), Black is in trouble: 9...♗d6 10 ♗e3 ♗e6? 11 ♗xc5 ♗xc5 12 ♘c7+. Or 10...♘bd7 11 ♘d4 and ♘f5 or ♘b5.
9 ♗e3 ♘c6 10 ♗b5! ♗d7 11 0-0 ♘e6 12 ♘e5!
Another offer to trade keeps the initiative running.
If 12...♘c7 then 13 ♕xd7+ ♕xd7 14 ♘xd7 ♔xd7 15 ♖fd1+ ♔c8 16 ♖ac1.
12...♘xe5 13 ♕xe5 ♗xb5 14 ♘xb5 a6 15 ♖ad1! ♖d8
Not 15...axb5? 16 ♕xb5+.
16 ♗b6! ♖xd1 17 ♖xd1 f6 18 ♕f5! g6
Or 18...♔f7 19 ♘c7 ♘xc7 20 ♖d7.
19 ♘c7+ ♔f7 20 ♕d5 resigns.
Question 248: Did White have a good alternative move 18?
Laszlo Szabo White
Alberic O’Kelly Black
Groningen 1946
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c5 3 cxd5 ♘f6 4 dxc5 ♕xd5 5 ♕xd5 ♘xd5 6 e4 ♘b4 7 ♘a3 e5 8 ♗e3 a6 9 ♘f3 f6 10 ♘d2 ♗e6 11 ♗c4 ♗xc4 12 ♘dxc4 ♗xc5 13 ♗xc5 ♘d3+ 14 ♔e2 ♘xc5 15 ♘b6 ♖a7 16 ♖ac1! resigns.