How to beat junior players
Back in the 1980s my friend IM David Ross observed that it was a great idea to go into an endgame against junior players... the next decade my friend National Master Jim Ferguson noted "All juniors are tactical". These attempts at defining juniors' strengths and weaknesses may remain largely true, but nowadays coaching of junior players in Canada is commonplace, and such one-sidedness is not as often to be observed on their part. Still, a lot of chess knowledge/skill can only best be absorbed through a considerable amount of experience, such as is acquired in playing positional openings or complex endgames (including ones where the proper result is uncertain). Even some rather dynamic openings may not be poor practical choices vs. a junior, if a lot of judgement about the kinds of positions that typically arise is required. Also offbeat opening choices, whatever their nature, may work wonders, as even a conscientious coach has only so much time to impart specific information about such.
In the following game I chose an opening that's not very popular these days, at least on the local scene, against a promising junior already rated higher than myself:
[Event "RA Winter Frost"]
[Site "Ottawa, CAN"]
[Date "2017.12.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Demchenko, Svetlana"]
[Black "Pacey, Kevin"]
[Result "0-1"]
1.d4 c5 {I hoped to play a game using the Modern Benoni before the end of the year, regardless of it perhaps being [or arguably not being] a suitable choice vs. my young opponent in this game. I used this first move [often the prelude to an Old Benoni] so as to pre-empt the possibility of White playing a London System.} 2.d5 Nf6 3.c4 {The acid test of Black's move order is to try to do without this move, but a lot of White players are content just to try to transpose to an opening that they know more about.} e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 {Here the little-played 7.h3 or 7.Bd3 seems to give Black less choice, if White wishes to play the so-called Modern Main Line.} Bg7 {Instead 7...a6 is the way to try to take advantage of White's very common move order. Then if 8.a4 Bg4 or 8.h3 b5, although the latter is not necessarily easy for Black, transposing as it should to a relative main line of the whole system with h3 + Bd3. I decided not to go for this as I think Black is more or less okay all the same, if at times placed a bit passively.} 8.Qc2 {Unless my opponent was trying to be cagey, it turns out she knows little about the dynamic, if not currently so popular, Modern Benoni. The way to the defining position of the Modern Main Line is 8.h3 O-O 9.Bd3. Her chosen move commits the queen rather early, for no clearly compelling reason.} O-O {In a big database even this position has been reached a number of times.} 9.Bd3 Na6 {Black has previously won with 9...b6, unknown to me.} 10.a3 Nc7 11.O-O Re8 12.a4 {Although my machine did not really slag this move, this tempo loss alone suggests that White has a rather juiceless position. Now the engine suggests ...Na6 at once or next move.} b6 13.Bf4 Ba6 14.Nd2 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Nh5 16.Be3 a6 17.Rfe1 Rb8 18.Nc4 Qd7 {My machine finally admitted Black was equal [I'd say at least]. Clearly at least some engines mistrust Modern Benoni positions for Black.} 19.a5 b5 20.Nb6 Qd8 21.f4 {The machine prefers 21.f3.} Na8 {A bit of a contortion not unheard of in the Modern Benoni. However my machine thinks I could do better with 21...c4 22.Qc2 Qe7 claiming a slight edge.} 22.Nxa8 {With equality says the machine, though it claims next White should play 23.f5 to avoid slight disadvantage. Black just might then have some sort of trouble making real progress.} Rxa8 23.g3 Nf6 24.Bd2 Nd7 25.Be3 Qc7 26.Kh1 {Better was 26.Bf2. Now Black has a big edge.} c4 27.Qc2 Nc5 28.Bxc5 Qxc5 29.Rad1 {Better was 29.g4. Now White is lost says the engine, plus she was in time trouble.} b4 30.Na4 Qa5 31.e5 {Finally this central pawn break, that is often the bane of Modern Benoni players. Here it proves to be of no avail.} dxe5 32.d6 Rad8 33.Re4 Qb5 34.Rxc4 exf4 35.Rc7 {Better was 35.Rxf4, but then 35...Be5 follows.} Rxd6 36.Rc5 Qb7+ 37.Kg1 {Only better in the eyes of a computer was 37.Rcd5. Now Black should play 37...Qf3, with mate in 11 moves, says the engine, but it's academic.} Bd4+ 0-1
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.