On move 25, Marcus reached for his queen, then stopped. There was no move. Not one.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6
Arjun had always found 1.d4 boring. Lakdawala disagreed. He called the Semi-Slav a “meat grinder.” He taught Arjun a line so venomous that it felt illegal. On move five, instead of the timid ...e6, he played the sharp ...dxc4, offering a gambit. Then, with a single bishop move to f5, he locked the position down. On move 25, Marcus reached for his queen, then stopped
Lakdawala provides detailed annotations and strategic explanations. On move 25