Karmanova,Olga Dm. vs. Torosyan,Volodya - 15th Margaryan Memorial-IM 2025 1-0
In the 15th Margaryan Memorial-IM 2025 chess event on January 10, 2025, between Olga Dm. Karmanova (white) and Volodya Torosyan (black), the move Ra3 is a notable choice. It puts the rook in a position behind a passed pawn, which can be seen as a strategic placement rather than a typical development move. However, it also means that Karmanova misses an opportunity to capture the outpost on the a-file, a valuable piece of territory that could have been crucial for long-term control.
The move Ra3 threatens material gain, but at the cost of losing one's own pawn on the d-file if Torosyan captures it. This trade-off may seem worth it at first glance, as it opens up the b-file for potential future use. Nevertheless, by playing Ra3, Karmanova also ignores a more straightforward threat that Torosyan could have used to attack her position more aggressively.
The choice of Ra3 can be seen as developing the rook in an unconventional way, but one that might not be the most active or dynamic play. Overall, it's clear that Karmanova is choosing to invest in the development of her piece for active play rather than focusing on controlling key squares or executing a direct attack.
On this particular move, both sides can be said to be missing opportunities - Torosyan could have escaped an attack by moving his king-side pieces out of danger, while Karmanova might have been better off capturing the outpost on the a-file to maintain her strategic advantage.
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[Date "2025.01.10"]