Five pawns on three files

In the following game, a player of Class A to Expert strength, a whole piece
ahead, was stumped by Black's central pawn phalanx.  I hope that readers can
learn a valuable lesson about defending against such pawn formations by
reading my notes. 

White: Sri Rahm
Black: Don Meigs
Golden Triangle Open, round 1
April, 2001
Benoni Defense

 1 d4    Nf6
 2 c4    c5
 3 d5    g6
 4 Nc3   d6
 5 e4    Bg7
 6 Nf3   Na6
 7 Be2   O-O
 8 O-O   Nc7
 9 h3    Rb8

   I've skipped over the opening, to get more quickly to the interesting part.
   By now, Black should have played ... e6.  White now prevents that move and
   gets a dangerous attack.

10 Bf4   h6?!

   A waste of time--what did he have in mind?

11 Re1   Bd7
12 e5    Nfe8
13 Qd2   Kh7
14 Bd3   b5
15 e6!   fxe6
16 Nh4   bxc4
17 Bxg6+ Kg8
18 Bxh6  exd5
19 Bxg7  Kxg7
20 Bxe8

   Now Black can recapture four different ways, but all of them lead to mate or
   loss of the queen after 21 Qg5+.

20 ...   e5!
21 Bxd7  Qxh4!

   With his back to the wall, Black has found some far from obvious good moves.
   He is still losing, but can put up some fight.

22 Re3!

   Correctly activating an important piece.

22 ...   d4
23 Rg3+  Kf7
24 Nd1   Nd5
25 Rg4

   I would prefer 25 Qe2.  If 25 ... d3 26 Qf3+ Nf4 27 Rg4 Qe7 28 g3; or if
   25 ... Nb6 26 Bb5; or if 25 ... Ke7 26 Qxc4 Nb6 27 Qe6+ Kd8, and White can
   choose between the simple 28 Bb5, or 28 Qxd6+! Nxd7 Rg7.  The text move lets
   this opportunity slip, but others soon present themselves.

25 ...   Qf6
26 Qc2   Ke7
27 Bc6

   Not 27 Qxc4 Nb6.

27 ...   Nb4
28 Qa4   Nxc6
29 Qxc6  Ke6
30 Rc1   Rb6
31 Qa4   d5
32 Qxa7

   Black is desperate.  Besides being a whole piece down, his pieces are
   hopelessly uncoordinated and his king is in the middle of the board.

32 ...   Qd8
33 Qg7?

   After 33 Rg7!, Black would be almost in zugzwang, and 34 Rc7 would be a
   threat.  33 b3 would also be strong; after 33 ... cxb3 34 axb3 Rxb3 35 Qxc5,
   or 33 ... c3 34 Nxc3! dxc3 35 Rxc3, White would have made good progress.
   Exchanging queens is a serious error:  Black's king position goes from bad
   to good, and his rooks are almost coordinated.

33 ...   Rf6
34 Qg8+? Qxg8
35 Rxg8  e4
36 a4?

   Now, of course, 36 b3? cxb3 37 axb3 Rxb3 38 Rxc5?? Rb1 loses the piece back.
   Instead White can play 36 Rc8 Kd6 37 b3 cxb3 38 axb3, and now Black's best
   defense may be 38 ... Rb5.  It's not easy to see how to make progress in
   this position.  The endgame after 39 b4!? cxb4 40 R8c6+ Ke5 41 Rxf6 Kxf6
   42 Kf1 may be winnable, but it won't be easy; it will be many moves before
   White can even make a serious threat.  But with the text move, White shows
   that he has really lost the thread of the game.  His two h-pawns together
   don't amount to much.  For better or worse, he has to liberate his knight
   and king.

36 ...   Ra6
37 Ra1   Ke5
38 Rg5+  Kd6
39 Kf1?! e3

   It looks as if White is finally breaking free, but it turns out to be a
   mirage.

40 Ke1   exf2+
41 Nxf2  Rb6
42 Nd1   Kc6
43 h4?   d3
44 a5?   Rb8!

   Oops!  Black is now threatening 45 ... Re8+ 46 Kd2 Re2+ 47 Kc1
   (47 Kc3? Rc2 mate) 47 ... Rf1, followed by 48 ... Rc2+ and 49 ... Rxd1+.
   It's hard to tell exactly when the win turned into a draw and the draw
   turned into a loss, but now White is losing.  If 45 Re5 Kd6 46 Re3 d4
   47 Re4 Rg8 threatens 48 ... Rxg2 and 49 ... d2 mate, and 48 g4 doesn't help
   after 47 ... Kd5.

45 Rg3   d4
46 Rf3   Re6+
47 Kf1   d2
48 h5

   If 48 Nf2 Rxb2 49 a6 Ra2!  The rest of the game requires no comment.

48 ... Re1+ 49 Kf2 Rxb2 50 h6 Rb8 51 Rf6+ Kd7 52 Rb6 Rf8+ 53 Kg3 c3 54 a6 c2
55 Rbb1 cxb1Q 56 Rxb1 Kc7 57 a7 c4 58 h7 Rh1 59 Rb4 c3 60 Nf2 Rxh7 61 Rxd4 Rg7+
62 Kh2 Kb7 63 Kg1 Kxa7 64 Ra4+ Kb6 65 Ra1 Kc5 66 Ne4+ Kd4 67 Nf2, White
resigns.