1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4!?
This early bishop development has been played by some very strong players, including Carlsen, Anand, Caruana and Nakamura, and scores very well for Black in ChessBase's 2018 Mega database. White has a huge choice of replies, with grandmasters trying everything from the standard English fianchetto of 3.g3 to the bizarre-looking 3.Na4.
I played what struck me as a principled reply.
3.Nd5 Be7!?
This is a favourite of Hector, and has also been played by Shirov.
I guess the point is that after 4.Nxe7 Qxe7, White has gained the bishop-pair but has no pieces developed and has not even opened a diagonal for either of his bishops. Nevertheless, it is hard to believe White does not have the better long-term prospects.
4.d4
Maybe it is not so hard to believe- at any rate, I went with the main line, which has been played by Karpov and Kasparov.
4...d6
The tempting 4...exd4 is much less popular, although 5.Qxd4 (White can also continue in gambit-style with 5.Nf3!?) Nf6 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bg5 does not seem anything much for White after 7...Qb4+ or 7...Nc6.
5.Nf3
Giving Black the option of ...e4, which will be a recurrent theme for much of the rest of the game.
5...c6!?
This move, more-or-less obliging White to capture on e7, has been the choice of Gulko.
5...Nf6 looks like it has the same effect, while developing a piece, but I was surprised after the game to discover it is not in the 2018 Mega.
5...e4 seems premature as Black is stretched to defend the advanced pawn after 6.Nd2.
6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.d5?!
I rejected the uninspiring 7.e3 because of 7...e4 8.Nd2 d5, although my main analysis engines, Stockfish9 and Komodo9, strongly prefer White.
The text seems to be a novelty, but probably not a good one. White's position should prove hard to hold together.
7...Nf6 8.g3 c5?!
But this lets White off the hook. It may seem natural to block the centre to restrict White's bishop-pair, but the main effect of the move is to take pressure off White's centre, and I was hopeful I would have time later to open the position for my bishops.
9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 Na6
S9 and K9 prefer 10...e4, but like White after the simple retreat 11.Ne1.
11.a3 Bd7
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| Black offered a draw after playing 11...Bc8-d7 |
Discouraging ...e4 and preparing to possibly occupy the c4 square in the event of ...b5.
12...b5 13.Qc2 Rab8 14.Rb1 Nc7 15.b3 bxc4 16.bxc4
Protecting the d5 pawn, although it seems 16.Nxc4!? was just about possible, eg 16...Nfxd5 17.Rd1, when the engines reckon White has reasonable compensation for the pawn.
16...Rb6 17.Rxb6 axb6 18.Bb2 b5 19.f4!?
 |
| 19.f2-f4!? initiated sharp play. More solid was 19.e4 |
Also sharp was 19...exf4 20.Rxf4, when grabbing a pawn with 20...Qxe2 is extremely risky after 21.Bxf6. The engines give 20...Qe3+ 21.Kh1 Ng4 22.Ne4 with unclear play.
20.Qc3 f6 21.h3 Nh6 22.Kh2!?
I could not see anything concrete for White, so I decided to move the king to a safer square while giving added protection to h3 and g3.
22...bxc4 23.Nxc4 Bb5 24.e4 Bd7?
Planning to send the c7 knight into d4, but Black's forces prove awkwardly placed to meet White switching play from the kingside to the queenside.
Afterward, EL said he should have played 24...Bxc4, but this runs into similar problems as in the game.
The engines give 24...Nf7, but S9 reckons White is better after 25.Rb1.
25.Qa5?
The right idea, but the wrong execution. Better was 25.fxe5 fxe5 26.Rxf8+ followed by advancing on the queenside.
25...Nb5?
Keeping to his plan of getting the knight to d4, but he should have played 25...Bb5, and then, after 26.Qc3, the same reply as suggested at move 24, ie 26...Nf7.
26.Qb6?
Not the best. Again, 26.fxe5, or 26.a4, was correct.
26...Nf7?
Too late now. Black probably had to try 26...Ra8, although S9 gives White the upper hand after 27.fxe5 fxe5 28.Ra1.
27.a4 Nd4 28.Bxd4
Possibly even stronger was, again, 28.fxe5.
28...exd4?!
This makes it easy for White by leaving the c4 knight protected by a Black pawn from frontal assault. But 28...cxd4 is met, as in the game, by 29.a5, when the passed White pawn will win material as 29...Rc8 is simply met by 30.Qb4.
29.a5 Ba4 30.a6 Ra8 31.Ra1 Bc2 32.Qb7 Qd8 33.a7 1-0
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