Spanton (168) - Allan Pleasants (189)
Pirc
1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 a6!?
Only fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database, but it has been played by Carlsen, Kramnik, Caruana and Aronian. White scores just 48% in Mega19.
7.a4 Nc6 8.d5!?
It is tempting to gain space like this, and has been played by grandmasters, but Stockfish10 and Komodo10 do not like it.
8...Nb4
This is the main move in the position, but it had not crossed my mind.
9.a5
 |
| Black to make his ninth move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
9...Bd7?
The mainline in Mega19 runs 9...e6 10.Ra4 c5 11.dxc6 Nxc6, with what the engines reckon is a small edge for White.
10.Nb1
This wins the offside knight, but Black gets interesting, although objectively insufficient, compensation.
10...c6 11.c3?!
Probably stronger is the engines' 11.Bd2 cxd5 12.Bxb4 dxe4 13.Nfd2, when White's pawn-structure is better than in the game.
11...cxd5 12.e5?!
I was pleased with this zwischenzug as I felt Black's central pawns were less-threatening than after 12.cxb4 dxe4, but the engines disagree.
12...dxe5 13.cxb4 e4?!
White only has a small edge after 13...Qc7, according to the engines. After the game, AP said he had missed my next move.
14.Ne5 Be6 15.Be3 Nd7?
Trying in turn to trap White's knight with 15...h5?! is not practical as ...f6 would badly weaken Black's kingside. However, the text is bad because it makes White's life easier.
16.Nxd7 Qxd7 17.Bd4 f6 18.Nc3 Bf7 19.f3 exf3 20.Bxf3 Rfe8 21.Bb6 e6
Black's pawns are restrained, so he is simply a piece down for two pawns (1-0, 55 moves).
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