Malta Round 8
English Opening
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nge7 7.Rb1 0-0 8.b4 f5 9.Bd2 a6 10.e3 h6
Preparing ...Be6.
11.0-0 Be6 12.Qe2
Part of a plan to latently protect c4 so he can push his d pawn.
12...Qd7 13.d4 e4
The pawn cannot be won, eg 13...exd4 14.exd4 Nxd4? 15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.Rfe1 Be5 17.Bxh6, with a large advantage for White.
14.d5 exf3 15.Bxf3 Bf7 16.dxc6 Nxc6 17.Rfc1?!
This leads to problems because of the weakness of c4. Better was a consolidating move, for example 17.Bg2.
17...Rab8 18.a4 Ne5 19.Bd5
Stockfish10 and Komodo10 suggest sacrificing the a pawn by 19.Nd5!? Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Qxa4. Komodo10 reckons Black is a little better, but Stockfish10 reckons White gets almost full compensation for the pawn after 21.Bc3.
19...c6 20.Bxf7+ Qxf7 21.Nd1
This seems to be best as 21.c5? is well-met by my planned 21...d5, or by the engines' 21...dxc5 22.bxc5 Rbd8.
21...b5 22.axb5 axb5 23.e4?
A mistake, but then so is 23.cxb5? Qd5. White has to play 23.Nb2, and if 23...g5, then the engines reckon 24.Bc3 holds.
23...Nxc4 24.exf5 Na3?
The simple 24...Qxf5 is very strong.
25.fxg6
I had somehow missed this, although Black is still better after …
25...Qxg6 26.Rb3 Nc4 27.Ne3 Ne5 28.Ng2
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| Black to play and gain a substantial advantage |
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28...Qf7, hitting b3 and threatening ...Nf3+, is good for Black. Indeed the engines reckon White's best response is to give up the exchange by 29.Re3 Nf3+ 30.Rxf3 (30.Kh1 Nxd2 31.Qxd2 Qxf2 is even better for Black, according to the engines) Qxf3 31.Qxf3 Rxf3 32.Rxc6, although Black has the upper hand.
28...Nf3+?? 29.Rxf3 1-0
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