Doncaster U171 Round 4
Sicilian Kan
1.Nc3 e6 2.e4 c5 3.Nf3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Bd3 d6!?
Seven other moves are more popular than this in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, but the text has been played by grandmasters.
7.0-0 Nf6 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Rac1!?
The rook is well-placed here if Black plays ...Nc5 and ...Nxd3, but why would he? I guess, being charitable, one could say Rac1 is prophylaxis against ...Nc5 etc. Normal is 10.f4.
10...h6!?
This may look strange, but the idea will quickly become apparent.
11.f4 Rg8!?
The analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 do not like this, but it is consistent.
12.Kh1 g5 13.f5 Ne5 14.fxe6 fxe6
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
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15.Nf3!
A retreat, but well-intentioned in that the black knight on e5 is Black's best-placed piece
15...Nf7?!
The engines give 15...Bd7 16.Nxe5 dxe5, but much prefer White.
16.Na4
The engines want White to sac a pawn with 16.e5!? dxe5 17.Nd2, the point presumably being the uncomfortable-looking black king.
16...b5 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Nxc8 Qxc8 19.Bd4
19.c4 would have justified a rook being on c1.
19...e5 20.Bc3 Qg4 21.Rce1 Nh8 22.Ng1 Qxe2 23.Nxe2 Ng6 24.Ng3 Nh4 25.Nf5?
This allows an exchange that favours Black. The engines give 25.a4 bxa4 26.Be2 Rf8 27.Ra1 Bd8 28.Rxa4 with a large advantage for White.
25...Nxf5 26.Rxf5 Kd7 27.Ref1 Rgf8 28.a4 Ng4?
28...bxa4 29.Ra1 is only slightly better for White.
29.Rxf8 Bxf8 30.axb5 axb5 31.Bxb5+?!
This wins a pawn, but Black gets active counterplay. The engines give 31.h3 Ne3 32.Ra1.
31...Rxb5 32.Rxf8 Ne3 33.Rh8 Nd1!
If 33...Nxc2, then 34.Kg1 Nb4 35.Rh7+ Kc6 36.Rxh6 seems slightly better for White.
34.Kg1 Nxb2 35.Rh7+ Kc6 36.Rxh6 Na4 37.Bd2 g4?
Black's g pawn is doomed. Instead he should play 37...Nc5 or 37...Rb1+ 38.Kf2 Nc5.
38.Rg6 Rb2 39.Rxg4 Rxc2 40.Bh6 Re2 41.Kf1!?
The immediate 41.h4 looks stronger.
41...Nc3 42.Rg3 Rc2 43.Rg4 Re2 44.h4 Rxe4 45.Rxe4 Nxe4 46.Bg7
A bishop is normally better than a knight when there are rival pawn-majorities. But here that is offset by Black's king being considerably better than White's.
46...Kd5 47.Ke2 Ng3+ 48.Kf3 Nf5 49.Bf6 Ke6 50.Bg5 d5 51.g4 Nd6 52.Bc1 d4 53.h5 Kf6 54.g5+ Kf5 55.g6 Ne8 56.Bh6 Nf6 57.g7 e4+ 58.Kg3?!
The position has been dead-equal since move 45, according to the engines, and still is after this pawn-losing move. But RG had been playing on the 10-second increment since about move 40, and the text has the practical disadvantage of allowing Black to force a draw.
58...Nxh5+ 59.Kf2 Nf6?!
Trying to win, but 59...Nxg7 draws easily, even at 10-seconds a move.
60.Bc1 Ng8 61.Bb2
Black lost on time. in what is still an equal position, while playing …
61...Ke5 1-0
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