Alexander Alekhine's Forgotten Weapon Against The Italian Game (part four)

A MORE-MODERN response to 4.c3 is to immediately attack the white centre with 4...f5!?

Claude Wagener (2235) - Ivan Sokolov (2656)

Vienna 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.c3 f5!? 5.d3

5.Qb3 can be met by 5...Nf6!?, when 6.Bf7+ Ke7 is nothing special for White thanks to the threat of ...Na5, eg 7.Bc4? (Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon best is 7.exf5 Na5 8.Qa4 Kxf7 9.Qxa5 Bxf5 with equal chances) Na5 8.Qa4 Nxc4 9.Qxc4 fxe4, which the engines reckon is already winning for Black. White should probably meet 5...Nf6!? with 6.Ng5 Nxe4 7.Nxe4 (not 7.Nf7? Qh4) Na5! 8.Qa4+ c6 9.Be2!?, when 9...b5 10.Qc2 fxe4 11.Qxe4 Qf6 is roughly equal, according to the engines.

The text is Komodo11.01's choice, but Stockfish12 prefers 5.exf5!? Bxf5 6.0-0, with a position somewhat reminiscent of the Ponziani.

Position after 5.d3. How should Black proceed?

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5...f4!?

This is Stockfish12's choice, although Komodo11.01 prefers 5...Qf6, which has been played by David Paravyan (2656) and Jiří Štoček (2595).

I suspect many club players would automatically reject the text because of the reply 6.d4, but the engines suggest meeting that with 6...Qf6 with an unclear position.

6.b4 Qf6 7.a4 Be7 8.a5 a6

White is playing moves that are normal in closed lines of the Italian Game. Both players have a tricky decision to make about where to place their kings.

9.Bb2 g5!? 10.Na3 g4 11.Nd2 Qg6 12.Qb3 Nf6 13.0-0-0!?

This is the engines' choice. It certainly looks safer than castling kingside.

13...Nd8!?

The knight is headed for the kingside, where Black has more room.

14.Qc2 h5 15.Rhe1 h4 16.d4 Nf7 17.Bd3 g3 18.fxg3 fxg3 19.h3 Nh5 20.Nf3 Nf4 21.c4?!

This may be too loosening. The engines suggest 21.Kb1 or 21.Bf1, which Komodo11.01 reckons give roughly equal positions but Stockfish12 prefers Black.

21...Ng5 22.Nxg5 Qxg5 23.Kb1 c5!?

The engines prefer opening the position with 23...exd4 24.Bxd4 0-0!?, although it looks rather unclear.

24.bxc5 dxc5 25.d5 0-0 26.Ka1 Bd6 27.Bf1 Bd7 28.Nb1 Rab8 29.Nd2 Ng6!?

Retreating - perhaps a better word is withdrawing - to allow the king's rook to enter White's position.

30.Be2?!

30.Re2 discourages 30...Rf2, although Black can play 30...Rf7 followed by 30...Rbf8.

Another way to stop 30...Rf2 is 31.Nf3, when Komodo11.01 wants to sac the exchange with 31...Rxf3!? 32.gxf3 Nf4 with promising but unclear play. Stockfish12 reckons 31...Qd8 is very good for Black.

30...Rf2 31.Bf3

This was the idea behind 30.Be2?!, but Black gets a strong initiative.

31...Nf4 32.Rg1 Rf8 33.Qc3 Ba4 34.Rdf1 Nxh3! 35.Rh1?!

Probably better is 35.Rxf2, but Black has won a pawn.

35...Rxf1+ 36.Nxf1 Nf2 37.Rg1 Be8 38.Ne3 Bg6 0-1