Calvià (part three)

Jordi Baldo Company (1565) - Spanton (1793)

Calvià U2350 Round 3

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f3!?

There are more than 6,000 games with this move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but much more popular are 7.Be2 and especially 7.Bc4.

7...0-0 8.Qd2 d5

The thematic point behind the Accelerated Dragon - playing ...d5 without spending a tempo on ...d6.

9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.exd5

10.0-0-0 and 10.e5 are major alternatives.

10...cxd5 11.0-0-0 Qa5 12.a3!?

The main line in Mega21 runs 12.Nxd5?! Qxa2 13.Nxe7+ Kh8 14.Qb4, when White has won a pawn but has a lost game, according to the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1.

12...Bb7

The engines prefer 12...Rb8 or 12...Qc7!?

Position after 12...Bb7

13.Nb5!?

This apparent-novelty is liked by Komodo12.1.1 but not by Stockfish13, which prefers 13.Bd4. The only game in Mega21 saw 13.Be2?!, which lets Black take the initiative with 13...e5.

13...Qxd2+ 14.Rxd2 a5

Saving the pawn, but the engines prefer 14...e5!?

15.Nc7 Rac8 16.Bb6!? Bh6 17.Bxa5 e5

There is no rush to take the exchange.

18.Nb5 Bxd2+ 19.Kxd2

The bishop-pair and a pawn give White full compensation for the exchange, according to Stockfish13, but Komodo12.1.1 gives Black a slight edge.

19...Ra8 20.Bb4 Rfd8?? 21.Be7 Kg7 22.Bxd8 Rxd8

White has regained the exchange, remains a pawn up and is winning, according to Stockfish13, although Komodo12.1.1 'merely' gives White the upper hand.

23.Kc1 d4

Creating a knight outpost at e3.

24.Bd3 Nd5 25.Re1!?

The engines' choice. A major alternative is 25.Be4 f5 26.Bxd5 Bxd5, although then Black has the better minor piece for cooperating with a rook.

25...Ne3 26.Re2 f5 27.c3 e4??

Sensible is 27...Kf6, when White is still better but Black has counterplay.

28.Nxd4 exd3 29.Rxe3 Kf6 30.h4

There seems no good reason not to play 30.Rxd3.

30...f4 31.Re6+

Again Rxd3 is possible but the text is preferred by the engines.

31...Kf7 32.Kd2? Rxd4! 33.cxd4??

White is still better, according to the engines, after 33.Rb6, but the text loses.

33...Kxe6 34.Kxd3 Kd5

The game finished:

35.Kc3 Ba6 36.b4 Bb5 37.Kb3 Kxd4 38.a4 Bf1 39.b5 Kc5 40.Kc3 Bxg2 41.Kd3 Bxf3 42.Kd2 Bd5 43.Ke2 Kb6 44.Kf2 Ka5 45.Ke2 Kxa4 46.b6 Kb5 47.b7 Bxb7 48.Kd3 Kc5 0-1