Opening Lessons From Basel II

IN round two I had white against Anuar Tureshbayev from France, who is nine or 10 and does not have a Fide rating.

French Irregular

1.Nc3!?

This can have independent meaning but can also be used as a transpositional device.

1...d5 2.d4

The independent 2.e4 is the most-popular move by far, at least in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, reaching a position that can arise, but rarely does, from a Scandinavian: 1.e4 d5 2.Nc3!?

2...e6 3.e4 c6!?

I have called this an irregular variation of the French Defence, but the position more often comes about from a Caro-Kann move-order: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 c6!?

4.Bd3

More popular are 4.Nf3 and 4.e5, but the text has been chosen by strong players, as has Stockfish13's pick, 4.a3!?

4...dxe4 5.Nxe4!?

Offering a promising gambit. Blackburne in 1880 preferred 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxf6 in a simul win.

5...Qxd4

Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 approve of this principled decision, but they agree White has an edge.

6.Nf3 Qd8

All nine games in Mega21 feature this retreat, but 6...Qb6!? is worth investigating. The engines come to view the moves as of approximately equal value.

7.Qe2!?

Holding back on where to develop the dark-square bishop and on whether to castle short or long.

7...Nf6 8.Nxf6+

Known moves are 8.Bg5 and 8.Bf4, but the engines prefer the text.

8...Qxf6

The engines prefer 8...gxf6!?, one line given by them running 9.0-0 Qd5!? 10.Nh4!? Nd7 11.Be3 Ne5, when they reckon White has a slight edge.

9.Bg5?!

Reckless. The engines give White the upper hand after 9.c3.

9...Qxb2 10.0-0

Position after White castles

With one side having connected rooks, the middlegame can be thought of as starting. Stockfish13 gives Black a slight edge after 10...Nd7, but Komodo12.1.1 reckons White has full compensation for the sacrificed pawns.