26th 4NCL Weekend Congress (Woodland Grange, Warwickshire) U2000 Round 4
English Opening
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3
4.d4!? exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.g3 is close to giving White the upper hand, according to Stockfish14, but Komodo12.1.1 is much less enthusiastic.
4...Bg7 4.Bg2 d6 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 f5!?
This aggressive continuation is the most popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.
7.d3 Nf6 8.Rb1 a5 9.a3 0-0 10.Bd2
The immediate 10.b4 is also possible as the reply 10...e4?! is nothing to worry about, eg 11.dxe4 fxe4 12.Ng5.
10...Be6 11.b4 axb4!?
Black's control of the a file will be purely temporary, so, although the engines like the text, there is a lot to be said for getting on with action on the kingside with 11...h6.
12.axb4 Qe7?!
Bad is 12...Qd7? 13.Ng5. The text is the engines' second choice, at least for a while, but almost certainly better is ...h6, which I play soon anyway. It prevents a white piece using the g5 square, so allowing ...Qd7, and prepares kingside expansion.
13.b5 Nd8 14.Qc2 h6 15.Ra1 Rxa1 16.Rxa1 g5 17.Bc1?!
More natural is 17.Ra7 or 17.Ra8.
17...e4!
This effectively equalises ... if followed up correctly,
18.Nd4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
18...exd3?
18...exd3?
This is not the way to do it. Stockfish14 gives 18...Ng4 19.e3 Qf7 20.dxe4 f4!? with attacking chances. Komodo12.1.1 likes 18...Qf7 19.Ra8 Ng4 20.Nxe6 Nxe6 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Nd5 f4 with an unclear position.
19.Qxd3 b6?
Better is 19...Ne4 20.Nxe4 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Qf7, although Black's activity does not fully compensate for being a pawn down.
20.Nxe6!?
Even stronger is the obvious 20.Nxf5 as 20...Bxf5 21.Qxf5 Nd7 is not a problem for White.
20...Nxe6 21.Ra7 f4 22.Nd5 Nxd5?
Better is 22...Qf7, but White remains on top.
23.Bxd5 fxg3 24.hxg3 Kh8 25.Qg6 Rf6 26.Ra8+ Kf8 27.Qh5 Kh7
Black is lost whatever is played.
The game finished:
28.Bxg5 Qe7 29.f4 Qe3+ 30.Kg2 Rf5 31.Re8 Rxg5 32.gxf5 Qd2 33.gxh6 Bxh6 34.Qf7+ Bg7 35.Be4+ 1-0
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