MY round-one game found me as black facing an unusual but interesting opening scheme - one I have often played myself.
26th 4NCL Weekend Congress (Woodland Grange, Warwickshire) U2000
Morra Gambit (Delayed)
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3
This is how Paul Morphy generally played against the Sicilian.
3...Nc6
3...e5!? usually gets short shrift in opening books, assuming the line is discussed at all, but seems playable. It sets a little trap (4.Nxe5?? Qa5+ etc) but White should prefer 4.c3 or 4.Bc4, in each case with promising play.
4.Bc4!?
Morphy used to capture on d4. The text keeps Black guessing as to whether White will play c3 or Nxd4.
4...Nf6!? 5.Qe2
Not 5.e5?! Nxe5 6.Nxe5 Qa5+ etc.
5...d6 6.h3!?
I have had the position after 5...d6 10 times as White. Six times castled, three times I played c3 and once I tried Bg5. My score in those games was +8=1-1, and that was against opposition that was on average higher-graded. However in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database the text is more popular than all alternatives put together. The point is 6.h3!? stops the annoying pin 6...Bg4, but Morra players normally turn their noses up at such slow moves. On the other hand White is not committed to playing the Morra, and h3 is the choice of Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.
6...e6 7.c3
At last committing to the Morra. White could delay further with 7.0-0, when the engines suggest a novelty, or at least a move not in Mega21, in the shape of 7...Nxe4!? After 8.Qxe4 d5 9.Bxd5 Qxd5 10.Qxd5 exd5 White will recover the lost pawn and have play against an IQP, but the engines reckon Black's bishop-pair is more than enough compensation.
7...d5!?
This also seems to be a novelty, and it is not liked by the engines, who again prefer 7...Nxe4!? 8.Qxe4 d5 9.Bxd5 Qxd5 10.Qxd5 exd5, when White also recovers his missing pawn, but again the engines like the black bishop-pair.
8.exd5 Nxd5 9.cxd4
The engines reckon White may be a tad better if the Morra theme is continued with 9.0-0!?
9...Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Nf4!
Initiating sharp play that favours Black.
11.Qe4 Nxg2+
Even better, according to the engines, is 12...Bxd2+, when their top line runs 13.Nbxd2 Nxg2+ 14.Kf1 f5 with 15...Nf4 to come.
12.Kf1 f5!?
The engines prefer 12...Bxd2 13.Kxg2 Ba5, giving Black a slight edge.
13.Qe2
This is best, and should give equality, according to the engines.
13...Bxd2
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
14.Nbxd2?
Capturing while developing may look natural, but it lets Black extricate the g2 knight with tempo. Even worse is 14.Qxd2? Nh4, but 14.Kxg2 gives White plenty of compensation for the pawn after, for example, 14...Bh6 15.Rd1.
14...Nf4 15.Qe1
The engines prefer 15.Qe3, but 15...Nd5 leaves Black on top.
15...0-0
Black is temporarily two pawns up after 15...Nxd4?, but 16.Qe5 Nxf3 (forced) 17.Nxf3 is strong for White.
16.Nb3 Kh8 17.Rg1!?
Komodo12.1.1's choice, at least for a while.
17...Nxh3!?
This may look greedy, but White should not get enough play for being two pawns down.
18.Rg3 Nf4 19.Qd2 Nd5 20.Kg2 f4 21.Rg5 Qf6!?
Hoping to tempt White into winning back a pawn by capturing twice on d5. The engines prefer 21...b6, which keeps the white queen's knight out of c5, or 21...h6 22.Rh1 b6.
22.Bxd5?
Better is to continue building up with 22.Nc5 or 22.Rh1. The text helps activate the black light-square bishop, as well as giving up a bishop that could be useful for attacking Black's king, and it is not as if the pawn that goes to d5 can be captured.
22...exd5 23.Rh1
Not 23.Rxd5?? Qe6 24.Qe6 Rg5 25.Qh3+ etc.
23...Bf5 24.Rgh5 Be4 25.R1h3
This does not help, but White is busted anyway.
25...Qg6+ 26.Kh2 Bxf3!?
Black will have to give up the queen after this, but gets more than enough material in return.
27.Rxh7+ Qxh7
White equalises after 27...Kg8?? 28.Rh8+ Kf7 29.Qxf4+ etc.
28.Rxh7+ Kxh7 29.Qd3+ Be4 30.Qh3+ Kg8 31.Qe6+ Kh8 32.Qh3+ Bh7
Black has two rooks, bishop and pawn for the queen, and attacking chances.
The game finished:
33.Qh5 Rf5 34.Qe2 Rf6 35.Qb5 Be4 (threatens mate in two) 36.Kh3 Bf3 37.Kh4 Rf5 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment