Northumberland Open Round 2
English Nimzowitsch
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4!?
More popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database are 4.g3, 4.e3, 4.d4 and 4.d3, but the text, which was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch, is also popular with grandmasters.
4...Bb4 5.d3 h6!?
The main move is 5...d6.
6.Be2
The chief alternative is 6.g3. After fianchettoing the king's bishop, White would have a formation that Mikhail Botvinnik refined by developing the king's knight to e2.
6...0-0 7.0-0 Re8 8.Be3 b6!?
I intended meeting 8...Ng4 by playing 9.Bd2, with h3 to come, but Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 suggest 9.Nd5, meeting 9...Nxe3 with 10.fxe3.
9.Nd5 Bc5 10.Qd2 Ng4
The engines prefer 10...a5!?
11.Bxc5 bxc5 12.h3 Nf6 13.Qe3 Nd4 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Nxd4 exd4
The engines slightly prefer 15...cxd4, although this allows White a pawn-lever with f4.
16.Qg3 d6 17.f4 Rb8 18.b3
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| Who stands better? |
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The black queen's rook is more active than its white counterpart, and Black has the better bishop, but the black pawn-structure is less flexible and White has the possibility of a kingside initiative. The engines slightly prefer White.
18...Bd7 19.Rae1 a5 20.Bd1 a4 21.e5 Qg6
The engines slightly prefer 21...dxe5. one point being 22.fxe5 can be met by 22...Qg5 23.Qxg5 hxg5, when the pawn at g5 looks weak but White does not have the possibility of creating a passed e pawn.
22.Qxg6 fxg6 23.bxa4!
This looks like a beginners' move, but it poses Black unexpected difficulties.
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| How should Black reply? |
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23...dxe5?!
This gives White a central passed pawn to go with the queenside passer(s). The engines prefer 23...Bf5 24.Be2!? dxe5 25.g4 Bd7 26.Bf3 exf4 27.Bd5+ Kh7 28.Rxe8 Bxe8!? (28...Rxe8 29.a5!? c6 30.Be4 is good for White, according to the engines) 29.Rxf4 Bxa4, when Black is a pawn up but White is slightly better thanks to having two sets of two pawns holding up two sets of three black pawns.
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24.Rxe5?!
The engines much prefer 24.fxe5.
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24...Rxe5?!
White is only slightly better after 24...Bf5, according to the engines.
25.fxe5
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25...Ra8?
This may look natural but it lets White promote the light-square bishop from bad and passive to bad but active. The engines suggest 25...Bc6, but then Stockfish14's 26.e6!? Re8 27.Rf7 Rxe6 28.Rxc7 Re1+ 29.Kf2 Rxd1 30.Rxc6 is promising despite being a rook-and-pawn ending.
26.Bf3! Re8?!
Not 26...Rxa4? 27.Bd5+ Kh7 28.e6 etc, but better than the text seems to be the engines' 26...c6, although then 27.Be4 is strong, eg 27...Rxa4 (27...Kh7 28.Rf7) 28.Bxg6 Rxa2 29.Rb1 with good winning chances.
27.Bd5+ Be6 28.Bc6 Rb8 29.a5 Bf5 30.Rxf5!
The simplest solution.
30...gxf5 31.a6 Rb1+ 32.Kh2 Rb2 33.a4 1-0
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