Hull 4NCL U2000 Round Three
London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6
This modest continuation is slightly more popular than 2...c6, but both moves are eclipsed, at least in popularity, by the less-committal 2...Nf6.
3.Bf4 Bd6 4.e3!?
Retreating the bishop (4.Bg3) and exchanging (4.Bxd6) are commoner, but the text is also popular with grandmasters, and scores best percentage-wise in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.
4...Nf6
4...Bxf4 5.exf4 disrupts White's pawn-formation, but gives White a half-open central file and strong control over the e5 square.
5.Nbd2 0-0 6.Bd3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7
Black can swop off his bad bishop with 7...Ba6!?, but 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.Qe2 looks pleasant for White, although Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon 9...Bxf4 10.exf4 makes the game roughly equal.
8.Qe2 Bxf4 9.exf4 c5 10.c3 Nc6 11.Ne5 cxd4 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.cxd4 Qd6 14.g3 Rac8
14...Qb4 can be met by 15.Nf3 or R(either)c1.
15.Ba6 Rc7 16.a3?!
This is probably too passive. After 16.Rfc1 Black can hardly play 16...Qb4?! as White has 17.Rc3! (17.Nf3 is also good), when 17...Qxb2? runs into 18.Rac1 Nd7! 19.Qd3! (not 19.Rxc6? Rxc6 20.Rxc6 Nb8 21.Rxe6!, when Black has equality, according to the engines) Nb8 20.Rb1.
16...Bb7
The engines give 16...b5! 17.Bxb5 Bxb5 18.Qxb5 Rc2 when, if anyone is better, it is Black.
17.Bxb7?!
Giving up a good bishop for a bad one is strange, but OS had a specific idea in mind.
17...Rxb7 18.Qe5 Qd7
White is better after 18...Qxe5? 19.fxe5.
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| After 18...Qd7 the game revolves around control of the open file |
This retreat does not really accomplish anything. The engines give 20.Nf1!?, eg 20...Rbc7 21.Rxc7 Qxc7 22.Ne3, reckoning Black has at best a slight edge.
20...h6!?
The engines reckon the obvious 20...Rbc7 is marginally better, but the more I looked at the position the more I saw lines in which the threat of a back-rank mate came into play.
21.f3!?
The engines are not keen on this move, which deprives the black knight of use of the e4 and g4 squares but slightly weakens the white king's position. Instead they prefer 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 22.Nf1! Rc7 23.Ne3, when White has defended the c2 entry point. Black can continue 23...Rc1+ 24.Rxc1 Qxc1+, which looks promising, but after 25.Kg2 Ne4 the engines give 26.f5, claiming White is equal.
21...Rbc7 22.Qd1 Qb5 23.Rxc7 Rxc7 24.Rc1?!
This looks natural but it lets the black queen penetrate White's position. The engines give 24.Rb1!?, but reckon Black has a large advantage.
24...Rxc1 25.Qxc1 Qe2 26.Qc3 h5 27.h4 g6 28.b4 Kg7?!
This seems slow. I rejected 28...Ne8 because of 29.Qc8, but Black is well on top after 29...Qxd2 (the engines reckon 29...Qe3+!? 30.Kf1 Kf8 is even stronger) 30.Qxe8+ Kg7.
29.Nf1 a6 30.Qe3 Qxe3+?!
The engines much prefer 30...Qd1.
31.Nxe3
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| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's weaknesses at g3, d4 and a3 make it a hard defensive task, but it may well be that correct defence should hold. The engines give Black a slight edge.
31...Ne8!?
Aiming for d6 and then f5, c4 or b5.
32.Kf2 Nd6 33.Ke2
The engines reckon 33.a4!? keeps Black's edge to a minimum.
33...Nc4
The engines prefer 33...b5!?, fixing the weakness at a3.
34.Nc2 Kf6 35.Kd3 Ke7 36.Kc3 Kd6 37.a4 Ke7!
This paradoxical retreat is best, according to the engines.
38.a5?
The engines give 38.g4 Kf6 39.b5!? axb5 40.axb5, reckoning Black has a slight edge.
38...bxa5 39.bxa5 Nxa5 40.Nb4 Nc4 41.Nxa6 Ne3 42.Kd3 Nf5 43.g4 Nxh4 44.Nb4
Or 44.Ne2 Ng2 45.gxh5 Nxf4+ etc.
44...Nxf3 (0-1, 67 moves)
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