Hull 4NCL U2000 Round One
Chigorin
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.e3!?
This somewhat passive move is not without bite. It has been played by Anand, Bareev and other grandmasters, and is the top choice, at least for a while, of the analysis engine Komodo12.1.1. More popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database are 3.Nc3, 3.Nf3 and 3.cxd5.
3...e5 4.cxd5
Bareev has played the text and 4.dxe5, while Anand has preferred 4.Nf3.
4...Qxd5
The game has transposed to a position more normally reached by the move-order 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.e3 e5.
5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.bxc3
This has been played by greats including Capablanca, Alekhine, Rubinstein and Kasparov, while 7.Bxc3 has a lesser pedigree but one that nevertheless includes van Wely, Lautier, Baburin and Topalov.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...Nf6
In the early days of the variation it was almost taken for granted that Black should play 7...exd4 to slow White's central pawn-avalanche, and, as far as I know, this is still the choice of Chigorin Defence specialist Igor Miladinović. However the modern consensus is that 7...exd4 opens the position too much in favour of the white bishop-pair. Accordingly 7...Qd6 started becoming popular in the 1990s, the point being that it prevents 8.c4. Other moves were also tried, with the text gradually taking over, to the point where it is now easily the commonest continuation in Mega21.
8.c4
Also popular is 8.f3, but the text is a logical attempt to exploit the position of the black queen. After ...
8...Qd6 9.d5
... White has gained space with no loss of time and is displacing the black queen's knight.
9...Nb8!?
Much more popular in Mega21 is 9...Ne7, which avoids the danger of a skewer from the white dark-square bishop after Black castles kingside. The text is an alternative way of dealing with the danger.
10.Qb1
Many moves have been tried by strong players at this point, including 10.Qc2, 10.Qa4, 10.f3 and 10.Nf3. Another reasonable-looking move is 10.Rb1.
10...Nbd7
Normal is 10...Na6. The text may even be a novelty, but I imagine the two lines will often transpose.
11.Nf3 Nc5 12.Bc3 Nfd7!?
I was reluctant to open the a1-h8 diagonal and give the white knight the d4 square, both of which would be the consequence of 12...e4. However the text certainly looks awkward.
13.Be2 0-0 14.0-0
The thrust 14.Ng5 can be met in several ways, including 14...Qg6, 14...f5 and 14...Nf6.
14...Re8 15.e4!?
Also good for White, according to the engines, is 15.Nd2. The text lets Black initiate a semi-forcing sequence ...
15...Qg6 16.Nd2 Na4 17.Bb4 a5 18.Ba3 Nc3 19.Qd3 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2
... the result of which is White no longer has the bishop-pair, but equally no longer has a bad bishop. We now have a middlegame with opposite-coloured bishops, which should favour whichever player can seize the initiative.
20...Nf6
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| How should White proceed? |
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21.Rab1
21.Rab1
Developing the rook while putting pressure on b7 looks natural, but the engines prefer trying to mobilise White's centre with 21.f4!?
21...Nh5
Preventing f4 and planning to menace g2.
22.Kh1 Nf4 23.Qf3 Qg5
23...Bg4 might look tempting, but after 24.Qg3 Black has to do something about the b pawn, and, for reasons that will become obvious, I did not want to play ...b6.
24.Qg3 Qh5
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| What should White play? |
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25.h3?
White is probably lost after this. The engines reckon best-play goes 25.f3 Ra6 26.Qf2 Nd3 27.Qe2 Nf4, with a draw by repetition.
25...Ra6
The rook lift means all black pieces, bar the king's rook (and king), will soon be combing against the white king's position.
26.Nf3?
This loses on the spot, but there appears to be no defence. The best the engines can find is giving up a pawn by 26.d6!? to stop the queen's rook switching to the kingside.
26...Rf6
Even stronger is 26...Bxh3! 27.gxh3 Rg6.
27.Qh4
The lesser evil, according to the engines, is giving up the g2 pawn by 27.Qg5!? Qxg5 28.Nxg5 Rg6 etc.
27...Qg6 28.Rg1 Qxe4 29.Rbe1
29.Ng5 is easily met by, among other moves, 29...Qg6.
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| Can you find Black's best move? |
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29...Qf5?!
29...Qf5?!
This may objectively be the worst of the reasonable-looking choices (29...Qg6?? simply loses to 30.Nxe5 Qf5 31.Ng4).
29...Qxc4 grabs a second pawn and threatens two more, but the engines reckon White gets decent counterplay after 30.Bc1 or 30.Bb2, albeit they still prefer Black.
29...Qd3 is met b7 30.Re3, when the engines reckon Black has to retreat with 30...Qf5 to keep any sort of advantage.
Best, according to the engines, is giving up the e pawn with 29...Qc2!?, eg 30.Rxe5 Rxe5 31.Nxe5, when Black has 31...Qc3, forking bishop and knight. And if 30.Nxe5, then 30...Ne2 looks very strong.
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| How can White take advantage of Black's last move? |
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30.Nd4
This loses, as does 30.Bb2 Nxh3!, but White can save himself with 30.Nxe5!, when 30...Rxe5? leaves Black in trouble after 31.g4. Instead the engines reckon Black can in turn save himself with 30...Nxg2!, when 31.Rxg2 Rxe5 32.Rxe5 Qxe5 33.f3! (threatens 34.Bb2) is dead-equal, eg 33...Qa1+ 34.Kh2 Qe5+ 35.Kh1 etc.
30...Qd7 31.Nf3 Rh6 32.Qg3 Nxh3! 33.gxh3 Rxh3+ 0-1
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