Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4!?
More popular are 4.Bxc6 and especially 4.0-0.
4...cxd4 5.Qxd4 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3
At the cost of giving up the bishop-pair, White has obtained a handy lead in development.
7...Nf6 8.Bg5 e5!?
This is Black's second-most popular choice, but a long way behind 8...e6.
9.Qd3 Be7 10.0-0-0 Ng4
This is best, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 narrowly prefers 10...0-0.
11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Rd2 Rd8 13.Nd5!?
The engines do not like this, preferring 13.Rhd1, 13.h3 or 13.Qc4.
13...Bxd5 14.Qxd5 0-0 15.Rhd1 Nf6 16.Qd3 Qc7!?
Black could catch up in development with 16...Rfe8 and thus equalise, according to the engines.
17.Nxe5!? d5
Maybe even better is the engines' 17...Qa5!? 18.Nc4 Qxa2 19.Na3 d5.
18.Nf3 Nxe4 19.Re2 Rfe8 20.Rde1 Kf8!?
A risky manoeuvre with so much material on the board. The engines prefer 20...Re6.
21.g3 Qc5 22.Nd2 g6 23.Nb3 Qb6 24.f3 Nf6 25.Nd4 Rxe2 26.Rxe2 Qc5 27.c3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
27...Nd7?!
27...Nd7?!
Probably the wrong idea. The engines reckon White is only slightly better after 27...Re8 28.Rxe8+ Nxe8 29.Qe3 Qe7 30.Qh6+ Kg8 31.Kd2.
28.Qe3 a6?
Missing White's pawn-winning threat. The engines give 28...Kg8, but strongly prefer White after 29.h4.
29.Qh6+ Kg8 30.Nf5 Qf8
Black loses at least the exchange after 30...gxf5? 31.Qg5+ and 32.Qxd8+.
31.Ne7+ Kh8 32.Qxf8+ Nxf8 33.Rd2 d4 34.Rxd4 Rxd4 35.cxd4 Kg7
35...Ne6 fails to the simple 36.d5.
36.Kd2 Kf6 37.Nd5+ Ke6 38.Nf4+ Kd6 39.Kd3 h5 40.Ke4 Nd7 41.Kd3 b5 42.Kc3 a5 43.Nd3 g5 44.h4 f6 45.Nf2 gxh4 46.gxh4 f5 47.Nd3 Nf6 48.Nf4 Nd5+?!
Letting the knights come off does not help Black's cause, but Black was almost in zugzwang.
49.Nxd5 Kxd5 50.b3?
One of the few moves that does not win.
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| Black to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
50...Kd6?
As I saw to my horror while waiting for JK to move, Black draws with 50...b4+ 51.Kd3 f4, when White has to avoid the losing 52.Kd2? (but 52.Kc2 and 52.Ke2 hold).
The game finished:
51.a4 bxa4 52.bxa4 Kd5 53.Kd3 f4 54.Kc3 Kd6 55.Kc4 Kc6 56.d5+ Kd6 57.Kd4 Kd7 58.Ke5 Ke7 59.Kxf4 1-0
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