Scotch
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qf6!?
A little refinement in the move-order. The point is that after 4...Bc5 White, in addition to the currently popular 5.Be3 and 5.Nxc6, has the old mainline 5.Nb3. Whether Black should be denying White the chance to play the old main line is arguable.
5.Be3 Bc5
The normal move-order to reach this position is 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6.
6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.0-0 Bb6 9.Re1!?
A relatively new move - the first appearance in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database is from 1992 - whereas 9.f4 goes back to the Dubois-Steinitz match of 1862.
9...Na5?!
Possibly a novelty, and probably not a good one. The main move is 9...d6, which Komodo12.1.1 reckons equalises although Stockfish14 gives White a slight edge.
10.Bd3 d5?
This was the point of ...Na5, but the continuation is tactically flawed. The engines give 10...d6 or 10...Nac6, preferring White.
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| White to play and win material |
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11.Qf3?
11.exd5 wins at least a pawn as 11...Nxd5? fails to 12.Qh5 etc.
11...Qxf3 12.Nxf3 Bxe3 13.Rxe3 dxe4 14.Bxe4 Nc4?
14...Nac6 is roughly equal.
15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Rxe7 Rd8 17.Na3!
This slightly surprising move is best, according to the engines.
17...Nxa3 18.bxa3 c5?!
There is no good continuation, but probably better than the text is the engines' 18...Kg8, although 19.Rxc7 wins a second pawn.
19.Rae1?!
Perhaps overly cautious. The engines like 19.Rxf7 or 19.Ng5+.
19...f6 20.h3 Bd7?!
My originally intended 20...b6 is better, according to the engines.
21.Rf7 Bc6 22.Ree7 Rg8 23.Rxf6 Rge8 24.Rff7?
The engines reckon White should preserve his kingside pawn-structure with 24.Ng5+ Kg8 25.Rff7 Rxe7 27.Rxe7.
24...Rxe7 25.Rxe7 Rd8?!
The engines prefer going for a rook-and-pawn ending with 25...Bxf3 26.gxf3 Rd8 27.Rxb7 Rd3, when White is temporarily three pawns up but they reckon 'only' has the upper hand.
26.Ng5+ Kg6
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
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27.Rxg7+??
27.h4 is the simplest way to keep well on top.
27...Kxg7??
Black is winning after 27...Kf6 as White loses a piece.
The game finished:
28.Ne6+ Kf6 29.Nxd8 Bd5 30.c4 Bxc4 31.Nxb7 Bxa2 32.Nxc5 Ke5 33.f3 Kd4 34.Ne4 Kc4 35.h4 a5 36.h5 a4 37.h6 1-0
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