Scarborough Round Four
Pribyl
1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4
This aggressive continuation is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database to 4.Be3.
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| How should Black respond? |
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4...d5!?
4...d5!?
This is easily Black's most-popular reply, despite the loss of tempo in taking two moves to get the d pawn to d5.
5.Nf3
The main line runs 5.e5 h5 6.Nf3 Bg4 (also popular is 6...Nh6) 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3, when White has a slight edge, according to Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.
5...Bg4 6.Be2 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Bxf3?!
Giving up the bishop-pair without being provoked by h3 looks strange in what is a relatively open position.
8.Bxf3 Bg7 9.c3 Nd7 10.0-0 Ngf6 11.Be3
The engines prefer 11.Nf2!? or a queen move, ie 11.Qe2 or 11.Qb3.
11...Qc7 12.Qd2 Nd5 13.Rae1 0-0
This is probably better, and certainly safer, than 13...0-0-0?!
14.g3 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Nf6 16.Ng5!?
Hoping to maintain winning chances by avoiding a further exchange, but the engines prefer 16.Nc5 (Komodo12.1.1) or 16.h4!? (Stockfish14).
16...e6 17.Kg2 Rac8 18.Re2 b6 19.Rd1 Rfd8 20.Red2 h6 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 Bf6 23.Rd3 c5 24.d5 exd5 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Rxd5 Rd8 27.Qd4 Rxd5 28.Qxd5 Qd8 29.Qxd8+ ½–½
After the game PA said the system he chose leads to an interesting game IF White makes it interesting; otherwise White just has a slight edge. He had expected me to want to make it interesting, he said, but had been proven wrong.
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