THIS Central London League game was played on November 18.
Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5
The game starts as a Scotch Gambit, to which the most popular reply in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 4...Nf6, but the text is also popular.
5.c3 Nf6
This position is most commonly reached by the move-order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4.
6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rc1!?
This move, which is the choice of the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1, is not as popular as 11.Re1, but scores 54% in Mega22 compared with the latter's 44%.
11...Bg4
This has been played by Gata Kamsky and other strong grandmasters, but the engines at first prefer 11...Nb6 12.Bb3 a5, although Komodo12.1.1 comes to give the nod to the text.
12.h3 Bh5 13.Bxd5 Qxd5 14.Rc5 Bxf3 15.Nxf3
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...Qd6
The engines marginally prefer grabbing the pawn with 15...Qxa2, when their main line continues 16.d5 Nb4 17.Rxc7 Qxd5 18.Qxd5 Nxd5 19.Rxb7, which they reckon is dead-equal.
16.Qc2 Rfd8?!
Also dubious is 16...Nxd4?! 17.Nxd4 Qxd4 18.Rd1, with an initiative for White. But the engines reckon 16...Rad8 leaves White with just a tiny edge.
17.Ng5 Qg6 18.Qxg6 hxg6 19.d5 Ne5?
Better is the engines' 19...Nd4 20.Rd1 b6! 21.Rxc7 Rxd5 22.Kf1 (22.Nxf7?? loses to 22...Ne2+ etc) Rxg5, but after 23.Rxd4 White's rooks are much-better coordinated.
20.Rxc7 Rxd5 21.Rxb7 Nc4?!
Probably better, but still very good for White, is 21...f6.
22.h4 Rf5 23.Rd1 Ne5
23...a5 prevents White's next move, but Black is still losing.
24.Rxa7! (1-0, 37 moves)
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