PLAYED this evening.
Petr Paldus (1977) - Spanton (1825)
Mariánské Lázně Seniors 50+Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3!?
This scores 54% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database - three percentage points more than 3.d4.
3...Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.e5
This is easily the most-popular continuation in Mega22, and has been the choice of many strong players including Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.
6...Bg4 7.Qb3!?
The main line runs 7.Bb5+ Nc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Nbd2, when White has the better game, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1.
7...Qd7 8.Nc3 Nc6
Black often captures on f3 in these lines, especially if White provokes the capture by playing h3. The idea is to put pressure on d4, sometimes augmented by playing ...f6 at a time when White is obliged to reply exf6. Here White has not played h3, but 8...Bxf3!? would have the bonus of damaging the white kingside, although at the same time White would be able to support e5 by playing f4.
9.Be3
Both 9.Qxd5?! Qxd5 10.Nxd5 0-0-0 and 9.Nxd5?! Rd8 seem good for Black.
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| How should 9.Be3 be met by Black? |
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9...Rd8?!
Black faces difficulties after this. The engines like 9...Bxf3 10.gxf3 e6, the idea being to meet 11.Nb5 with 11...Bf8, when Black's set-up looks suspicious to me, but the engines reckon the position is equal. All four games to reach the diagrammed position in Mega22 saw 9...Nh6, which is a transposition to a position occurring 17 times in Mega22. The engines suggest an apparent novelty in 10.Nh4!?, one continuation being 10...0-0 11.Bb5 Be6!?, when they claim an edge for White.
10.Be2
Ensuring the white kingside pawns will not be disrupted (at least not anytime soon). The engines like 10.Na4!?, one point being 10...b6? 11.Bb5 is very awkward for Black to meet, eg 11...Rc8 12.Rc1 e6 13.Nxb6!? axb6 14.Rxc6 Rxc6 15.Qa4 Ne7 16.Qa8+ Qd8 17.Bxc6+ Nxc6 18.Qxc6+ with a large advantage for White. A better try, according to the engines, is 10...Qc7!?, but 11.Nc5 is strong.
10...f6?!
Almost certainly too loosening. The engines reckon White is only slightly better after 10...e6 11.Nb5 Bf8 12.0-0.
11.exf6
The engines want White to sac two pawns with 11.h3 Bxf3 12.e6!? Qxe6 13.Bxf3 Nxd4 14.Qa4+ Nc6 15.0-0-0, when Stockfish14.1 reckons White is winning but Komodo12.1.1 gives White only a slight edge. One plausible continuation runs 15...Bh6 16.Rhe1 Qc8 17.Bxd5 Bxe3+ 18.Rxe3, when White has recovered one pawn and still has a dangerous attack.
11...Nxf6
The engines flicker between the text and 11...Bxf6, but mostly prefer the latter. Straightening Black's pawns with 11...exf6 is also possible, but may be too slow.
12.Ne5 Qe6
Not 12...Nxe5? as 13.dxe5 Bxe2 (forced as White threatened Bb5) 14.exf6 Bc4 15.fxg7 wins a piece. Also bad is 12...Qf5? 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.f3.
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.Nxd5!?
The position is very unclear, but eventually the engines more-or-less agree best-play goes 13.f3 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Qxe5 15.Bxa7 Bd7 16.0-0, claiming an advantage for White. There are many other lines, each with its own tricky details. One point of the text is it threatens a fork on c7.
13...Qxd5
Much better for White is 13...Nxd5? 14.Bxg4.
14.Qxd5 Rxd5 15.Nxg4 Nxd4 16.Nxf6+
Black also seems fine after 16.Bc4 Nc2+ 17.Ke2 Nd4+, meeting 18.Kd3 with 18...Rd8.
16...Bxf6!
Activating the bishop is better than unisolating the e pawn with 16...exf6, when the engines give 17.Bd3! Nf3+ 18.Ke2 Nd4+ 19.Kf1!, after which the bishops are a major menace, eg 19...0-0?? loses instantly to 20.Bc4. Better is 19...Nc6, but 20.Bc4 is again hard to meet, eg 20...Rd6 21.g3 Kd7 22.Kg2 f5 23.Rae1 Re8 24.h4 - White's play may have looked slow and no material has been won, but the engines reckon White is well on top. They conclude that Black's best try is 19...Nf5!? 20.Bxf5 Rxf5 21.Bxa7 0-0 22.g3 Rb5 23.b3 f5, when White is a pawn up but Black is more active.
17.Bd3!?
This is not as effective as after 16...exf6, but is still playable.
17...Nf3+ 18.gxf3?!
It was objectively better to settle for equality, eg 18.Ke2 Nd4+ 19.Bxd4.
18...Rxd3 19.Ke2 Rd7
The engines prefer 19...Rd6!?, their point being to meet 20.Bxa7 with 20...Ra6 21.Be3 Bxb2 22.Rab1 Rxa2, although Stockfish14.1 reckons White is more-or-less equal despite being a pawn down and having the worse pawn-formation (Komodo12.1.1 gives Black a slight edge).
20.Bxa7 Bxb2 21.Rab1 Be5 22.Rb5 Bf4 23.Be3 Rf8 24.h4 Rf6 25.Rhb1 Bxe3 26.fxe3 Ra6 27.R1b2 h5 28.Rb6 Rxb6!?
Stockfish14.1 is happy with the text, claiming it is one of several moves that maintain dead-eye equality, but Komodo12.1.1 - rightly, I think - reckons it gives White an edge. The point is Black is left with a passive rook versus an active white rook. Better, or at least easier to play, is 28...Ra4, and if 29.f4 then 29...Kf7 is probably simplest.
29.Rxb6 Kf7 30.e4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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30...Kg7!?
Possibly better is 30...Rc7, and if 31.Kd3 Rd7+ 32.Kc4 Rc7+ 33.Kd4 the black rook can be activated with 33...Rc2.
31.Ke3
The engines suggest 31.a4!? Kf7 32.Rb4!?, claiming a slight edge for White but it is hard to see how the white position can be improved, eg 32...Rc7 33.Kd3 Kf6 34.Rb5 Rd7+ 35.Ke3 Rc7, when White is not making progress.
31...Kf7 32.a4
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| What should Black play? |
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32...e6?
This loses - it makes the e pawn a target and weakens the f6 square. Correct is holding tight with 32...Rc7.
33.Kf4 Kf6
The engines prefer 33...Re7 34.Kg5 Kg7 35.a5 Kf7 36.f4 Kg7 37.Rd7 Kf7 38.Rd8, although giving White a winning advantage throughout. After 38.Rd8 they claim White's advantage is worth about 6.87 pawns (Stockfish14) or 3.51 pawns (Komodo12.1.1). They are in no hurry to convert White's advantage, but one possible continuation is 38...Rc7 39.Rh8 Rc5+ (39...Kg7 40.Rh6 etc) 40.e5 Kg7 41.Re8 Kf7 42.Ra8 Rb5 43.Ra7 with a6 to follow.
34.e5+ Kf7 35.Kg5 Rc7
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| What should White play? |
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36.Rb4?
White wins by the same method as in the last note, so most moves win, including 36.a5, 36.f4 and 36.Kh6. However the text lets Black off the hook by allowing Black to construct a mating net.
36...Kg7 37.a5
Or 37.Rf4 Rc5, when 38.Rf6?? loses to 38....Rxe5+ 39.Kf4 Kxf6.
37...Rd7?!
The immediate 37...Rf7 is more precise.
38.Rc4?!
White should play 38.Kf4 with a slight edge.
38...Rf7
Threatening mate; White's reply is forced.
39.Rf4
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| Which pawn-ending should Black opt for (and what should be the outcome)? |
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39...Rxf4
Black loses after 39...Rf5+?? 40.Rxf5 exf5 41.f4 etc.
After the text comes ...
40.Kxf4
... when Black again has an important decision to make.
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40....Kh6
Losing trivially is 40...Kf7?? 41.Kg5 Kg7 42.f4 etc.
41.Kg3
PP offered a draw.
41...g5 42.Kh3 Kg6 43.Kg3 Kf5 44.Kh3 gxh4
Also drawing is 44...Kf4 45.hxg5 Kxg5 46.Kg3.
After the text Black will win the white e pawn, but the White king will be in time to win the black b pawn and so draw (in fact White, unlikely as it may seem, would queen first if the pawn-ending were fully played out!).
45.Kxh4 Kf4 46.Kxh5 Kxf3 47.Kg5 Ke4 48.Kf6 Kd5 49.Ke7 Kxe5 50.Kd7 Kf5 ½–½
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