Spanton (2041 ECF) - Tim Valentine (1753 ECF)
Sicilian ...e6
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.e5!?
It is much more normal to defend the e4 pawn by 5.Qe2, 5.d3 or 5.Nc3, but in playing the text I had a gambit idea in mind.
5...Ng4 6.b4!?
Offering Black the choice of two pawns. There is just one game with this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Ngxe5
Attila Czebe (2465) - Jakub Szotkowski (2369), Budapest GM Tournament 2017, saw 6...Qc7!? 7.bxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 Ngxe5 9.Nxe5 Qxe5 10.c3 with an unclear position (the game is listed in Mega22 as a win for White in 31 moves - perhaps on time as the final position is only slightly better for White, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1).
An obvious alternative is 6...Nxb4, when the engines continue 7.0-0 Nc6, which also seems unclear but which they reckon slightly favours Black.
Another possibility is 6...cxb4, eg 7.d4 d6 8.h3 Nh6 9.0-0, when again the question is whether White has quite enough compensation for a pawn.
7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.bxc5 d5
Not 8...Bxc5?? 9.d4.
9.cxd6
9.d4!? seems a viable alternative.
9...Bxd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.d4 Nd7!?
This may be a tad slow, but 11...Nc6 and 11...Nc4 are not all plain-sailing either.
12.c4 Nf6 13.Bb2
The engines prefer the arguably more-aggressive 13.Nc3 and 13.c5!?
13...Qc7 14.Qe2 Bd7 15.Rd1 Rfe8 16.Nd2 Bc6 17.Nf3
Avoiding an exchange of light-square bishops, but the engines reckon 17.Rac1!? Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qc6+ 19.Qf3!? Qxf3+ 20.Kxf3 favours, if anyone, White.
17...Rac8 18.Rac1 Qa5 19.a3 Qh5 20.Re1 Ng4 21.h3 Nf6 22.Qd3 Nd7
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| How should White proceed? |
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23.g4!?
Double-edged, but Black is not well-placed to exploit white kingside weaknesses. The engines are OK with the move, but prefer something like 23.Re3 or 23.Bc3!?
23...Qa5
On 23...Qg6 I intended 24.Qd2, when the engines reckon 24...Bxf3!? is the only way to maintain equality.
24.Bc3!
Forcing the black queen off the rank.
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| Black has to find an only-move |
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24...Qd8
Not 24...Qa6 or 24...Qa4 as both moves are met by 25.Ng5 or 25.d5, in each case with a large advantage for White, while 24...Qxa3 is also calamitous after 25.Ng5 or 25.Ra1.
Not 24...Qa6 or 24...Qa4 as both moves are met by 25.Ng5 or 25.d5, in each case with a large advantage for White, while 24...Qxa3 is also calamitous after 25.Ng5 or 25.Ra1.
The engines give best-play as 24...Qc7! 25.d5 Nc5 26.Qb1, when 26...exd5 27.cxd5 Bxd5 28.Ng5 Bh2+ 29.Kh1 Bxg2+ 30.Kxg2 g6 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.Qb5 gives White full compensation, but no more, for a pawn, according to the engines.
25.d5 Nc5
Or 25...exd5 26.Rxe8+ Qxe8 27.Ng5 Nf8 28.Qd4 Be5 (an amusing sideline runs 28...f6 29.Bxd5+ Bxd5 30.Qxd5+ Kh8 31.Nf7+ Kg8 32.Nh6+ Kh8 33.Qg8#) 29.Qxe5 Qxe5 30.Bxe5 f6 31.cxd5 Bd7 32.Rxc8 Bxc8 33.Bxf6 gxf6 34.Ne4, when White is only a pawn up but has an overwhelming position. If 27...g6, White has 28.Re1, eg 28...Ne5 29.Qd4 f6 30.f4 etc.
26.Qd4 e5 27.Nxe5 Rxe5
27...Bxe5 comes to the same thing, while 27...Nb3 28.Nxf7 Nxd4 29.Nxd8 Ne2+ 30.Rxe2 Rxe2 31.dxc6 Rxd8 32.cxb7 gives White three pawns and much the better position for an exchange.
28.Rxe5 Bxe5 29.Qxe5 f6 30.Qe3 Bd7
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| White is a pawn up but also has powerful bishops and a dangerous protected passed pawn |
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31.Bd4 b6 32.Re1 Nb7 33.Bf1 Qc7 34.Qd3 b5?
It is hard to explain this.
The game finished:
35.cxb5 Nd6 36.Re7 Qd8 37.Bxf6! Bxb5 38.Rxg7+ Kf8 39.Qxh7 1-0
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