Veresov
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 c6
This is usually played in conjunction with quick queenside play by ...Qb6 or ...Qa5, and ...Bb4.
4.Qd3!?
Quite a modern idea, although games in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database go back to 1928, albeit only eight before the 1970s. The main idea is to get in a quick e4.
4...Nbd7 5.Nf3 e6 6.e4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Be7
Black threatens to win at least a pawn by 8...Nxe4! 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Qxe4 Qb4+ and ...Qxb2.
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| How should White meet Black's threat? |
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8.Bf4?!
Apparently a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normal is 8.Nxf6+, when the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is better, eg 8...Nxf6 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.h4!? or 8...Bxf6 9.h4!? h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0-0.
8...Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Nf6 10.Qd3
The game has reached a position occurring four times in Mega22, but with White to move.
10...b6 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rfe1 c5 14.Rad1 Nd5
The engines reckon 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 favours White.
15.Be5 Qc8!?
This is Stockfish14.1's top choice. Komodo12.1.1 marginally prefers 15...Nb4, although after 16.Qc3 (16.Qb3 is also good) Black cannot play 16...Nxa2? because of 17.Qb3 Nb4 18.dxc5 etc.
16.c3 Rd8 17.Qb1 c4!?
This is the engines' top choice, although it relieves pressure on the white centre.
18.Nd2 b5 19.Bf3 Qd7!?
Putting the queen on the same file as an enemy rook is unusual. A perhaps more-normal plan is to expand on the queenside, starting with 19...a5.
20.Ne4 Rac8 21.Ng3??
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| Black to play and win |
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21...Bf6??
Black wins a piece with 21...f6 as 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 threatens mate.
Black wins a piece with 21...f6 as 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 threatens mate.
22.Qe4
Strongest is 22.Nh5, according to the engines.
22...Bxe5?!
White gets dangerous kingside play after this. The engines give the sharp line 22..Nxc3!? 23.Qxb7 Nxd1 24.Bxf6!? Qxb7 25.Bxb7 gxf6, which they reckon is dynamically balanced after 26.Rxd1!? Rc7 27.Bf3.
23.dxe5 Qe7 24.Qh4 h6?!
This seems too slow. The engines give 24...f5 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Qf4, reckoning White has a slight edge.
25.Nh5!?
Possibly even stronger is 25.Ne4.
25...Qg5 26.Qe4 Ba8 27.h4 Qg6
Not 27...Qe7? 28.Qg4, when both 28...Qf8 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Re3 and 28...g6 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Nf6+ are very strong for White.
28.Qd4?!
It was probably better to go for the positional advantage to be had by 28.Qxg6 fxg6 29.Bxd5 and Nf4.
28...a5?
The engines reckon 28...Rd7, protecting the a pawn and setting up a potential defence of g7, equalises.
29.Ng3
This is good enough for an advantage, but probably stronger is 29.Re4, obliging Black to spend a tempo moving the king.
29...f5 30.Bh5
The simple 30.exf6 Qxf6 (forced) 31.Bg4 may be better.
30...Qh7 31.Bf3
Not 31.Qa7? g6 32.Qxh7+ Kxh7, when Black is better as the danger to his king and to his queenside pawns has been removed.
31...g6 32.Bxd5 Bxd5 33.Ne2 Qc7?
Undefending h6 is a mistake. Probably best is the engines' 33...g5, but also playable is 33...Qe7, which hits h4 and prepares to support ...g5.
34.Qe3 Kh7 35.Nf4 Qc6
Relatively best, according to the engines, is 35...h5, but after, for example, 36.Rd2 Rd7 37.Red1 Qc6 38.Qg3 Rg8 39.Qg5 the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.
36.Qg3 Rg8 37.Nxd5 exd5
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| The passed pawn allows a decisive breakthrough |
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38.e6 Rge8 39.Qe5 Rcd8 40.h5 Rd6 41.hxg6+ Kxg6 42.Re3 Rexe6 43.Rg3+ Kf7 44.Qg7+!?
This seems even stronger than 44.Qxf5+.
44...Ke8 45.Qh8+ Kd7 46.Rg8 Rf6?
This allows a quick mate, but 46...Qb6 is not much of an improvement, eg 47.Qg7+ Re7 48.Qf8 Qc7 (48...Qb7 49.Qxe7+! etc) 49.Qxf5+ Kc6 50.Rc8.
47.Rg7+ 1-0
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