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| Parts of the sea around Menorca are remarkably blue, even under a cloudy sky |
Menorca U2000 Round Two
English 1...e5
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e3
As I have remarked before, a Botvinnik set-up with e4 and Nge2 is popular in English-speaking countries, thanks largely to Tony Kosten's Dynamic English book, but the text and 5.d3 remain the main moves.
5...Nge7 6.Nge2 Nf5!?
This discourages 7.d4 but arguably leaves Black with difficulties finding an active plan.
7.0-0
7.d4!? is not as ridiculous as it may seem. After 7...exd4 8.exd4 Ncxd4 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.0-0 0-0 11.h4!? my main analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White has good compensation for a pawn.
7...d6 8.a3 a5!?
This typical restraining move is not in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
9.Rb1 Be6 10.Nd5 Qd7
The engines prefer 10...Nb8!?, or 10...0-0 followed by ...Nb8, the idea being to evict the d5 knight with ...c6.
11.Nec3 0-0 12.b4 axb4 13.axb4 Nfe7 14.d3 f5!?
The engines prefer 14...Nd8, but note ...c6 is hard to organise because of a fork-threat at b6.
15.Bd2 h6
The engines like 15...e4!? 16.dxe4 Ne5, albeit preferring White after 17.Rc1!
16.b5 Nd8 17.Qc2!?
The engines prefer this to the aggressive 17.b6 c6 18.Nc7 Rc8.
17...g5
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
18.Ra1
Stockfish14.1 gives 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Nd5 Qf7 20.f4, claiming White is positionally winning. Komodo12.1.1 comes to like the move after it is played on the board, but is not so enthusiastic.
18...Rxa1 19.Rxa1 Nxd5
The engines reckon 19...Nc8 or 19...f4!? keeps White's advantage to more-manageable levels.
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| How should White recapture? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
20.Nxd5
The engines prefer 20.cxd5!? Bf7 and either 21.b6 (Stockfish14.1) or 21.Qb3 (Komodo12.1.1).
20...c6 21.bxc6 bxc6 22.Nb6 Qf7 23.Ra3
The engines give 23.Bb4, claiming an edge for White after 23...c5 24.Bc3 but reckoning 23...Qb7 equalises.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
23...f4!?
White has to be very careful in meeting this thrust.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
24.exf4?!
The engines give 24.Be1!? Komodo12.1.1 at first reckons the move keeps the balance, but as soon as the move is inputted it agrees with Stockfish14.1's assessment of an edge for Black, albeit later reverting to more-or-less equality.
24...exf4 25.gxf4?
Black's pieces are much better placed than White's for action on the kingside with mutually exposed kings. The engines give 25.Bc3 Bxc3 26.Rxc3, although preferring Black after 26...Bf5.
25...gxf4 26.Bf3
Stockfish14.1 slightly prefers 26.d4!? despite the reply 26...Bxd4.
26...Qg6+ 27.Kh1
Even worse is 27.Kf1? Bh3+.
27...Bd4 28.Ba5 Rf5 29.Be4?
Tempting, but bad. However Black seems to be winning whatever White plays.
29...f3 30.Bxf3 Rxf3 31.Be1 Bh3 0-1
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