Tegernsee R4 Game

PLAYED March 29.

Helmut Huber (1704) - Spanton (1912)

Senioren Cuo

Chigorin

1.Nf3 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.c4 Bg4 4.Nc3

This is a popular alternative to the mainline 4.cxd5.

4...e6 5.Bf4

Again cxd5 is the commonest continuation.

5...Bd6

There is no consensus over how Black should play here; popular alternatives include ...Bxf3!?, ...Bb4 and ...Nf6.

6.Bg3 Nf6 7.e3 0-0 8.cxd5

Vladimir Kramnik (2791) - Magnus Carlsen (2802), London Classic 2010, saw 8.a3!? Ne7!? 9.Qb3 b6 10.Ne5 c5!? 11.Nxg4 Nxg4 12.Rd1, which Komodo12.1.1 reckons is dead-equal, but Stockfish14 gives a slight edge to White (½–½, 86 moves).

8...exd5 9.Be2 Re8 10.Bh4 Be7 11.0-0 Ne4 12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Ne5 Bf5

13...Bxe2 14.Qxe2 c6 is equal, according to the engines.

14.Rc1 c6 15.Bh5!? g6 16.Be2 Kg7

How should White proceed?

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17.g4!?

Enterprising. The engines slightly prefer 17.Nxe4, or play on the queenside with 17.b4 or 17.a4, but they do not flash red on being given the text.

17...Be6 18.f4 f6 19.Nd3 Qd6

The engines prefer 19...Bf7, or 19...Nxc3 followed by ...Nc8.

20.Qe1 h6 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Nc5

How should Black proceed?

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22...b6?

Black is fine after 22...Nd5, thanks to the threat to e3. Less good, probably, is 22...Bxa2?!, eg 23.Nxb7 Qb8 24.Nc5 as 24...Qxb2?! 25.Rf2 with Ba6 to come gives White a strong initiative.

23.Nxe4 Qd7 24.Qh4 Nd5!?

Best, according to the engines, is 24...Rf8, but White is still on top.

25.g5 hxg5 26.fxg5 fxg5 27.Qxg5 Bf5 28.Ng3 Nxe3 29.Nxf5+?

I, rightly, feared 29.Nh5+. Possibly even stronger, but hairy, is the engines' 29.Rf3!? Qxd4 30.Rxc6!? as Black does not seem to have a good discovered check.

29...Nxf5 30.Bg4?

The engines reckon 30.Rf2 holds the balance.

30...Qxd4+ 31.Kh1

Better is 31.Rf2!?, but 31...Ne3 leaves Black with a commanding position.

31...Qd5+

I believe I saw 31...Ng3+! 32.hxg3 Rh8+ 33.Kg2 Qxb2+ 34.Rf2, but missed the winning 34...Rh2+! 35.Kxh2 Qxf2+.

32.Bf3 Qd3??

32...Qd8 seems to hold.

33.Rcd1 Qe3 34.Rd7+ Kf8

Or 34...Re7 35.Qxe3 Nxe3 37.Rxe7+ and 38.Rxe3.

35.Qf6+ Kg8 36.Qxg6+ 1-0