WAS upfloated against a junior (born 2007) this afternoon.
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| Rear view of the 'floating' opera stage |
Jonas Loretz (1320) - Spanton (1860)
Scotch Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5
Most popular is transposing to the Two Knights Defence with 4...Nf6.
5.c3 Nf6
White scores 71% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database after 5...dxc3?! The position reached after the text also arises in the Giuoco Piano, ie 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4.
6.e5
Much more popular is 6.cxd4, but it scores only 52% in Mega22, five percentage points lower than the move played.
6...d5 7.cxd4?!
A rare sideline. The main continuation is 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 (8...Bb4+ is also common) 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Bg6 13.Qb3 Ne7 14.0-0 c6 15.Bd3, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon the chances are equal.
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| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7...dxc4
Possibly even stronger is 7...Bb4+ 8.Bd2 dxc4!?
8.exf6
Only three games reach the position after 7...dxc4 in Mega22, and two of those saw the inferior 8.dxc5? Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1, when 9...Ng4 is very good.
8...Nxd4
Also strong is 8...Bxd4
9.Qa4+??
White should settle for 9.fxg7, when 9...Rg8 10.Be3 is good for Black, but the game goes on.
9...Bd7?
Much stronger is 9...b5, eg 10.Qd1 Bg4 11.fxg7 Rg8 12.Be3 bxf3 13.gxf3 Qh4 with what the engines reckon is a winning attack for Black.
10.Qxc4 Nxf3+?!
Probably stronger is 10...Bb4+ 11.Nbd2 (11.Qxb4?? Nc2+; 11.Bd2?! Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bxd2+ 13.Nxd2 Qxf6) Bxd2+ 12.Bxd2 (12.Nxd2?! Bb5) Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Qxf6.
11.gxf3 Bd6
Possibly best is the engines' 11...Bf8!?, and if, as in the game, 12.Qe4+ then 12...Be6 13.Qxb7 may slightly favour Black after both 13...Bd5 and 13...Rb8.
12.Qe4+ Be6 13.fxg7 Rg8 14.Qxh7 Kd7?!
Probably better is 14...f6 or 14...f5.
15.Nc3 Qf6 16.Rg1?!
Maybe best is 16.Be3, when 16...Rxg7? 17.Qe4 is very good for White, according to the engines, but 16...Qxf3 17.Rg1 may favour White.
16...Bf5 17.Qh5 Rae8+?
This lets the white king escape to the queenside. Best is 17...Bb4 18.Bd2 Rae8+, after which White is two pawns up but Black is better, according to the engines.
18.Be3 Kc8 19.0-0-0 Be6?
Also bad is 19...Bg6? 20.Qg4+ Kb8 21.Qa4 a6 22.f4, but better is 19...Be5, although the engines like White after both 20.Rd5 and 20.Rg5.
20.Ne4 Qe5 21.Qh6?!
Simpler and stronger is 21.Nxd6+ cxd6 22.Qxe5 dxe5 23.h4 etc.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21...Ba3?!
Desperate stuff. Probably objectively best is 21...Be7, but White is well on top.
*****
*****
*****
*****
22.Bd4!
Not 22.bxa3?, Qa1+ 23.Kc2 Qxa2+, eg 24.Kd3 (24.Kc1?? Bb3 wins for Black) Bc4+ 25. Bb5 Rc1 26.Rc3 c5+ 27.Kxc5 Rxe4 28.fxe4 Qxc3+ 29.Kxb5 a6+ 30.Kb6 Qc7+ 31.Ka7 Qb8+ 32.Kb6 Qc7+ with a draw by repetition.
22...Qb5 23.Nf6??
23.bxa3 is one of several winning moves.
23...Qc4+ 24.Bc3??
24.Kb1 Qxa2+ 25.Kc1 almost certainly draws.
24...Qxc3 0-1
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