King's Fianchetto Defence
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5!?
The main move is 3...d6, making the opening a Modern Defence.
4.dxc5!?
This is Komodo12.1.1's choice; Stockfish14.1 prefers 4.Be3.
4...Bxc3+!?
The main line in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4...Qa5 5.Bd2 Qxc5 6.Nd5 Na6 7.Nf3 e6 8.Bc3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3, which the engines reckon leaves White well on top.
5.bxc3
The second time in this tournament I have contracted triple isolated pawns.
5...Qa5 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.e5?
Weak, although it has been played by a 2431, albeit at blitz. Most popular in Mega22 is 7.Qb4.
7...Nc6 8.Qc4 Nxe5
Interesting is 8...b5!?, when 9.cxb6?! Ba6 10.Qb3 Qxe5+ looks good for Black, but the engines reckon White improves with 9.Qd3 Nxe5 10.Qe3, albeit still preferring Black.
9.Qb4 Nc6
The engines slightly prefer 9...Qc7!?, one point being the natural-looking 10.Bf4?? loses to 10...Nd5, eg 11.Qe4 Nxf4 12.Qxf4 Nd3+ etc.
10.Qxa5 Nxa5
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| How would you assess this imbalanced position? |
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White has the bishop-pair on a relatively open board but the triple isolanis are a major weakness. Black is ahead in development, but in order to develop Black's remaining bishop he will have to play either ...b6 or ...d6, allowing White to convert the triple isolanis into 'merely' doubled pawns. Stockfish14.1 gives Black a slight edge; Komodo12.1.1 also prefers Black, but only just.
11.Bd3 0-0 12.Nf3 d6?!
The engines much prefer 12...b6, despite the weakness of the new b pawn after 13.cxb6 axb6. One plausible continuation is 14.Rb1 Ba6! 15.Rxb6 Bxd3 16.cxd3 Nd5 17.Rb2 Nxc3, when White no longer has the bishop pair or tripled/doubled pawns, but instead has weak a and d pawns.
13.cxd6 exd6 14.0-0 Re8 15.Bd2!?
The engines prefer the more-active 15.Bf4 d5 (not 15...Nd5 16.Bxd6 Nxc3?? 17.Bb4) 16.Nd4.
15...Be6 16.Nd4 Bc4 17.Rfe1
17.Nb5!? Bxb5 18.Bxb5 confirms White's bishop-pair but Black is at least equal after 17...Rec8, according to the engines.
17...d5 18.Nb5
The engines prefer 18.f3!? to keep out the black king's knight.
18...Bxb5 19.Bxb5 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1?
This 'automatic' recapture is inferior to 20.Bxe1, after which the game is dead-equal, according to the engines.
20...Ne4 21.Re2 Rc8 22.Be1!? Rc5!
This comes to be the engines' top choice. The point is 22...Nxc3 23.Re8+ Rxe8 24.Bxe8 gives White drawing chances based on the power of the two bishops.
23.Ba4?!
Almost certainly better is 23.Bd3 Nxc3 24.Re8+ Kg7 25.a3, preserving the bishop-pair.
23...Kg7?
Over-finessing. Black is winning (Stockfish14.1) or at least has the upper hand (Komodo12.1.1) after 23...Nxc3 24.Bxc3 Rxc3.
24.Kf1?
24.Re3 more-or-less equalises.
24...Nxc3 25.Bxc3+ Rxc3 26.Rd2 Rc5 27.Bb3!
Rook and bishop nearly always make a better team than rook and knight, but here keeping minor pieces on makes it easier for Black, eg 27.Bd7? Nc4 28.Re2 Na3 costs White a second pawn.
27...Nxb3 28.axb3 Kf6 29.Ke2 Ke5 30.Kd3 a5?
Letting the white rook onto the back rank is a mistake.
31.Re2+ Kd6 32.Re8 Rc7 33.Rd8+ Rd7 34.Ra8 b6 35.Rb8 Kc7 ½–½
Black is slightly better but winning chances are few, although I would certainly have played on for at least a few moves in my opponent's shoes.
*Colours corrected 11/5/22.
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