The game can be seen at M7 but here I want to focus in detail on the opening, which as a general rule I take to last until one side has connected rooks.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6!?
As I have noted before, this capture, while unusual, is not without its share of poison. Players who have tried it include Alexander Morozevich.
6...bxc6
Nevertheless it must be admitted Black scores a sensational 65% after the text in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
Both Morozevich's games with this line in Mega22 featured 6...dxc6!?, which scores 47% and is strongly disliked by Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1
7.Bc4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7...d6
This is more than three times as popular in Mega22 as the second-most popular continuation, 7...e6.
8.0-0 Nf6 9.e5!?
This is a promising pawn sacrifice.
9...dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Re1
Not 11.Bxf7? as 11...e6 traps the bishop.
11...e6
The engines slightly prefer 11...Bf5 or 11...Ke8. After the former, Stockfish14.1 gives 12.Rxe5 Nd5 (not 12...Bxc2? 13.Re2 Bf5 14.Bxf7) 13.Re2 e6, claiming the position is dead-equal, but reckons 13...Nxc3!? 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rb1 favours White. Komodo12.1.1 likes 12.f3!?, continuing 12...Bxc2 13.Bg5 (13.Bxf7!?) h6 14.Bh4 g5, claiming White has full compensation after 15.Bg3 or 15.Bf2 for being two pawns down.
12.Rxe5!?
White's score soars to 72%, albeit from a small sample, after this move in Mega22.
12...Nd5
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
The game saw 13.Re1, which is OK as 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 was met by 15.Rd1+.
But the engines give13.Re2!?, when they reckon 13.Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rb1 gives White at least full compensation for a pawn
No comments:
Post a Comment