The full game can be seen at M7 but here I want to concentrate on the opening.
Sicilian Bb5(+)
The game began 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6, which is sometimes called the Crossover Variation because it can also be reached via the move-order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6.
I played the most popular move, 4.0-0, when the mainline runs 4...Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1!? Bg4!? 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3, which Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon is slightly better for White.
My opponent chose 4...g6?!, which has been tried by Shanglei Lu (2615), Konstantin Chernyshov (2585) and other strong players, but may be a mistake.
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| How should White continue? |
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My game continued 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4, which is at least slightly better for White, according to the engines.
My game continued 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4, which is at least slightly better for White, according to the engines.
But even stronger seems to be the less-common 5.d4!?, when the normal Sicilian response of 5...cxd4 can be met by 6.Qxd4, when 6...f6 and 6...e5 are anti-positional, but 6...Nf6 7.e5 dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Nxe5 wins a pawn for White. Black could try 7...Nh5, intending to meet 8.exd6 with 8...Bg7, but instead White gets an excellent position with 9.Nc3 (Stockfish15) or 9.Rd1 (Komodo13.02).
Rather than 5...cxd4, Komodo13.02 suggests 5...Bd7, but 6.dxc5 dxc5 leaves White with several pleasant continuations. Komodo13.02 likes 7.Bc4!? (not in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database), when Black already has to be very careful, eg the 'natural' 7...Bg7?! drops the c5 pawn after 8.Qd5. Stockfish15 gives 7.Re1!? (also not in Mega22) Bg7 8.Nc3, claiming White has the upper hand.
Conclusion: perhaps ...g6 at move four is playable, but Black's score with it in Mega22 of 33% suggests otherwise.
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