FACED another Romanian junior (born 2006) in the second of today's double-round games.
Mihnea-Constantin Costescu (1800) - Spanton (1889)
QGD Semi-Tarrasch
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qa4+!?
This is a popular alternative to the mainline, which runs 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4!? (7.Bg5 is also common) Nc6 8.Bb5 dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Ng5 Be6, reaching a position that Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon favours White.
6...Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5 8.Nxd5!?
This has been often played but commoner is the more-cautious 8.Bg5.
8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Qe3+!?
The mainline in Mega22 runs 10.Qd1 0-0-0 11.Bd2, when White is at least slightly better, according to the engines.
10...Be7 11.Qg5 Qxg5?
Somehow I only saw the recapture 12.Nxg5?, when Black has the advantage. Better is 11...Qb6, not fearing 12.Qxg7?? Rg8 13.Qh6 Ng4 etc.
12.Bxg5
 |
| Black has a lead in development, but not enough to set off being a pawn down, especially as the black bishops are not active |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12...Nb4 13.Rc1 h6 14.Bd2 0-0 15.a3 Nc6 16.g3 Rad8 17.Bg2 Rfe8 18.0-0 Bg4 19.Rfd1 Bxf3!? 20.Bxf3 Nd4 21.Be3!
The engines agree this is best.
21...Nxf3+ 22.exf3 a6
 |
| How would you assess this late-middlegame position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has an extra pawn, but it is doubled and cannot be converted into a passed pawn by ordinary means. On the other hand the white bishop is marginally more active than its black counterpart. I thought Black had decent drawing chances, but Stockfish15 reckons White is winning, although the more-conservative Komodo13.02 gives White 'only' the upper hand.
23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Ne4 Nd5
The engines marginally prefer 24...Nxe4!? 25.fxe4 Bf6.
25.Rd1 f5?!
Best is 25...b6, according to the engines.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26.Bc5!
Both 26.Nd2? Nxe3 27.fxe3 Bc5 and 26.Nc3?! Nxc3 27.Rxd8+ Bxd8 28.bxc3 b5! are good for Black, but 26.Nc5 also keeps an advantage, although not as big as the text.
26...fxe4 27.Bxe7 Re8 28.Rxd5 Rxe7 29.fxe4 Rxe4 30.Rd7 (1-0, 53 moves)
No comments:
Post a Comment