French Steinitz
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.e4 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Nf3
This is Siegbert Tarrasch's recommendation, but it scores just 44% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
6...c5 7.dxc5
Played to prevent White's whole centre collapsing. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 narrowly prefer the somewhat unusual 7.Nce2!?
7...Nxc5!?
This occurs much-less frequently than 7...Bxc5, but scores 12 percentage points more in Mega22.
8.Bd3 Be7 9.0-0 g5!?
This pawn-thrust is quite common in lines of the French where White has a bishop on f4 supporting a potentially vulnerable pawn on e5.
10.Bg3 h5 11.h3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
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11...a6
Contrary to initial appearances, 11...g4!? may be possible, After 12.hxg4 hxg4 13.Nh2 Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 continue calmly with 13...Qb6 or 13...Bd7, eg Graham Mooney (1880) - Yannick Pelletier (2578), Olympiad (Tromsø, Norway) 2014, saw 13...Qb6 14.Nxh4 Bd7, with the engines suggesting 15.Nf6+!? Bxf6 16.exf6 followed by long castling by Black, either immediately or after 16...a6. Stockfish15 gives Black the upper hand, but Komodo13.02 reckons the position is balanced.
12.a3 b5?!
This may be a novelty, and probably not a good one, as after ...
13.b4!?
... Black faces problems getting his light-square bishop into play.
13...Nxd3 14.cxd3 Qb6 15.Qd2 Rg8 16.Rfd1!?
This looks passive but I wanted to close the a7-g1 diagonal.
16...g4 17.hxg4 Rxg4 18.Bf4!?
Black threatened 18...Rxg3, but probably a better way to foil this is the consistent 18.d4.
18...Nd4?
This may look aggressive but the black queen is dragged onto an awkward square.
19.Nxd4 qxd4 20.Ne2 Qb6 21.Qe3?
White is positionally winning (Stockfish15) or at least has the upper hand (Komodo13.02) after 21.d4.
21...d4!
A sound pawn-sacrifice, liberating Black's light-square bishop.
22.Nxd4 Bb7 23.f3?
After 23.g3 Black has good compensation for a pawn, but no more.
23...Rxf4!
Suddenly Black is completely winning.
24.Qxf4 Rd8 25.Rac1 Rxd4 26.Qh6
If 26.Qe3 then 26...Bg5!
26...Bg5!?
Anyway, although the engines reckon the simple 26...Rxb4+ is even stronger.
27.Qh8+ Ke7 28.Rc5 Rd8 29.Qxh5 Be3+ 30.Kf1 Bxc5
The game finished:
31.Qh4+ Kd7 32.bxc5 Qxc5 33.Qf4 Ke8 34.Rc1 Qxa3 35.Rc7 Qxd3+ 36.Kg1 Rd7 0-1
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