Gibraltar 2011
English Symmetrical
1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nc7!?
Black's play may appear a little strange but it is part of a plan attributed to Akiba Rubinstein in which Black sets up a Maróczy Bind. The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 c5, reaching a position occurring 4,379 times in Mega22. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon Black has equalised.
6.Qb3!?
The start of a counter-plan recommended by Nigel Davies on his ChessBase English Opening DVD.
6...Nd7!?
The commonest continuation is 6...Nc6 7.Bxc6+!? bxc6 with an equal position, according to the engines.
7.Nf3 e5
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| Black has set-up the thematic bind but lags in development |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8.0-0 Be7 9.e3
White should almost certainly strive to break the bind before Black has time to consolidate.
9...0-0 10.Rd1 Ne6 11.d4
Garry Kasparov played 11.Nd5 in a 1985 simul against 32 computers (he won every game), but today's engines reckon 11...e4 12.Ne1 Nf6 leaves Black in a better state than after the text.
11...exd4 12.exd4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ndc5
The bind has been smashed and Black still lags in development.
14.Nxe6!?
Sacrificing the exchange for interesting play. Two subsequent games went 14.Qc4 Nxd4 15.Rxd4 Be6 17.Nd5, after which White has the upper hand, according to the engines.
14...Nxb3 15.Nxd8 Nxa1 16.Nxb7 Bg4!? 17.Rd4 Be6 18.Nd5 Bxd5
I recall during the game being more concerned about 18...Bd8!?, although Rybka3, after the game, continued 19.Be4 Bb6 20.Rd1, claiming a slight edge for White. However Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon it is Black who has a slight edge after the further moves 20...Bxd5 21.Bxd5 Nc2. In any event my modern engines prefer the text.
19.Bxd5 Rac8 20.Bd2 Bf6 21.Ra4 Bxb2
White is no longer a pawn up but still has the bishop-pair. The engines reckon the position is equal.
22.Bb4 Rc1+ 23.Kg2 Rb8 24.Nd6 Nc2 25.Bxf7+?!
The engines reckon 25.Ba5!? gives complete equality, although the position remains sharp.
25...Kf8 26.Rxa7
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26...Nxb4?
Black has an advantage after 26...Rxb4 27.Be6 g6!, according to the engines, but play is complicated, eg 28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Re7+ Kh8 30.Bd5!? Ne1+ 31.Kh3 g5!? 32.Re8+ Kg7 33.Re7+ Kg6 34.Re6+ Bf6 35.Ne4+ Rxe4 36.Bxe4+ Kf7. The problem with the text is it leaves the rook on b8 unprotected.
27.Be6 Nc6?
Protecting the hanging rook but walking into a mate. The engines give 27...Rc6!? 28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Rb7+ Kf8 30.Rxb8+ Ke7 31.Rxb4 Bx3 32.Nf5+ Kxe6 33.Nd4+ Bxd4 34.Rxd4, after which White is two sound pawns up, but it is a rook-and-pawn ending.
28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Rf6+ Kh8 30.Nf7+ Kg8 31.Nd8+ 1-0
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