Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nbd2!?
The most popular moves are 5.Bxc6!?, 5.0-0 and especially 5.c3. Magus Carlsen has played all three, as well as the text, and also 5.Nc3, 5.Bg5 and 5.Ba4.
5...Nd4!?
The main line in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 5...d6 6.c3 (6.0-0 is also popular) 0-0 7.0-0 a6 8.Ba4 Ba7!? 9.h3 with what Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 call an equal position.
6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.Nf3 c6
The engines slightly prefer 7...Bb6!?, the point being 8.Nxe5? loses a piece to 8...Qe7 followed by ...Qb4+.
8.Bc4 0-0 9.c3 Bb6 10.0-0
Not 10.Nxe5? Qe7 11.d4 (11.Nf3 d5) d6 12.Nf3 d5 and ...dxe4.
10...d5 11.exd5 cxd5 12.Bb3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12...e4!?
The engines give 12...Bg4, eg 13.Bg5 Qd6, and if 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qd2 then 15...Kh8, claiming a slight edge for Black.
13.dxe4 dxe4 14.Qxd8 Bxd8!? 15.Nd4 Bb6 16.h3 Rd8?!
Black equalises, according to the engines, with 16...Bxd4 17cxd4 and either 17...Rd8 or 17...Be6.
17.Be3 Nd5 18.Bg5 f6 19.Bd2 Kh8 20.Rfe1 f5 21.Rad1 h6 22.Bc1 Nc7 23.h4?!
The engines much prefer 23.Be3 or 23.Bf4.
23...Bxd4 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.cxd4 Be6 26.Bf4 Bxb3 27.Bxc7 Bxa2 28.Be5 Rc8 29.Ra1 Bd5 30.Rxa7
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| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Material is level. White has an extra pawn-island, but also the only passed pawn. The presence of opposite-coloured bishops is by no means as drawish as they would be if rooks were not also on the board - in particular White has pressure against g7, but nevertheless the position is equal, according to the engines.
30...Rc2?!
Going after the weak b2 pawn, but here, as is so often the case, allowing the enemy to invade the back rank is double-edged at best.
31.Ra8+ Kh7 32.Rd8 e3!? 33.fxe3
Nor 33.Rxd5?? e2 etc.
33...Rxg2+ 34.Kf1 Be4
The engines slightly prefer 34...Bf3.
35.Rd7
White has at least a slight edge after 35.d5!? Rd2 36.d6, according to the engines.
35...Kg8?
Black has to play 35...Bc6, according to the engines, eg 36.Rc7 Rg4 37.h5 Kg8 38.b3 Kf8, when it appears neither side can make progress, or 36.Rd8 Rxb2 37.d5 Bb5+ 38.Kg1 Rd2, which the engines reckon is completely equal.
36.d5 Kf8 37.d6 Bc6 38.Rc7 Rd2!?
The engines prefer 38...Rg6, but agree Black is losing.
39.Bxg7+ Ke8 40.Be5 Bb5+ 41.Kg1 Bc6 42.Rh7 Rg2+ 43.Kf1 Rg6 44.Ke2 Rg2+ 45.Kd3 Be4+ 46.Kc3 Rc2+ 47.Kb3
Immediate checks have run out. The game finished:
47...Rd2 48.Bf4 Rd3+ 49.Kc4 Rd2 50.b4 Rc2+ 51.Kb3 b5? 52.Re7+ Kd8 53.Rxe4 1-0
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