Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5!?
An unusual continuation but one that has been played by Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.
4.0-0
4.Bxc6+ dxc6 (4...bxc6 is also possible) 5.Nxe5?! Qd4 6.Nf3 Qxe4+ gives Black a slight edge, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
4...d6 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4
The engines much prefer 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.d4.
6...Nf6 7.d4!? b5
The e4 pawn cannot be safely captured.
8.Bc2 Bg4
The engines prefer 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bg4.
9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe2 Be7 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.Nf1 h6!?
Played so White's next can be met by ...Be6 without the bishop being harassed by a knight going to g5.
14.Ne3 Be6 15.Nd5
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| The white knight on d5, and the c3 pawn stopping a black knight landing on d4, mean White is better |
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15...Qb7 16.a4 c4 17.b3 Rfe8?
This loses a pawn. The engines give 17...cxb3 18.Bxb3 Rfd8, albeit preferring White.
18.axb5
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 18.bxc4.
18...axb5 19.Rxa8 Rxa8
Not 19...Qxa8?? 20.Nc7 etc.
20.bxc4 bxc4 21.Qxc4 Bd8!?
The engines prefer 21...Bf8.
22.h3 Na5 23.Qd3??
23.Qe2 leaves White well on top.
23...Bxd5 24.exd5 e4 25.Qe3 exf3 26.Qxf3
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| White has two pawns and the bishop-pair, but that is poor compensation for being a piece down |
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26...Nc4 27.Bf4 Nb6 28.Be4 Ra4 29.Bc2 Ra5 30.Bb3 Ra3 31.Bc2 Qa8 32.Bc1 Ra5 33.Be4 Nxe4 34.Qxe4 Rxd5 35.Qe8+ Kh7 36.Re1
If 36.Qe4+ then 36...f5.
36...Bf6?!
The engines are OK with this move - they do not flash red - but there is no need to give up a pawn, even if only temporarily, when Black has available 36...Rd7.
37.Qxf7 Rd7
Not 37...Bxc3? 38.Re6.
38.Qe6!?
Defending the c pawn with 38.Qb3 is possibly better.
38...Qd8?!
Not 38...Re7? 39.Qf5+ Kh8 40.Rxe7 Bxe7 41.Bxh6!, but probably better is 38...Bxc3.
39.Be3 Rd6?!
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 39...Nd5 or 39...Re7.
40.Qe4+ Kh8 41.c4
Stockfish15 much prefers 41.Bc5!?, but Komodo13.02 is unsure.
41...Rd1
Here the engines like 41...Na4 or 41...Qc8.
42.Rxd1 Qxd1 43.Kh2 Qd6+ 44.Bf4?!
Almost certainly better is 44.g3, which comes to be played later anyway.
44...Qe7 45.Qc6 Nd7 46.Qa8+ Kh7 47.Be3 Be5+ 48.g3 Bd6 49.Qd5 Nf6 50.Qf5+ g6 51.Qf3 Ne4 52.Bd4 Bc5 53.Bxc5 Nxc5 54.Kg2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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54...Qe4?
The queens-off ending is almost certainly drawn, so Black should keep the game going with, for example, 54...Kg7, when Stockfish15 reckons Black is winning but Komodo13.02 gives Black 'only' the upper hand.
55.Qxe4 Nxe4 56.f3 Nc5 57.Kf2 Kg7 58.Ke3 Kf6 59.Kd4 Ne6+
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| White to play and draw |
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60.Kd5!
The king has to boldly support the c pawn. If 60.Ke3 then not 60...Ng5?! as 61.f4 gives drawing chances, but 60...Kf5 wins, according to the engines.
60...Ke7
If 60...Ng5 then 61.c5 draws.
61.f4 h5 62.Ke5 Nc5
CD offered a draw.
63.f5 Nd7+ 64.Kf4 Kf6 65.fxg6 Kxg6 66.g4 hxg4 67.hxg4 Kf6 68.g5+ Kg6 ½–½
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