English Opening
1.c4 e6 2.b3 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Bb2 Nf6 5.g3 Bd6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.Nf3
Clearly White cannot win a pawn by 7.Bxf6?!, intending Bxd5, as 7...Qxf6 threatens the white queen's rook.
7...c6 8.0-0
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| ChessBase's 2022 Mega database has 41 games with this position |
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8...Qe7!?
8...Re8 was played in 21 games, but the two highest-rated players as Black preferred developing the queen's bishop - one to g4 and the other to f5.
9.d3 Nbd7 10.Nbd2 Re8 11.e4!
White activates his central pawn-majority. Other moves have been played, but Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 agree the text is best.
11...dxe4
Florian Mossakowski (2283) - Peter Issing (2196), German Upper League North West 2018, went 11...Ba3 12.Bxa3 Qxa3 13.Re1 dxe4 14.dxe4, when the engines reckon White is at least slightly better (1-0, 51 moves).
12.dxe4 Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Bxe5 Qxe5 15.Nc4
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| Exchanges have simplified the position but left White with a central initiative |
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15...Qc7
This is best, according to the engines. After 15...Qe7?! they like 16.e5, eg 16...Nd5 17.Bxd5!? cxd5 18.Nd6 with what they reckon is a positionally won game for White.
16.e5 Ng4 17.Re1 b5??
White is only slightly better after the calm 17...Be6, according to the engines.
18.Qd6!
This is even stronger than 18.Nd6.
18...Qxd6 19.Nxd6 Re6 20.Nxb5 Rb8 21.Nd4 1-0
Black is only a pawn down, for now, but after, say, 21...Re8 22.Nxc6 is the equivalent of being more than a piece down, according to the engines.
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