Philidor Defence
1.Nc3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e4 e5!?
For what it is worth, Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon this is better than entering a Pirc with 3...d6 or a Pribyl with 4...c6.
4.Nf3
4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 is generally regarded as relatively innocuous, eg 6.Bc4 Be6!? 7.Bxe6 fxe6, when the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database continues 8.f3 Bd6 9.Be3 Ke7 (9...a6 is also popular) 10.0-0-0 with what the engines reckon is a slight edge for White.
4...Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 c6 7.a4 0-0 8.a5!?
The mainline in Mega22 runs 8.Re1 b6 (8...a5 is also popular) 9.d5 cxd5 10.Nxd5 Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2, when the engines reckon Black is equal after, for example, 12...Nc5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bd5 Bxd5 15.Qxd5 Ne6.
8...Qc7 9.h3 Qb8!?
This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer 9...Rb8.
10.Be3 b5 11.axb6 axb6 12.Qd2
The engines give White a slight edge after 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Qa1 Qb8 14.Qa2.
12...b5 13.Bd3 Bb7 14.Rfd1 Qc7
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| Both players have connected rooks - how would you assess the coming middlegame? |
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White has more space in the centre, Black on the queenside. The engines give White a tiny pull, but only if White continues 15.b4!?
15.Qe1 Rfe8 16.Rxa8 Rxa8 17.Nh4?
Trying for kingside play, but the move is tactically flawed.
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| How should Black respond? |
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17...exd4
Also good is 17...b4, but not 17...Nxe4? 18.Nf5 Nxc3 19.Nxe7 Kf8 20.Qxc3 Kxe7 21.dxe5 (the engines also like 21.b4, but 21.Bxb5 allows 21...Qa5 22.Qxa5 Rxa5, when Black is close to equal) Nxe5 22.Bxb5, after which White is much better, according to the engines, as 22...Qa5 23.Qd4 is strong for White.
18.Bxd4 b4 19.Nb1 c5 20.Nf5 Bf8 21.Bxf6 Nxf6
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| White has avoided material loss but given up the bishop-pair and is under pressure on the queenside |
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22.f3?
This weakens the kingside dark squares. Best is 22.Nd2, although the engines reckon Black has the upper hand.
22...d5
The engines' 22...c4 seems even stronger, eg 23.Bf1 and now 23...d5.
23.e5 Nh5 24.Qh4?!
The engines prefer fighting for queenside space with 24.c4.
24...g6 25.Re1 Re8 26.f4 Qd8!
Forcing queens off and so removing any danger to the black king, and exposing White's dark-square weaknesses.
27.Bb5
Even worse is 27.Qg4? Bc8.
27...Qxh4 28.Nxh4 Rb8 29.f5 Be7?!
Black still has an advantage after this but almost certainly better is the engines' 29...c4 or 29...Nf4.
30.f6 Bd8 31.Nd2 Nf4 32.Bf1?
This is too passive, according to the engines, which reckon 32.Bd7!? leaves Black with only a slight edge.
32...Bc7 33.Nhf3 Ra8 34.Nb3 Bb6 35.Kh2 Ne6 36.Ra1??
Black was much better anyway thanks to having a mobile pawn-majority and the bishop-pair, but the text effectively loses a piece.
36...Rxa1 37.Nxa1 c4
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| The a1 knight is imprisoned |
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38.b3
This is best, according to the engines, but for all practical purposes White is playing a piece down.
38...c3 39.Kg3 Bc7 40.Bb5 h6 41.Bd3 d4 42.Kg4 Bxf3+ 43.Kxf3 Bxe5 (0-1, 47 moves)
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