Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 c5 3.e4
White is effectively playing an Albin Countergambit with colours reversed and an extra tempo (Nc3).
3...dxe4 4.dxc5?!
The Albin move is 4.d5, but I decided to follow the first principle of playing against juniors: get the queens off. However, a better plan against juniors, and everyone else for that matter, is to play the best move one can find, and my choice is probably not that.
4...Qxd1+ 5.Nxd1 e5 6.Nc3 Nf6
The natural-looking 6...Bxc5 is also possible, but 7.Nxe4 may give White an edge.
7.Bg5 Bxc5 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Nd5!?
This is almost certainly better than 9.Nxe4, after which Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon Black has a slight edge.
9...Bb6 10.Nxf6+ Ke7
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| How would you proceed? |
*****
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11.Nxe4
White may have a slight edge, according to the engines, after 11.Nd5+, whereas they reckon the text favours Black.
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| Who stands better, and why? |
*****
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White is a pawn up and has fewer pawn islands, but Black has the bishop-pair on a fairly open board, a slight lead in development (Black can connect rooks in two moves, White in three, and it is Black to move) and more space in the centre. The engines agree Black is slightly better.
11...f5 12.Ng5?!
A lone raider is usually not much use, and this seems no exception - the engines reckon 12.Nc3 is equal.
12...Nc6
Threatening 13...Nb4 or 13...Nd4.
13.c3!?
The engines are OK with this, but possibly better is 13.Bc4, developing a piece that can drop back to protect c2.
13...h6 14.N5f3 Be6 15.Bb5 Rhg8 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Nxe5 Bd5 18.Ngf3?
Correct is 18.Ne2, after which Black can recover one pawn at will, and is slightly better, according to the engines.
18...Rxg2 19.Nd4 Kd6 20.f4?
Black has at least the upper hand after 20.Nd3 Bxd4 21.cxd4 Rg4, according to the engines, but that is much less worse for White than the text.
20....Bxd4 21.cxd4 Rxb2 22.Rg1 Rg8 23.Rxg8 Bxg8 24.Rc1 Bd5
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
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25.Rxc6+?
This 'clever' move temporarily wins a pawn but ensures the game is lost. Instead 25.Nc4+ Bxc4 26.Rxc4 is a far-from-clear rook-and-pawn ending. Stockfish15 reckons it is equal, although Komodo13.02 gives Black the upper hand.
25...Bxc6 26.Nc4+ Kd5 27.Nxc2 Kxd4 28.Kd2 Ke4 29.Nd3 Bb5 30.Nc5+ Kxf4 31.Ne6+ Ke5 32.Ng7 Bc4 0-1
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