Veresov
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6!? 4.Bh4
This is popular, but the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 c6 6.Bd3, when, if anyone is better, it is Black, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
4...c5 5.Bxf6!? gxf6!?
There are just three games with 5.Bxf6!? in Mega22, and all feature 5...exf6, but the engines prefer the text (marginally in the case of Komodo13.02).
6.e4!?
It might seem strange to open the centre when Black has the bishop-pair, but I felt White needs to exploit his slight lead in development. Stockfish15 agrees with my choice; Komodo13.02 prefers 6.Nf3 or 6.e3.
6...dxe4
Maybe not 6...cxd4!? as 7.Qxd4 more-or-less forces 7...dxe4, but it is unclear if White can then get an advantage, eg 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.0-0-0+ favours Black, according to the engines.
7.dxc5
The engines strongly dislike proceeding in Albin Countergambit-style with 7.d5!?, claiming 7...f5 gives Black at least the upper hand.
7...Qa5 8.Qd2 Bf5?
Best, according to the engines, is 8...Nc6!?, meeting 9.Nxe4 with 9...Qxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Bf5 11.0-0-0, when they claim Black has full compensation for a pawn.
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| White to play and win |
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9.0-0-0?
9.0-0-0?
There seems no answer to 9.Qd5, forking the black light-square bishop and the b7 pawn, eg 9...Bc8 10.Bb5+ Nd7 11.0-0-0 Qc7 12.Qxe4, after which the engines reckon White's huge lead in development and the pin on d7 add up to an advantage worth a bishop and a pawn (Komodo13.2) or even a rook and a pawn (Stockfish15). If 9...Bd7, intending 10.Qxb7 Bc6, the engines continue 11.Bb5, again with dire consequences for Black.
9...Nc6 10.Bb5
Not 10.Nxe4??, hoping for 10...Bxe4?? 11.Qd7#, as Black instead replies 10...Qxa2.
10...Rd8
This lets Black bail out from the pressure.
11.Qxd8+ Qxd8 12.Rxd8+ Kxd8 13.Nge2
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| Now the sharp opening is over, how would you assess the position? |
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White has a slight lead in development and the better pawn-structure, but Black has the bishop-pair. The engines reckon Black may have at least a tiny pull after 13...Rg8.
13...Bg6
This prepares ...f5, but now the engines reckon the position is equal.
14.Rd1+ Kc8 15.Nd4 Nxd4?!
The engines prefer 15...Ne5.
16.Rxd4 e6?
I expected 16...e5, when Stockfish15 reckons 17.Ra4 gives White the upper hand, but Komodo13.02 calls the position completely equal.
17.Nxe4 Bxe4
Achieving an ending with opposite-coloured bishops, albeit with a pair of rooks.
18.Rxe4 Rg8 19.g3 Rg5 20.Be8
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 20.b4.
20...Bxc5 21.Bxf7 Bxf2 22.Bxe6+ Kc7
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| Is White better, and if so, by how much? |
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White is a pawn up, but Black has no weak points vulnerable to the light-square bishop. Nevertheless Black has two isolated pawns, and the presence of rooks means this is not a trivial bishops-of-opposite-colours draw. The engines give White the upper hand.
23.Kd2?
But now the draw is trivial. Best, according to the engines, is 23.g4, preventing the black rook getting at the white h pawn.
23...Rh5
The h2 pawn cannot be defended, except by ...
24.Rh4
... but that allows complete equality.
The game finished:
24...Rxh4 25.gxh4 Bxh4 26.Ke3 Kd6 27.Bf5 Ke5 28.Bd3 b6 29.Kf3 Bg5 30.a4 Bc1 31.b3 Bf4 32.h3 Bd2 ½–½
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