Pirc
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2
Most popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 6.Bd3, when 6...Nc6 and 6...Na6 occur 3,138 times each.
6...c5 7.d5
The mainline in Mega22 runs 7.dxc5 Qa5 8.0-0 Qxc5+ 9.Kh1 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02. ChessBase classifies the position after 7.d5 as a Schmid Benoni.
7...a6 8.a4 e6 9.0-0 exd5 10.exd5 Bf5 11.h3 Ne4 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.Ng5 Re8
White gets a dangerous initiative after 13...Bf5!? 14.g4 Bc8 15.f5.
14.Nxe4 Rxe4
 |
| How would you assess the coming middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has the bishop-pair, but Black's only bishop exerts a powerful influence on the long dark diagonal. The engines reckon the position is completely equal.
15.Bf3 Re7 16.f5!? Nd7 17.fxg6
The engines prefer 17.Bg4!?
17...Bd4+ 18.Kh1 hxg6 19.c3!?
Better may be 19.Bg5.
19...Be3 20.Qd3?!
19...Be3 20.Qd3?!
Better, according to the engines, is 20.Qe1!? Bxc1 21.Qxc1, although they give Black at least a slight edge, presumably mainly thanks to having the better minor piece (the knight has a great outpost at e5).
20...Bxc1 21.Raxc1 Ne5
This is good, but even stronger, according to the engines, is 21...Re5!?, eg 22.Rcd1 can be met by 22...Qg5 with menacing threats. Best may be 22.Qd2 but 22...Qh4 is intimidating.
22.Qd2 Qd7
Perhaps 22...Nc4!? is better.
23.b3 Rae8 24.c4!?
Another pawn on a light square (the same colour complex as the bishop), but I was worried about a later ...c4!?
24...Nxf3?
This gives away Black's advantage. The knight, unassailable on e5, is much better than the bishop. The engines agree keeping the minor pieces on leaves Black with the upper hand, but they do not agree on how Black should proceed. Komodo13.02 likes 24...f5, while Stockfish15 suggests 24...b5!? or 24...Qd8!?
25.Rxf3 Re2 26.Qf4 Re1+ 27.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 28.Rf1 Rf5 29.Qf6 Re3 30.Rf4 Qe7 31.Qxe7 Rxe7 32.Rxf6 Rd7
 |
| The position looks promising for White, but the engines rate it as equal |
*****
*****
*****
*****
33.g4 a5!?
I expected 33...Kg7, when I intended 34.g5, but that is completely equal, according to the engines, which also give 33...b5!? 34.axb5 axb5 35.cxb5 Kf8 as completely equal.
34.Kg2 Kf8 35.Kf3 Ke7 36.Rf4
Also equal is 36.g5 Rd8 with ...Rh8 to come.
36...f6!? 37.Re4+ Kf7 38.Re6
 |
| Black to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...g5!
Everything else seems to lose, eg 38...Rd8 39.h4 Rd7 40.Kf4 Rd8 41.g5 f5 42.h5 gxh5 43.Kxf5 etc.
39.Kg3 Re7 40.Rxe7+ Kxe7 41.h4 gxh4+ 42.Kxh4 Kf7 43.Kh5 Kg7 44.g5 fxg5 ½–½
There was nothing in 44...f5 45.g6 f4 46.Kg4 Kxg6 47.Kxf4 Kf6, eg 48.Kg4!?, when 48...Ke5? even loses, to 49.Kg5 etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment