Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6 6.0-0 Ba7 7.Bb3 d6
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| This standard position appears 1,375 times in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database |
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8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Re1 Be6 10.Nf1 Ne7!?
The main move in Mega22 is 10...h6, although then 11.Bxe6 fxe6 leaves the black kingside looking a little airy.
11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Qb3 Qd7 13.Be3
Certainly not 13.Qxb7?? Rfb8 14.Qxa6 Bxf2+ etc, but 13.Ng5 d5 14.exd5 exd5 is also fine for Black as 15.Rxe5? runs into 15...Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Ng4+ and 17...Nxe5.
13...Bxe3 14.Nxe3 Ng6 15.Rad1 Kh8 16.Nc2
Preparing d4 without allowing Nxe4, although the immediate 16.d4 is possible as 16...Nxe4 17.dxe5 is probably OK for White, although Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 point out the exchange sac 17...Rxf3!?, when they reckon 18.gxf3 Nc5 slightly favours Black but 18.Qxb7! Raf8 19.Qxe4 is equal.
16...c6?!
Probably too slow. The engines reckon Black is at least equal after 16...Nf4.
17.d4 exd4 18.Ncxd4?!
18.cxd4 is probably better.
18...d5?!
The correct pawn push seems to be 18...e5, and if 19.Ne6 Rfe8 20.Nc5 then 20...Qe7 forces 21.Nd3 with equality.
19.e5?!
White is better, according to the engines, after 19.exd5 exd5 20.Ne6 Rfe8 21.Nc5 Qc7 22.c4.
19...Ne4
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| How should White proceed? |
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20.Nxe6!?
This seems to lead to equality, as does the engines' 20.Rxe4!? dxe4 21.Nxe6 Qe7 22.Nxf8 Rxf8 23.Nd2 Qxe5, although the position remains sharp.
20...Qxe6 21.Rxe4 Qf5?
Better are 21...Nf4 and 21...Rxf3!?, eg 21...Nf4 22.Re3 Nxg2 23.Kxg2 Qg4+ transposes to the position reached in the game after 24...Qg4+, or 21...Rxf3!? 22.gxf3 Qh3 23.Rg4 Nxe5 24.Rg2 Nxf3+ 25.Kh1 b5, when the engines reckon Black has full compensation for the exchange.
22.Re2?
Correct is 23.Re3, eg 23...Nf4 24.Rf1!, when 24...Nxg2?? fails to 25.Nd4.
22...Nf4 23.Re3 Nxg2 24.Kxg2 Qg4+ 25.Kh1
Black gets at least a slight edge, according to the engines, after 25.Kf1?! Rxf3, eg 26.Rxf3 Qxf3 27.Re1 Re8, when the b7 pawn is taboo, ie 28.Qxb7?? loses to 28...Qh1+ 29.Ke2 Rxe5+ 30.Kd3 Qxe1 as back-rank mate is prevented.
25...Rxf3 26.Qxb7 Raf8??
The game is completely equal after 26...Rg8, according to the engines.
27.Rg1 R3f7 28.Qxf7 Qxg1+ 29.Kxg1 Rxf7
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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White is a passed pawn up and Black's queenside pawns are weak. White is winning, according to the engines.
30.Kg2 g5?!
Preventing f4 but creating further weaknesses.
31.Rf3 Re7 32.Rf5 h6 33.Rf6 Rxe5 34.Rxh6+ Kg7 35.Rxc6 Re2 36.Rb6 a5 37.Rb5 Kf6 38.Rxb5 Rxb2 39.Rxa5 Rc2 40.Ra3
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| White is three pawns up and is clearly winning, but Black's pieces are more active, which means the win is not as trivial as it may seem |
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40...Ke5 41.Kg3 Ke4 42.f3+ Ke5 43.Ra8!?
White can afford to give up one queenside pawn to get the other moving, and anyway there is no other method of making progress.
43...Rxc3 44.a4 Ra3 45.a5 g4 46.Rf8+?
Komodo13.02 does not realise it, but this leads to the famous drawn endgame of rook and f and h pawns against a bare rook. Winning is 46.a6, eg 46...Rxf3+ 47.Kg2 Ra3 a7 etc.
46...Kg5 47.Rg8+
It is too late to return to supporting the a pawn as 47.Ra8 Rxf3+ is a tablebase draw, although Komodo13.02 does not recognise it.
47...Kf5 48.Rxg4 Rxa5
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| The 'famous drawn endgame' has been reached |
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Stockfish15 correctly calls the position completely equal, but Komodo13.02 still reckons White is winning, which at least suggests White has practical winning chances. From now on the analysis is thanks to the Syzygy endgame tablebase.
49.h4 Ra1?
Only 49...Kf6 draws.
50.h5!
This is the only winning move.
50...Rh1 51.Rh4
Again an only-move, but this time much easier to find.
51...Rg1+ 52.Kh2 Rg7 53.Kh3 Rh7 54.Kg3?
Winning is 54.h6.
54...Rh6?
54...Kf6 draws.
55.Ra4 Rb6 56.Ra5+?
Two moves win: 56.Rg4 and 56.Rh4.
56...Kf6 57.Kg4 Rb4+ 58.f4 Rb1 59.Ra6+ Kg7
An only-move but a fairly obvious one.
60.Rg6+ Kf7
Also drawing is 60...Kh7.
61.Kg5 Rg1+ 62.Kf5 Rh1 63.Rf6+ Kg7 64.h6+ Kh7 65.Rd6 Rf1 66.Re6 Rf2 67.Kg5 Rg2+ 68.Kf5 Rf2 69.Ke5 Re2+ 70.Kf6 Rf2 71.f5!?
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| Black to play and draw |
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71...Kxh6?
There have been some only-moves for Black since the previous note, but easy ones to find. Here, however, there are two drawing moves: 71...Rf1 and 71...Rf3.
72.Ke7+?
Keeping the black king at bay with 72.Kf7+ wins.
72...Kg7 73.f6+ Kg8?
The final mistake. 73...Kg6 draws.
74.Re5 Rf1 75.Rg5+ Kh7 76.Kf7 Kh6 77.Rg8 Kh7 78.Rg2 Kh6 79.Rh2+ Kg5 80.Kg7 Kf5 81.f7 1-0
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