Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Bb5+ Nbd7 5.Be2 Bxe2
This is probably better than 5...Bf5!?, which was played against me in round one.
6.Qxe2 Nxd5 7.Nf3 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.c4 N5f6 10.Re1!?
Hoping to get in a quick d5.
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| How should Black respond? |
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10...c6
There seems nothing wrong with 10...0-0!?, although Michel Meszaros (2414) - Milan Bednář (2240), Slovakian Team Championship 2013, finished abruptly after the further moves 11.d5 Bb4?! 12.dxe6 Bxe1? 13.e7 1-0. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon best is 11...Nc5, and if 12.b4 then 12...Nce4.
11.Nc3 0-0!?
The safety-first 11...Nb6 is much more popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, but the engines reckon 12.Bf4 leaves White with the upper hand.
12.d5 cxd5 13.cxd5 Nc5?
Better is 13...e5!? 14.Nxe5 Re8 with counterplay, although White has at least a slight advantage, according to the engines.
14.b4!?
This is better than the 14.dxe6 played in Ewen M Green (2213) - Nigel Cooper (1670), Asia Seniors 65+ Championship (Auckland, New Zealand) 2017, although White had an advantage after 14...Nxe6 15.Ng5 (1-0, 27 moves).
14...Na6 15.dxe6 Kh8!?
Black cannot avoid losing material, but the engines prefer doing it by 15...Nd5 16.Nxd5 Qxd5 17.exf7+ Rxf7 18.a3. If 15...Nxb4?! then 16.exf7+ Rxf7 17.Ng5, while 15...Bxb4? is met by 16.e7.
16.b5
Possibly even stronger is 16.Ng5!?
16...Nc5 17.exf7 Bd6
If 17...Rxf7? then 18.Ng5.
18.Bg5 Rxf7 19.Rad1
Not 19.Nd5? Bxh2+ etc.
19...Rd7 20.Bxf6?!
The immediate 20.g3 is probably better.
20...gxf6?!
Stockfish15 much prefers 20...Qxf6, but Komodo13.02 does not see much difference between the two moves.
21.g3 Qf8 22.Ne4!? Re8 23.Qc2 Nxe4 24.Rxe4 Rxe4 25.Qxe4
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| Now the smoke has cleared, as it were, how would you assess the position? |
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White is a pawn up and has much the safer king. The black bishop is probably better than the white knight, but Black has two isolanis. The engines reckon White is comfortably winning.
25...Rc7 26.Qe6 Bc5 27.Rd7?!
This is fine, but the weakness of the black king means White is probably better off keeping pieces on the board, eg with 27.Nh4.
27...Rxd7 28.Qxd7 Bb6!? 29.Nh4
Not 29.Qxb7?, after which 29...Qc5 draws, according to the engines.
29...Qc5 30.Qf5 Kg7 31.Kg2
Probably not 31.Qxc5?! as the more-active black king after 31...Bxc5 gives drawing chances.
31...Qd4
The engines reckon best is 31...Qxf5!?, although they reckon White is winning.
32.Qf3 Qd7 33.Nf5+ Kf8 34.a4 a6 35.Ne3?!
Probably better is 35.a5!? followed by b6, the point being 35...Bxa5?? loses to 36.Qa3+, eg 36...Kf7 38.bxa6 etc.
35...Bd4
The engines prefer 35...Bxe3!? 36.Qxe3 axb5 37.Qc5+ Qe7, when they reckon 38.Qxe7+? Kxe7 is completely equal, while 38.Qxb5 Qe4+ gives drawing chances.
36.bxa6 bxa6 37.Qa8+ Kf7 38.Qd5+?!
Not 38.Qxa6? Bxe3 39.fxe3 Qd2+ with good drawing chances, but probably better is 38.Qe4, keeping the queen-and-knight combo as 38...Bxe3?? loses to 39.Qxh7+.
38...Qxd5 39.Nxd5 Bc5
DMD offered a draw.
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| How would you assess this minor-piece ending? |
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White is a pawn up but the white kingside pawns are targets for the bishop, and Black has the more-active king. The engines reckon White is winning, but the win is far from simple.
40.f4?!
The engines prefer 40.Kf3, eg 40...f5 (40...Ke6?! 41.Nc7+ Ke5 42.Nxa6 Bd6 traps the knight, but Black does not seem to have time to capture it) 41.Ke2 Bd6 42.Kd3 Bc5 43.f3.
40...f5 41.Kf3 h5 42.h3?
The engines reckon 42.Ke2 and 42.Nc7 win, eg 42.Ke2 Bg1 43.Nb4 Bxh2 44.Kf3 followed by capturing the black a pawn.
42...Bd6 43.g4?!
The win has probably already gone, but this ensures it.
43...fxg4+ 44.hxg4 hxg4+ 45.Kxg4 Ke6 46.Nc3 Bb4 47.f5+ Ke5 48.Ne2 Kd5!?
Komodo13.02 claims this loses, but Stockfish15's verdict of drawn is confirmed by the Syzygy endgame tablebase.
49.Nc1
Komodo13.02's idea is 49.Nf4+ Kc4 50.f6 Kb3 51.Nd5, but both 51...Bf8 and 51...Bc5 draw.
49...Kc4 50.Kf3 Ba3 51.Ne2
The only drawing move!
51...Kb4 52.Ke4 Kxa4 53.Kd5 Bf8 54.Nd4 Kb4 55.f6 a5 56.Nd4+ Kb4 57.Nc6+ Kb5 ½–½
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