Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nc6 6.Qe2!?
This has been played by grandmasters, but is only fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.
6...g6 7.c3 Bg7 8.Rd1
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| White is ready to play d4 - how should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8...e5!?
This is the main move in Mega23 and is the choice of Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
9.Na3 Nge7 10.Nc2
Robert J Fischer - Friðrik Ólafsson, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 1960, went 10.d4!? cxd4 11.cxd4 exd4 12.Nb5 0-0 13.Nfxd4 d5 14.Nb3 a6 15.Nc3 d4 16.Na4 with equality, according to the engines (but 1-0, 42 moves). I rejected 10.d4!? because of 10...exd4 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4?!, missing that 13.Nb5 will restore material equality, eg 13...Nc6?! 14.Bf4 etc. The engines reckon Black should play 12...cxd4 13.Nb5 Nc6 14.Bf4 Be5, as in Nicolas Rossolimo - Fischer, US Championship (New York) 1962, which continued 15.Bh6 0-0-0 16.f4 Bf6 (½–½, 43 moves), or give the pawn back by 14...0-0!?, when the engines reckon both 15.Nxd6 and 15.Bxd6 leave Black slightly better.
10...0-0 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 exd4 13.Ncxd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 d5
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| How should White continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15.exd5!?
This may be a novelty. The engines prefer a known move, 15.e5, and another apparent novelty, 15.Nf3!?
15...Nxd5 16.Bg5?!
This is Komodo13.02's choice for a short while, but both engines quickly come to dislike the move. They suggest 16.Qf3 with approximate equality.
16...h6 17.Bh4 Rfe8
Possibly stronger is the engines' 17...Nf4, eg 18.Qe3 g5 19.Ne2 (not 19.Bg3? Bxd4 20.Rxd4 Qxd4!) Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2 Qe8 21.Qxe8 Rfxe8 22.Bg3 Re2 with a good game.
18.Qd2?
Other queen moves, eg 18.Qb5, which is probably best, keep White's disadvantage to a minimum.
18...Qg4 19.Bg3?
If 19.Nf3 then 19...Nf4 20.Bg3 Ne2+ is strong, eg 21.Kh1 Qc4, threatening ...Nxg3 followed by ...Re2, while the engines' suggested 19.h3 Qxh4 20.Nf3 Qb4 21.Qxd5 also allows ...Re2. But both these lines are less catastrophic than the text.
19...Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Re1+! 0-1
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