Scotch
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qf6!?
This can have independent significance, but after ...
5.Be3 Bc5
... the game has transposed to normal 4...Bc5 lines, except Black has avoided the variation 4...Bc5 5.Nb3. Whether Black should be trying to avoid that variation is another matter.
6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.0-0 b6!?
This is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database. The mainline runs 8...Bb6 9.Na3 d6 10.Nac2 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
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| How should White respond? |
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9.Nxc6
The 8...b6!? variation is fairly new - the oldest game in Mega23 is from 1992 - and no consensus has emerged over how White should proceed. The main move in Mega23 is 9.f4!?, but the slightly surprising 9...d5!? seems a good reply, eg 10.exd5 Na5 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Nc2 Nxd5 13.Bxc5 bxc5, which occurred in Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (2506) - Vladimir Vusatiuk (2321), Pardubice (Czechia) 2018, and was slightly better for Black, according to the engines (but ½–½, 30 moves). The engines flick between several ninth moves for White, including the text, which is second-most popular in Mega23.
9...Qxc6 10.Bxc5 Qxc5 11.Qxd4!?
This is the point of White's play - inviting Black to give White a classical centre with 11...Qxd4 12.cxd4, although it is debatable how strong that would be in the absence of queens and four minor pieces.
11...Bb7!? 12.Qxc5
Almost certainly not 12.Qxd7?! Qxc4 13.Qxe7 Rfe8, after which Black regains the sacrificed pawn and has an initiative based on better development.
12...bxc5
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| How would you assess this queenless middlegame? |
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White's pawn-structure is better, but Black has pressure against e4 and no weaknesses that are easy to get at. The engines reckon the position is equal.
13.Nd2 Rfe8 14.Rae1!?
Alexandre Danin (2598) - Vladislav Nozdrachev (2463), Kaluga (Russia) 2013, went 14.Rfe1 Ng6 15.b4!? a5!? 16.a3 acb4 17.axb4 Rxa1 18.Rxa1 cxb4 19.cxb4 Kf8 with a draw in 35 moves. The idea of the text, presumably, is to support kingside expansion.
14...Nc6 15.Bd5
14...Nc6 15.Bd5
White may be slightly better after 15.f4, according to the engines.
15...Rab8 16.Bxc6?!
This is probably bad, not so much because the white bishop was better than the black knight, although it was, but because the only minor pieces left on the board after the trade are a black bishop and a white knight, and the former is the better piece.
16...Bxc6 17.b3 d6 18.f3 a5
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| Who stands better? |
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The position is equal, according to the engines, but I believe Black's position is much easier to play, ie Black will attack on the queenside, while it is not clear what White can do to win the initiative.
19.c4 Rb7 20.Re3 f6 21.Rfe1 a4 22.bxa4?!
White temporarily gains a pawn, but after Black recaptures on a4 White will be under pressure.
22...Ra8 23.Rb3 Rba7 24.Reb1 Kf7 25.Rb8 Rxa4 26.Rxa8 Rxa8 27.Rb2 Ke6 28.Kf2 Ke5 29.Ke3 Ra3+ 30.Nb3 Bb7 31.g3 Ba6 32.Rc2 Ra4 33.Nd2 Rb4?!
According to the engines, Black has a large advantage after 33...f5.
34.h4 Bc8 35.a3 Ra4 36.Rc3 Ba6 37.f4+ Ke6 38.g4 g6 39.f5+ Kf7 40.fxg6+ hxg6 41.Kf4 Bc8 42.Nf3 Be6 43.Nd2 Ke7 44.g5 f5?
Black should hold tight with, for example, 44...Kf7, after which it is Black, if anyone, who has a small edge. After the text Black is probably lost.
45.exf5 Bxf5 46.h5 Kf7 47.h6 Ra8?!
This almost certainly makes matters worse, although 47...d5 48.Ke5 is not a great improvement.
48.Rb3 Ke7 49.Ne4 Bxe4 50.Kxe4 Ke6 51.Rf3 Ra4
Desperately trying for counterplay, but this is one rook-and-pawn ending that is definitely not drawn.
The game finished:
52.Rf6+ Kd7 53.Rxg6 Rxc4+ 54.Kd3 Rh4 55.Rg7+ Ke6 56.h7 Kd5 57.Rxc7 Rh3+ 58.Ke2 Ke4 59.g6 Rh2+ 60.Kf1 Ke3 61.Kg1 Rh6 62.Re7+ Kd4 63.Re6 Kd5 64.g7 Rxe6 65.g8=Q 1-0
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