Alekhine's Defence
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.exd6
This is the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, and also the most successful percentagewise.
5...cxd6!?
Larry Kaufman in The Chess Advantage In Black And White (Random House 2004) wrote: "Some commentators now give this a ?!" However it remains the most popular move in Mega23 and was used by Magnus Carlsen in a 2020 rapidplay win over Levon Aronian. As far as I can discover Carlsen, had previously just tried 5...exd6.
6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Be2
Aronian played 8.h3!? against Carlsen, and their game continued 8...0-0 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.d5!? Na5 11.Bd4 Bxd4 12.Qxd4 e5!? 13.dxe6 Bxe6 14.Ne4?! (14.Be2!? Nbxc4 15.Bxc4 Nxc4 16.0-0 gives good compensation for a pawn, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02) Nc6 15.Nf6+ Kh8 16.Qf4 Bf5 with an unclear position that the engines reckon favours Black (0-1, 37 moves).
The mainline in Mega23 runs 8.Rc1 0-0 9.b3 Nc6 10.d5 Ne5 11.Be2 f5!? (the engines strongly dislike this, while reckoning White has the upper hand anyway) 12.f4 Ng4 13.Bxg4 fxg4 14.Nge2, scoring a whopping 73% for White.
8...Nc6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.b3 0-0 11.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the coming middlegame? |
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White has more space in the centre but Black's minor pieces are more active than the white ones. The engines reckon the position is equal, but after various continuations are inputted, Stockfish15 comes to give White a slight edge.
11...e5
The engines follow the most popular line in suggesting 11...d5 12.c5 Nc8, after which Stockfish15 gives White a slight edge but Komodo13.02 calls the game equal.
12.d5!?
Played with the coming exchange sacrifice in mind. Sergei Tiviakov (2520) - Arnaud Hauchard (2420), Torcy (France) 1991, went 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.c5!? Nc8 14.h3 Bf5 15.Ng5 Nd4 16.Bc4 with a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 39 moves).
12...e4?!
Komodo13.02 reckons 12...Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nd4 is completely equal, but Stockfish15 gives White a slight edge.
13.Nxe4!
White is probably also better after 13.dxc6, but the engines agree the text is clearer.
13...Bxa1
Otherwise Black is a pawn down without compensation.
14.Qxa1
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| Who is better, and, more importantly, by how much? |
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White has a pawn and the bishop-pair for the exchange, which is often reckoned to be sufficient compensation. But here the added weakness of the black king's position means White is the rough equivalent of a rook ahead, according to the engines.
14...Ne5
The engines suggest 14...f5!?, but White has several very good continuations, including the sharp 15.Bh6 Qe7 16.Nxd6 Bxf3 17.gxf3!? Ne5 (17...Qxe2?? 18.Qg7#) 18.f4 Ned7 19.Bf3 Rab8 20.Nxb7! Rf7 21.d6, after which White has three pawns and the bishop-pair for the exchange.
15.Nxe5 Bxe2 16.Re1
Even stronger, according to the engines, are 16.Ng4!? and 16.Nc6!?
16...dxe5 17.Rxe2
This is almost certainly better than trying to get fancy with 17.Qxe5?!, when 17...Nd7 muddies the waters, eg 18.Qc3 Bh5 19.Bh6 f6 20.Bxf8 (20.h3!?) Qxf8, after which White has the better coordinated pieces but is down a bishop for two pawns.
17...Nd7
Protecting the f6 square, while not giving up the e6 square, which would be the case after 17...f6.
18.Bh6 Re8 19.c5 f5
Possibly better is the engines' 19...Qh4!?, eg 20.Bg5 Qh5 21.Qd1 f5, but 22.c6 is very strong as moving the black knight is answered by the forking Nf6+.
20.Nd6 Qh4
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| How should White continue? |
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21.Qc1!?
This is enough to maintain White's winning advantage, but best-play, according to the engines, runs 21.Nxe8 Rxe8 22.c6 bxc6 23.dxc6 Nb6 24.Qc1.
21...f4
Material is level after 21...Nxc5 22.Nxe8 Rxe8 23.Qxc5 Qxh6, but 24.d6 wins, according to the engines.
22.Nxe8 Qxh6
Or 22...Rxe8 23.Bxf4.
23.Nc7
Other moves also win.
23...Rc8 24.d6 Qh5 25.f3 e4?!
This does not help, but 25...g5, which the engines reckon is best, loses to, for example, 26.Qc4+ Qf7 27.Qe4 (threatens the simple 28.Qxb7) Rb8 (27...Nxc5 28.Qxe5 Nd7 29.Qxg5+) 28.b4, after which Black is 'only' a pawn down, but seems helpless.
26.Rxe4 Nxc5?
Better is 26...Qxc5, but 27.Qxc5 Nxc5 leaves White with several winning continuations, eg 28.Re5 Nd7 29.Re7 Rd8 30.Ne6.
27.Qc4+ Kh8 28.Qd4+ Kg8 29.Re7
Checkmate cannot be sensibly stopped.
The game finished:
29...Ne6 30.Rxe6 Qf5 31.Re4 Qa5 32.d7 Qxc7 33.Re8+ 1-0
Wow, you get about !! Opponent macho to play The Alekhine 😉👍
ReplyDeleteIn the past I have often 'chickened out' with 2.Nc3, so on this occasion I'd like to think I was the macho one - but I see your point!
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