Modern Defence/Hippopotamus Defence
1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 e6!? 5.Nf3 a6 6.a4 Nd7 7.Be3 Ne7
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| Black has set up a line of the Hippopotamus Defence, which is itself a specialised version of the Modern Defence |
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8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 c5
Arguably 9...b6 is a purer form of the Hippo, but Stockfish15 and Komodod13.02 marginally prefer the text.
10.Qd2 Qb6!?
This may be a novelty. Bulgarian grandmaster Vasil Spasov (2578) played 10...cxd4 at the 2006 Olympiad in Turin, one point being 11.Bxd4!? runs into 11...Bxd4+!? 12.Nxd4 Qb6 13.Qf2 Qxb2, when it is not clear if White has enough for a pawn.
11.a5 Qc6
Not 11...Qxb2?? 12.Rfb1.
12.Qf2 c4!? 13.Be2 d5 14.e5
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| The fluid centre has suddenly closed - White's main chances generally lie on the kingside, while Black's lie on the queenside, but both players will need to take counter-measures on the opposite flank |
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14...f6 15.Qh4!? Nf5 16.Qf2 b6
An obvious alternative is winning the bishop-pair with 16...Nxe3, but that would swop a (currently) well-placed knight for a bad bishop.
17.Bd2!?
Preserving the bishop-pair at the cost of a tempo so g4 will force the black king's knight to retreat.
17...Bb7 18.g4 Nh6!?
The engines prefer 18...Ne7.
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| How should White respond? |
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19.Qh4
The engines like sacrificing the queen with 19.exf6!? Nxg4 20.fxg7 Nxf2 21.gxf8=Q+ Rxf8 22.Rxf2, claiming White is winning. Black can avoid this with 19...Nxf6!?, but then 20.Ne5 is even stronger for White, according to the engines.
19...f5?!
The engines reckon 19...Nf7 equalises.
20.g5
Even stronger may be the engines' 20.Ng5.
20...Nf7 21.Ne1 bxa5 22.Rf3 Rfe8 23.Rh3 Nf8 24.Rxa5 Qb6 25.Ra2
Possibly stronger is 25.Na4!?, when 25...Qxd4+?? 26.Be3 traps the black queen as 26...Qe4 is met by 27.Nc5.
25...Bc6
Again 25...Qxd4+?? is met by 26.Be3.
26.Nf3 Re7
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| In this position FB offered a draw |
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27.Qe1 a5 28.Qe1 Rea7 29.Na4 Bxa4 30.Rxa4
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| White has won the bishop-pair, but neither prelate has much scope in this closed position |
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30...Nd8 31.Kh1 Nc6 32.c3 Rb8 33.Bc1 Qb3 34.Ne1?!
Keeping the black queen out of c2, but White should probably play something like 34.Rg3, and if 34...Qc2 then 35.Rg2 or 35.Nd2.
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| Has Black a winning combination? |
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Probably. The winning move seems to be 34...Nxd4!?, when 35.Be3 Nc2 36.Nxc2 Qxc2 37.Bxa7?! runs into 37...Rxb2. Better may be 37.Bd1, but 37...Qe4+ 38.Kg1 Rab7 39.Ra2 d4! is strong, one line being 40.Bd2 (40.Bxd4? Qe1+ 41.Kg2 Qd2+ 42.Kh1 Rxb2) a4! 41.Bf3 Qd3 42.Qc1 dxc3 43.Bxc3 Rb3 with the very nasty threat of ...Rxc3! This is long and sharp, and the engines point out White has an alternative in 35.Ra3!?, when they reckon Black should sacrifice the queen with 35...Nxe2!? 36.Rxb3, claiming 36...Rxb3 leaves Black on top.
34...Nd7 35.Ra3 Qb6 36.Bd1 Bf8 37.Ra2 Be7
One line suggested by the engines runs 37...a4!? 38.Rxa4 Rba8 39.Rxa7 Rxa7 40.Qb1 Qa5, after which White is a pawn up but most of the white pieces are cowering on the back rank.
38.Rg3 Kg7 39.Ba4 Rba8 40.Nc2?!
Probably better is 40.Qb1.
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| How can Black exploit White's last move? |
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40...Bd8
The engines give 40...Nb4!? 41.cxb4 axb4 42.b3 Qb7, claiming Black has at least a slight edge despite being a-piece-for-a-pawn down, eg 43.Bd2 Nb6!? 44.Nxb4 Nxa4 45.bxa4 Bxb4 46.Bxb4 Qxb4, after which material equality has been restored and Black has the initiative.
41.Na3 Rb7 42.Be3 Qa6
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| How should White proceed? |
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43.h4!
Virtually all the pieces (apart from the kings) are concentrated on the queenside, but White has more central space to facilitate switching flanks.
43...Nf8 44.Qg1 Rab8 45.Qh2 Ne7 46.Bc1 Ng8 47.h5 Kh8 48.hxg6 Nxg6 49.Be8!? Rg7 50.Rh3 Rbb7
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| Black's defence has held for the present, but White can still probe |
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51.Qe2 Rbe7 52.Bxg6 Rxg6 53.b3!?
Switching back to queenside play now a black rook and knight are awkwardly placed on the kingside.
53...Rc7 54.bxc4 dxc4 55.Nc2 Qb7+ 56.Kh2 Qb1
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| For one horrible moment I thought I was losing a piece |
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57.Ra1 Qb3?
White is much better, according to the engines, after the superior 57...Qb5 or 57...Qb7, but the text drops a pawn for no good reason.
58.Rxa5 Qb6 59.Ra1 Qb3?!
Probably better is 59...Ne7.
60.d5! exd5 61.Nd4 Qb7 62.Nxf5 Ne7 63.Nd6 Qb8 64.f5 Nxf5!?
This is best, according to the engines, but hopeless.
The game finished:
65.Nxf5 Rf7 66.Nd6 Re7 67.Qh5 Rxd6!? 68.exd6 Qxd6+ 69.Kg2 Qe5 70.Re3 Qg7 71.Qe8+!? Rxe8 72.Rxe8+ Qg8 73.Rxg8+ Kxg8 74.Ra8 1-0
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