King's Fianchetto Opening
1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.d3 c6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.e4
The game clearly bears similarities to the King's Indian Attack, but delaying Nf3 creates interesting nuances.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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5...d4!?
Strong players have tended to prefer 5...Bb4 and 5...dxe4, but Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 like the text.
6.Nce2 c5 7.f4 Nc6 8.Nf3
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| The position bears a resemblance to a King's Indian Defence with colours reversed, except Black has spent two tempi getting the c7 pawn to c5, and White has pushed the f2 pawn to f4 before developing the white king's knight |
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8...Bd6 9.0-0 0-0
Both sides have a standard plan - White going for mate on the kingside, Black seeking distracting counterplay on the queenside. Such positions are particularly difficult to assess, which is reflected in Stockfish15 giving White a slight edge, while Komodo13.02 favours Black, albeit by not as much (but then the latter engine tends to be more conservative in its evaluations).
10.h3 Qc7 11.f5 c4!? 12.a3!?
This apparent novelty is liked by Komodo13.02. Known moves are 12.g4 and 12.Bg5, although the latter is disliked by the engines.
12...cxd3 13.cxd3 b5 14.g4 b4 15.Ng3 bxa3 16.bxa3 Ba6 17.g5 Nd7 18.g6 fxg6!? 19.Ng5
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| What should Black play? |
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19...Nc5?!
Best, according to the engines, is 19...Nd8, when Stockfish15 favours White, but Komodo13.02 favours Black.
20.fxg6?
20.fxg6?
After this, the engines agree Black is on top. Better is 20.Bd2, but the engines' top choice is 20.Nxh7! Then 20...Kxh7?! 21.fxg6+ Kxg6? loses instantly to 22.Qh5#, but 21...Kg8 22.Nf5 gives White a large advantage, as does 20...Rfb8 21.fxg6. Perhaps best is 20...Bxd3!? 21.Nxf8 Bxf1 22.Bxf1 Kxf8, but it is good for White after 23.fxg6 or 23.Bc4, according to the engines.
20...hxg6 21.Qg4
The engines suggest 21.Nf5!?, but reckon 21...Bxd3 gives White at least the upper hand.
21...Be7 22.Ne6 Rxf1+ 23.Bxf1 Nxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kh7 25.Nf5?!
Playing for a perpetual, but almost certainly better is simple development with 25.Bd2, although the engines reckon Black is winning.
25...Bc8?!
'Clever', but simpler is 25...gxf5, eg 26.Qxf5+ Kg8, and if 27.Qe6+ then 27...Kh8 ends the checks.
26.Qf7 gxf5 27.exf5 Qd7 28.Qg6+ Kh8 29.Bg2 Bf6?
Black is still winning after 29...Bb7, according to the engines.
30.Bg5 Bb7 31.Bxf6 gxf6 32.Qxf6+ Qg7 33.Qxg7+?
White should have taken the perpetual that was to be had after 33.Qh4+. Black could try to avoid it with 33...Kg8?!, but 34.f6 Qh7 35.f7+!? leaves Black on thin ice, eg 35...Qxf7? loses to 36.Rb1, one line running 36...Nd8 37.Rxb7 Nxb7 38.Rb2 etc.
33...Kxg7 34.Rb1 Nd8 35.Bxb7
Losing, but it gives more hope than 35.Rxb7 Nxb7 36.Bxb7 Rb8, after which the rook will easily outplay the bishop.
35...Rb8 36.f6+!? Kf8
Not 36...Kxf6? 37.Rf1+.
37.Rb5 Rb8 38.Rxe5 Kf7 39.Rd5 Ne6 40.Kf2 Kxf6 41.Kf3 Rb3 42.Ke4 Rxa3 43.h4 Ra1 44.Rf5+ Kg6 45.h5+ Kh7 46.Ke5 Re1+ 47.Kd5 a5 48.Kc4 Rc1+ 49.Kb5
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| How does Black maintain a large advantage? |
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49...Ra1?
Good are 49...Rc3 and 49...Re1, according to the engines, but they reckon best is 49...a4!? 50.Kxa4 Nc5+ followed by capturing on d3.
50.Re5 Nf4 51.Kc4?!
Stockfish15 reckons 51.Re4 equalises, but Komodo13.02 claims Black is winning.
51...a4 52.Kxd4 Rd1?
The engines point out a simple win with 52...a3, eg 53.Ra5 a2 54.Ra3 Nxd3! etc.
53.Ra5 Nxd3 54.Kc3!?
The engines do not like this, but the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows this is one of five moves that draw.
54...Nc5 55.Kc4 Rc1+ 56.Kb4 Kh6
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| Now only one move draws |
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57.Ka3
The drawing move is 57.Kb5!, although Komodo13.02 wrongly reckons it loses.
57...Kxh5 58.Kb2 Rc4
The only winning move, but it is obvious.
59.Ra8 Kg4 60.Rf8 Rf4 61.Rc8 Rf5 62.Re8 Kf3 63.Ka3
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| Only one move wins |
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63...Kf4
The winning move is 63...Rf4!
64.Rh8 Ke4
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| Only one move draws |
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65.Rh4+
Syzygy shows White needed to find 65.Kb4!
65...Rf4 66.Rh5
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| Again Black has only one winning move |
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66...Kd4
Correct is 66...Rf5!
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| Only one move draws |
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67.Rh3
Necessary is 67.Kb4!
67...Kc4 68.Rg3 Rd4 69.Rg1 Rd3+ 70.Ka2 Kb4 71.Rg4+ Kc3 72.Rg1 Kc2 73.Rg4 Kc3 74.Rg5 Kc4 75.Rg4+ Kb5 76.Rg5 Rc3 77.Rh5 Kb4 78.Rh4+ Rc4 79.Rh8 Rc2+ 80.Kb1 Rg2 81.Rh4+ Kc3 82.Rh3+ Nd3 83.Rh8 Rg1+ 84.Ka2 Nb4+ 0-1
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