Morphing The French XXVII

MY 27th attempt to play against the French Defence in the style of Paul Morphy.

Spanton (1806) - Erlend Reigstad (1594)

Fagernes Open

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3

The main move today is 7.Bg5!?, but Morphy played the text the four times he reached the position, according to ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.

7...c6 8.Bg5 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5

Morphy - José Maria Sicre, Havana 1892, went 9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nbd7 11.Rfe1 Qc7 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 (but 1-0, 27 moves).

10.Re1 Nbd7

How should White proceed?

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11.g4!?

This is the top choice of the engines, for a while, but they come to prefer 11.a4.

11...Bg6 12.Ne5 Qb6 13.Bxg6 fxg6!?

This is the more-active recapture, but four of five games in Mega23 saw 13...hxg6.

14.Qd3?

The weakness of f2 means White should prefer exchanging knights, perhaps followed by Re6.

14...Bxe5 15.dxe5

What should Black play?

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15...Nxg4?!

Black has a winning advantage, according to the engines, after 15...Ne4, eg 16.Be3 Nxf2! 17.Bxb6 Nxd3 18.cxd3 axb6, or 16.Nxe4 Nxe5! 17.Nf6+ gxf6 18.Qg3 fxg5 19.Rxe5 Qxb2. The text is tricky, but probably about equal.

16.hxg4 Qxf2+ 17.Kh1 Rf3 18.Rf1 Qxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Rxd3 20.e6!?

Maybe slightly better is 20.cxd3, although Black will have four pawns, albeit two of them doubled, for a bishop.
20...Rh3+!? 21.Kg2 Rxc3 22.bxc3?

Much better is 22.exd7, for example 22...Rxc2+ 23.Kf3 Rxb2 24.Re1 Kf7 25.d8=Q Rxd8 26.Bxd8, after which Black has five pawns for a bishop, but at best a slight edge, according to the engines, which continue 26...h5!? 27.Re7+ Kf8 28.Rc7 Rxa2 29.Be7+ Kf7!? with an unclear position, despite Black having six pawns for a bishop.

22...Nc5 23.e7 Ne4 24.Be3 Re8 25.Bxa7 Rxe7 26.Re1 Kf7 27.Re3 Nf6 28.Rf3 Re4 29.Kh3 g5 30.Bd4 Kg6 31.Bxf6!?

Desperation - there is no solace in a rook-and-pawn ending.

31...gxf6 32.Kg3 Ra4 33.Re3 Rxa2 34.Re2 Ra3 0-1