Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6
This move, popularised by Sergei Tiviakov, has more-or-less taken over as Black's main response to 3.Nc3.
4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 5...a6 6.g3 Bg4 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0-0 with an unclear position that Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 reckon favours White.
6.h3
This is possible because 6...Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Qxd4?? loses to 8.Qxb7.
6...Bh5
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| How should White proceed? |
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7.Be2
7.Be2
The engines much prefer 7.g4!?, after which the mainline in Mega23 runs 7...Bg6 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Nxg6 hxg6 10.Bg2 c6, which the engines reckon gives White the upper hand.
7...e6 8.0-0 c6 9.g3!? Bxf3!? 10.Bxf3 Na6
Milan Zajić (2302) - Predrag Radibratović (2362), Serbian Team Championship 2013, continued 10...Be7 11.Ne2 0-0, reaching a position in Mega13 where it is normally Black to move (1-0, 46 moves).11.Bf4 Qd7 12.Kh2 Bd6 13.Qd2 Nc7 14.Rad1 0-0-0!?
The engines do not like this, although it is a standard idea in the Scandinavian. They suggest 14...Ncd5 or 14...Bxf4 15.Qxf4 Ncd5.
15.Ne4 Nxe4
If 15...Bxf4 16.Qxf4 Ncd5 White has 17.Nxf6.
16.Bxe4 h6 17.Bf3 Bxf4 18.Qxf4 Qd6
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| What should White play? |
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19.Qe5?!
Grandmaster Spyridon Skembris did not like this move, and neither do the engines. Possible is 19.Qxf7!?, answering 19....Rhf8 with 20.Qh5, but after 20...Qb4 the engines reckon White only has a slight edge. Perhaps best is 19.Qe3, also with what the engines reckon is a slight edge.
19...Qxe5 20.dxe5 Nd5 21.a3 Nb6 22.Be2 Na4 23.b3 Nc3 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Bd3
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| Rook and bishop usually outplay rook and knight, but the engines here give Black a slight edge |
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25...Rd4 26.Kg2 Kd7 27.f4 Ke7 28.Kf3 c5 29.Ke3 Rd8 30.Re1
Played so Kd2 cannot be met by ...Ne4+.
30...Nd5+ 31.Kd2 Nb6 32.Ke3 Nd5+ 33.Kd2 Nb6 34.c4
I did not want this pawn fixed on a light square, but I could see no other way to make progress.
34...a5 35.Kc3 Nd7!?
Stockfish15.1 is fine with this but Komodo14.1 is not so certain.
36.Be4 b6 37.Rd1 Nb8 38.Rxd8 Kxd8
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| How would you assess this bishop v knight ending? |
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The bishop has a target at f8, but White has to be wary of letting the knight occupy the d4 outpost. The engines reckon the position is equal.
39.b4 cxb4+ 40.axb4 axb4+
Not 40...a4? 41.Bc2 etc.
41.Kxb4 Kc7 42.Bh7 Nc6+ 43.Kc3
I tried to play 43.Bg8, only for GH to point out I was in check.
43...g6!?
The engines are happy with this move, which puts another pawn on the same colour square as the bishop but raises the possibility of the bishop getting trapped.
44.Bg8 Nd8 45.Kb4 Kc6
Not 45...Kd7 46.Kb5 Ke7?? 47.Kxb6 Kf8 48.Kc7 and the c pawn queens.
46.g4 g5 47.f5!?
Double-edged, to say the least.
47...exf5 48.gxf5 h5
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| How should White continue? |
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49.f6?
White draws with 49.e6, and probably with 49.Kc3!? and 49.Bh7!?
49...g4?
Black wins after 49...Kd7, eg 50.Kb5 Ke6 51.Bh7 g4 52.hxg4 hxg4 53.Kxb6 Kxe5 54.Bd3 Ne6 55.c5 Kd4 56.Be2 g3 57.Bf3 Nxc5 etc.
50.hxg4+ hxg4+ 51.Bxf7??
White has a simple draw starting with 51.Bh7.
51...g3??
Correct is 51...Nxf7 52.e6 Ng5 etc.
52.Bd5+?
Best is 52.e6 g2 53.e7 g1=Q 54.e8=Q+ Kc7 59.Qe7+ Kc8 60.Be6+ Nxe6 61.Qxe6, which the Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms is a white win.
52...Kc7?
The position is not so clear after 52...Kd7, eg 53.Kb5 Ne6 54.Kxb6 Nf4 55.Bc6+ Ke6 57.Kc7 Kxe5 58.f7 Ne6+ 59.Kd7 Nf8+ 60.Ke8 Ng6, after which White seems unable to make progress without allowing a drawn position.
53.Kc3 Kd7 54.Kd4 Kd8 55.Ke3 1-0
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