Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6
This is easily the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database. It prevents Nb5, while leaving the c6 square free for the queen's knight.
6.g3!?
And this is easily the main reply. It may seem slow in that a diagonal has already been opened for the king's bishop, but it allows the queen's bishop to be developed to f4 with tempo. Anatoly Karpov (2705) preferred 6.Be3 in a 1979 win over Anatoly Lutikov (2515).
6...Bg4 7.Bg2 Nc6
 |
| How should White continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8.Bf4!?
Castling is most popular, but the text seems fine, and contains a mini-trap.
8..Qd7
Not 8...Qb4!? 9.0-0 Qxb2? as 10.Qd2 is strong. However 9...0-0-0 is much less clear.
9.0-0 e6 10.Be5!?
This may be a novelty. The main line in Mega23 runs 10.h3 Bxf3!? 11.Qxf3 with a sharp position that Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 reckon is much better for White. Even worse for Black, according to the engines, is 10...Bh5?! 11.g4 Bg6 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.c4!?
10...Be7 11.Re1 0-0!?
Black often castles long in similar positions in the Scandinavian.
12.h3 Bh5 13.Ne2!? Rfd8 14.c3 Rab8 15.Nf4 Bg6!?
The engines dislike this, preferring 15...Nxe5, eg 16.dxe5 Qxd1 17.Raxd1 Bxf3 18.Rxd8+ Bxd8! 19.Bxf3 Nd7 with what they reckon is an equal game.
16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Qd2 Nd5 18.Rad1 b5
 |
| How should White respond to this pawn thrust? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
19.b3?!
The engines reckon White should more-or-less ignore it, preferring, for example, 19.h4, meeting ...b4, if it comes, with c4.
19...Qc8
Here 19...b4 is good since the forced 20.c4 can be met by 20...Nc3 with what the engines reckon is at least equality.
20.Qc1!? Nxe5?
This capture has been available for 10 moves, but here it is tactically flawed. The engines still like ...b4, although they reckon 21.c4 Nc3 22.Rd3 is good for White, eg 22...Nxa2 23.Qd2 Nc3 24.d5 with a strong initiative.
21.Nxe5
 |
| Can Black prevent the white knight landing on c6 with deadly effect? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
No, eg 21...Rb6 runs into 22.c4 Nf6 (22...bxc4 23.bxc4 Nb4?! 24.a3 is no improvement) 23.c5 Rb7?! (23...Rb8 is better, according to the engines, but then 24.Nc6 forks the black rooks) 24.Nc6 Rd7 25.d5! Bf8 28.dxe6 fxe6 29.Rxd7 Nxd7 30.Rxe6 Nf6 31.Ne5 when White is a pawn up and has an overwhelming attack.
The game continued:
21...c5 22.c4 bxc4 23.bxc4 Nf6 24.Nc6 Qc7 25.Nxb8 Rxb8 26.d5 e5 27.Qa3 a5 28.Qc3 Bd6 29.Rb1 Nh5!?
Objectively Black should probably avoid a rook-exchange, but Black's only realistic hope of saving the game is to somehow get at the white king, hence the text.
30.Rxb8+ Qxb8 31.Qxa5 f5 32.Qb5 Qc7 33.Rb1 e4 34.Qc6 Bxg3!?
This, temporarily, wins a pawn but leaves Black hopeless.
The game finished:
35.Qxc7 Bxc7 36.Rb5 Bd6 37.Rb6 Bf8 38.Rxg6 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment