Alekhine
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Nf3
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 8.Rc1 0-0 9.b3!? Nc6 10.d5!? Ne5 11.Be2 f5!? 12.f4 Ng4 13.Bxg4!? fxg4 14.Nge2 with the upper hand for White, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
8...0-0 9.Be2 Bg4 10.h3 Bf5
Vlastimil Hort - William Hartston, Olympiad (Nice, France) 1974 went 10...Bxf3!? 11.Bxf3 Nc6 12.b3 with a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 25 moves). The text reaches a position where it is normally Black to move.
11.0-0 Nc6 12.Rc1 d5 13.c5 Nc4
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| How should White proceed? |
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14.b3?
Apparently a novelty, and not a good one. Probably best is 14.Bxc4!? dxc4 15.Qa4, when 15...Bd3 16.Rfd1 looks good for White, but also enough for an edge is 14.Nxd5!? Nxe3 15.Nxe3 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Nxf5.
14...Nxe3 15.fxe3 Bh6 16.Qd2 e5!?
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| What should White play? |
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17.Nxe5!?
Capturing, either with the knight or pawn, is more-or-less forced, although it involves offering the exchange.
17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 d4?!
17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 d4?!
Going after the exchange, but probably better is 18...Qg5!?, eg 19.Nxd5!? Bxh3 20.Bf3 Be6 21.Nf6+ Kg7, when the engines reckon Black has full compensation for a pawn.
19.Qxd4 Qxd4 20.exd4 Be3+ 21.Kh1 Bxc1?!
The engines prefer 21...Bxd4, when 22.Nd5 Kg7 seems fine for Black, but they reckon 22.Bf3 may give White a pull.
22.Rxc1
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| How would you assess this imbalanced late-middlegame? |
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Materially there is not much in it as White has two pawns for the exchange, but Black is yet to develop her rooks and the white central pawn-mass is very menacing. The engines reckon White is winning.
22...a6?!
Presumably aimed against Nb5-d6, but White has other good options for the knight. The engines suggest 22...Kg7!?, or developing either rook to d8.
23.Bf3 Rab8 24.g4 Bd7 25.Nd5 Kg7 26.Nf6 Rfd8 27.d5 h6
Black does not have a useful piece move.
28.c6
This is good enough, but bearing in mind Black's helplessness it might have been better to centralise the king before launching the breakthrough.
28...bxc6 29.dxc6 Bxc6
There is nothing better.
30.Rxc6 Rd2?!
The engines' 30...Rb5 is probably better.
31.Rxa6 Rf2?
This time ...Rb5 is definitely better.
32.Bd5 Rc8 33.Kg1 Re2 34.Rc6 Rd8?!
Black should probably exchange rooks and hope for the best as after ...
35.Rc7
... the queen's rook is forced into passivity.
35...Rf8 36.Ne4 Kh8
Or 36...Rxa2 37.e6 etc.
37.a4 Kg8 38.a5 Ra2 39.b4 Ra1+ 40.Kg2 Rd1 41.b5 Kg7
Not 41...Rxd5? 42.Nf6+ and 43.Nxd5.
The game finished:
42.Bc4 h5 43.g5 h4 44.Nd6 Rd2+ 45.Kf3 Rc2 46.e6 Rc3+ 47.Kf4 Rxh3 48.e7 1-0
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