London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.Be2 Bd6 6.Bg3 h5!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 6...Nge7 (6...Nf6 is also popular) 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.0-0 with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.
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| How should White respond? |
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7.Nbd2
Carrying on with normal London System development seems perfectly reasonable.
7...h4 8.Bxd6 cxd6!? 9.h3 Bf5 10.c3 Nf6 11.Qa4 Ne4 12.c4 dxc4
This is one of the points of 8...cxd6!? - when White breaks with c4 Black can capture and still have as many central pawns as White.
13.Bxc4 a6 14.d5?!
White should probably withdraw the queen or the bishop.
14...Nc5 15.Qa3 exd5 16.Bxd5 Nb4
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| How should White meet Black's triple-threat of a forking check on c2, a check on d3 and the win of a bishop? |
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17.Nd4
White could also calmly castle, but 17.0-0!? Nxd5 18.e4 Bxh3!? 19.exd5 Bf5 seems to leave White with insufficient compensation for a pawn, eg 20.Rfe1+ can be met by 20...Kf8, after which the black king is probably safe enough.
17...Qf6
The engines reckon 17...a5!? gives Black the upper hand.
18.Bf3 Nbd3+
Not 18...Qxd4? 19.exd4 Nc2+ 20.Kd1 Nxa3 21.dxc5, but possibly better is 18...Ncd3+ and if, as in the game, 19.Kf1 0-0 20.Nxf5+ Qxf5, White does not have the game's 21.b4.
19.Kf1 0-0 20.Nxf5 Qxf5 21.b4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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21...Qe5?
Black may have a slight edge after 21...Ne6, and if 22.e4? then 22...Qe5, eg 23.Nb3 Rac8 24.Rd1 Nfe4 with what the engines reckon is a wining position. They suggest 22.Ne4 but agree 22...d5 may give Black a small pull.
22.Rb1 Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Qg3+ 24.Ke2 Ne6 25.Ne4 Qg6 26.Rhd1 Rad8 27.Rb2 Rfe8 28.Kf1!?
A simple solution - the white king is now safe, and Black is bishop-for-pawn down. The game went on another 27 moves but White was always winning.
*No Fide rating.
*No Fide rating.
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