Pirc
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Bg4 8.Be3 e5 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.d5 Nd4 with complete equality, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, but there are many almost-equally popular alternatives along the way.
6...c5 7.d5
Normal is 7.dxc5 Qa5 8.0-0 Qxc5+ 9.Kh1 with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16, although Komodo14.1 reckons the position is equal. One point is 9...Ng4?! runs into 10.Nd5, when 10...Nf2+?? 11.Rxf2 Qxf2 loses to 12.Be3.
7...e6 8.0-0 exd5
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| How should White proceed? |
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9.exd5
Black is better after this, according to the engines, which suggest 9.e5!?, first played, apparently, in 1981, although the chess world seemingly did not pick up on the idea - 14 years pass in Mega23 before it appears again.
9...Bg4
Black is at least slightly better after 9...Na6 or 9...Re8, according to the engines.
10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3
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| How would you assess this late-opening position? |
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White has the bishop-pair and more space in the centre, but the centre is less open than bishops like. Stockfish16 gives White a slight edge; Komodo14.1 reckons the game is equal.
White has the bishop-pair and more space in the centre, but the centre is less open than bishops like. Stockfish16 gives White a slight edge; Komodo14.1 reckons the game is equal.
11...a6 12.a4 Nbd7 13.Be3 Re8 14.Bf2 Qc7 15.Re1 Rxe1+ 16.Qxe1 Re8 17.Qf1 Qb8
Presumably hoping to get in ...b5. The engines prefer 17...Qb6!?
18.g4!? h6 19.Kg2 Nf8 20.Qd3 Qc8 21.Bg3 N6d7 22.Ne4 Qc7
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| What should White play? |
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23.c3
The engines reckon White should immediately go for kingside play with 23.Rf1!?, meeting 23...Bxb2 with 24.c3 with obvious compensation for a pawn.
23...c4
Vacating the c5 square for a knight is a typical idea in this type of position. Sometimes it is played as a sacrifice, but here it has the added bonus of establishing outposts at d3 and b3.
24.Qc2 Nc5 25.Nxc5 Qxc5 26.Bf2 Qc7 27.Qd2 Nd7 28.Bd4?!
Giving up the bishop-pair and allowing Black to emerge with much the better minor piece. The engines reckon 28.Re1 is at least equal.
28...Bxd4
As RdC pointed out in the postmortem, 28...Nc5 is possible as 29.Bxg7?! can be met by the zwischenzug 29...Nb3!, when 30.Qf2 Kxg7! leaves White under a lot of pressure as the white position is decidedly loose. But note that 30...Nxa1?! 31.Bf6 gives White a lot of compensation for an exchange. RdC rejected the whole line because of 29.Bxc5, after which Black will struggle to make progress.
29.Qxd4
The engines are unsure, but possibly better is 29.cxd4!?, taking away the c5 square from the knight.
29...Qc5 30.Rd1 b5 31.Kf2?
The engines reckon White has to play 31.axb5, albeit preferring Black.
31...Qxd4+
Even stronger, it seems, is 31...bxa4!?, not so much because it wins a pawn, I believe, but because of the weakness of b2, eg 32.Rd2 Qxd4+ 33.Rxd4 Nc5 34.Rxc4 Rb8, or 32.Be2 Qb5!? 33.Rd2 Nc5! 34.Bxc4 Qb6 35.Bd3 (or 35.Kf3 Re4) Nxd3+ 36.Rxd3 Qxb2+ 37.Rd2 Qb1 etc.
32.Rxd4
Capturing with the pawn deserved, as at move 29, serious consideration.
32...Nc5 33.axb5
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| How should Black continue? |
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33...axb5
We both thought 33...Nd3+ 34.Rxd3!? cxd3 35.bxa6 was promising for White. The engines disagree, but reckon 34.Kg3 axb5 35.b3 leaves White only slightly worse.
34.Be2 Ra8 35.Ke3
Not 35.Rd2?? Ne4+.
35...Ra2 36.Rd2 Na4
This looks natural, but White has a drawing resource. Best, according to the engines, is 36...g5!?, eg 37.fxg5 hxg5 38.Bd1 Kg7 39.Rf2 Ra1 40.Rd2 Rb1, after which White is horribly tied up.
37.Bd1 Rxb2?!
This only draws, as the engines realise apparently instantly. They suggest 37...Nc5 with continued probing.
38.Bxa4 Rxd2 39.Kxd2 bxa4
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| Black has won a pawn, but White has saved the game |
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40.Kc2 g5 41.fxg5 hxg5 42.Kb2 Kg7 43.Ka3 Kf6 44.Kxa4 Ke5 45.Kb5 Kxd5
Black is still a pawn up, but only temporarily.
The game finished:
46.Kb4 Ke5 47.Kxc4 d5+ 48.Kc5 f6 49.Kc6 Ke6 ½–½
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