Board Three
1.Nc3/Modern/Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
1.Nc3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 c5 4.Nf3
The game started with 1.Nc3, which is sometimes called the Dunst Opening or the Van Geet Opening (it has other names), and became a Modern, and now I offered a transposition to the Accelerated Dragon.
4...cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6
There are 51,538 games with this position in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database. The move-order adopted in this game rules out a Maróczy Bind.
6.Nxc6!?
This somewhat unusual continuation scores just 37% in Mega23. Overwhelmingly most popular is 6.Be3.
6...bxc6 7.Bc4 Qa5!?
The mainline in Mega23 runs 7...d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.e5!? dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 with an unclear position, which Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon is dynamically balanced.
8.Bd2
Not 8.0-0?? Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qxc3, when White cannot save both the king's bishop and the queen's rook.
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| How should Black continue? |
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8...Qb4?!
8...Qb4?!
This is the most popular move in Mega23, and scores 58%, but is very risky.
9.Qe2 Qxb2
The engines suggest 9...d6!?, the point being 10.Nd5? Qxb2 favours Black. However 10.0-0 leaves White with a large lead in development.
10.Rb1 Qa3
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| What should White play? |
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11.Rb3!?
This looks natural but is strongly disliked by the engines. Probably better is 11.0-0 as 11...Bxc3? can be met by 12.Rb3. I looked for some time at 11.Nd5!? cxd5 12.Bxd5, but was not convinced, although the engines reckon it gives White the upper hand. Possibly best is the engines' 11.e5!?
11...Qd6 12.0-0 Nh6
The engines give 12...Rb8 or 12...Qc7!? as keeping White's advantage to a minimum.
13.Rd1 Qc7 14.h3!?
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| White's last move looks innocuous, but it contains a major threat |
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14...0-0?
The engines give 14...Rb8 (Stockfish16) or 14...f6 (Komodo14.1), albeit with advantage to White.
15.Bg5
Threatening to win the e7 pawn, with ...Bd6 to come, and threatening to win the king's knight with Qd2.
15...d5 16.exd5 Nf5
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| White's advantage is large ... but only if the right continuation is found |
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17.dxc6!
17.dxc6!
This allows a fork of queen and rook, but the engines agree it is the only move to keep a substantial edge.
17...Nd4 18.Rxd4 Bxd4 19.Nd5 Qa5
Possibly better is 19...Qe5, but 20.Nxe7+ Kh8 21.Qd2 is very strong.
20.Bxe7 Re8 21.Rb5
The black queen is short of squares.
21...Qa4 22.Nc7?!
This is good enough but the engines prefer 22.Bb3, 22.Qd3 or 22.Rb4.
22...Rxe7?!
Trying to complicate matters. Objectively it is bad, according to the engines, which prefer 22...Be6 but agree 23.Bb3 Bxb3 24.cxb3 Rxe7!? 25.Qxe7 Qxa2 26.Qe1 is comfortably winning.
23.Qxe7 Qxc4 24.Rb4 Bxf2+!?
Desperate, but also best, according to the engines.
25.Kxf2 Qxc2+
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| White to play and win |
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26.Kg1?
This allows a drawing combination, but at least this is better than 26.Qe2?? Qc5+ etc. Correct is 26.Kg3, after which the checks soon run out.
26...Bxh3! 27.gxh3 Qc1+ 28.Kf2
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| Black to play and draw |
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28....Qd2+ 1-0 (Time)
The engines show 28...Rc8!! draws, eg 29.Qd6 Rxc7! 30.Rb8+ Kg7 31.Qxc7 Qd2+, after which the white king cannot escape perpetual check.
FULL TEAM RESULT
England 3 v SK 2012, DanmarkRichard Freeman (1987) 0-1 Mogens Thuesen (2094)
David Tucker (1898) = Per Holst (2090)
Tim Spanton (1800) 1-0 Poul Erik Nørgaard Olesen (1976)
Robert Kane (1723) 1-0 Finn Andersson (1709)
..............................2.5-1.5.....................................................
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