Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 Bf5!?
One advantage this has over the more popular 3...Bg4 is it introduces the possibility of an attack on c2, as well as perhaps playing ...Bh3 (after ...Qd7). On the other hand, 3...Bg4, while also perhaps making ...Bh3 possible, gives Black the chance to play ...Bxf3 as part of a plan to get in ...e5, a motif familiar from the Chigorin.
4.a3!?
The 'natural' 4.Bg2 is easily the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, but the text has also been tried by strong players. The obvious point is preparing c4, without worrying about ...Nb4, but it also gives White the possibility of queenside expansion.
4...Nf6 5.b4!?
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| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
5...a6
The engines reckon to get on with developing the kingside by 5...e6, 5...g6 or even 5...h5!?, eg 5...e6 6.b5?! Na5.
6.Bg2 Qd7 7.h3 e6 8.Nbd2 Be7 9.Bb2 0-0 10.0-0
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| Who has the advantage, if anyone? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
The engines give White the better side of equality, but no more.
10...h6 11.Rc1 b5!?
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12.Ne5
This may be best, but very interesting is the engines' 12.c4!? After 12...bxc4 13.Ne5 Qe8 White has, among other continuations, 14.Nxc6 Qxc6 15.Nxc4, winning back the sacrificed pawn and gaining a half-open c file. If 13...Nxe5, then 14.dxe5 Nh7 (best, according to the engines) 15.Nxc4 again wins back the pawn.
12...Nxe5?!
Black's disadvantage is kept to a minimum after 12...Qe8, according to the engines.
13.dxe5 Ne8?!
Black's pieces get in each other's way after this. Almost certainly better is 13...Nh7, although White has an edge.
14.e4!
Opening lines is the way to exploit an advantage in mobility, and it also distracts Black from what looked like promising queenside play.
14...dxe4
Almost certainly worse is 14...Bg6?! 15.exd5.
15.Nxe4 Rd8 16.Qe2 Bxe4!
Giving up the bishop-pair seems the only sensible way to keep the game going.
17.Bxe4 c5 18.Rfd1 Qc7 19.Rxd8 Qxd8 20.bxc5!?
Part of a plan to keep the initiative.
20...Bxc5 21.c4 Qb6
The engines reckon menacing a3 with 21...Qe7!? is slightly better.
22.cxb5 axb5 23.Qc2 Bd4 24.Rd1 Bxb2 25.Qxb2 Nc7 26.Rd6 Qa5 27.Qb4!
Queen and knight tend to work better than queen and bishop in a middlegame, but in an ending rook and bishop usually outperform rook and knight.
27...Qxb4 28.axb4 Rb8
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| How significant is White's advantage? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
All three white pieces are better than their black counterparts. The engines give White at least the upper hand, but the game still has to be won.
29.f4 Kf8 30.Kf2 Ke7 31.Ke3 Ne8?!
Probably better are 31...Na8 and 31...g5!?
32.Ra6 Rc8 33.Bc6 Nc7 34.Ra7 Kf8!? 35.Kd4 Nd5
Or 35...Rd8+ 36.Kc5 Nd5 37.Kxb5, after which the passed pawn is too strong.
36.Bxd5 Rd8??
Better, but still losing, is 36...exd5 37.Kxd5 Rc3.
37.Ra8 1-0
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