Réti/Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Bg2 Qd7 5.0-0 0-0-0!?
This very-committal move is the chief continuation in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.
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| How should White respond? |
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6.c4
6.c4
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 suggest 6.c3, claiming White is at least slightly better, although they disagree how the game should continue. A sample line runs 6...f6 7.b4 e5 8.b5 Nc37 9.dxe5 Qxb5 10.Nbd2!? Nc6 11.a4, with White's attack looking the more promising.
6...dxc4 7.e3?!
White probably needs to play more actively. Teimour Radjabov (2723) - Richárd Rapport (2676), European Chess Union Team Cup (Rhodes) 2013, went 7.Nbd2!? Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Qa4 with more than enough compensation for two pawns, according to the engines (but ½–½, 34 moves).
7...e5 8.Qa4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd7+
Not 10.Qxa7? Ne2+ 11.Kh1 Qb5!
10...Rxd7 11.exd4 Nf6!?
White gets a strong initiative after 11...Rxd4 12.Be3, although the engines agree Black is better.
12.Nc3 Bb4 13.a3 Bxc3!?
The engines prefer keeping the bishop-pair with 13...Ba5.
14.bxc3 Nd5 15.Bd2 Re8 16.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 17.Rxe1 Kd8 18.Re4 Be6 19.Re1!? c6 20.h4 h6 21.Kf1 Re7 22.Bxd5!? cxd5
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Black's extra pawn is no longer doubled, but the presence of opposite-coloured bishops greatly increases White's drawing chances. The engines give Black the upper hand.
23.f3 Rc7
Komodo14.1 suggests 23...Bh3+?! 24.Kf2 Rxe1, claiming Black still has the upper hand, but Stockfish16's assessment of a slight edge for Black is surely nearer the truth.
24.Rb1 Kc8 25.Rb5 Rc6 26.Kf2 Ra6 27.Bc1 b6 28.g4 Kd7 29.Rb1 Kc6 30.Kg3 Ra5
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| How should White meet's Black threat of 31 ...Rb5!, when 32.Rxb5 Kxb5 lets the black king invade the white queenside? |
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31.Ra1?
Probably best is 31.Rb4, and if 31...Rb5 then 32.a4 Rxb4 33.cxb4, when White seems to be holding. The engines reckon also better than the text is 31.Kf4!?, the point being 31...Rb5 (31...f6 probably gives better chances) 32.Rxb5 Kxb5 33.Ke5 Ka4 can be met by 34.Bxh6! gxh6 35.h5 with what the engines reckon is complete equality.
31...Rb5 32. a4 Ra5?
Too slow. Correct is 32...Rb3 with good winning chances, eg 33.Bd2 a5!? 34.Kf4 Rb2 35.Ke3 f5 36.gxf5 Bxf5 37.h5!? b5 38.axb5+ Kxb5 39.Bc1 Rb3 40.Kd2 g6, after which Black gets a second passed pawn. I thought 33.Ra3 might save White, but 33...Rb1 and 33...a5!? lead to similar play as in the previous line.
33.h5 Kd7 34.f4!?
The engines suggest the less-committal 34.Ra2.
34...f6?!
Probably better is 34...f5, although 35.g5 Bf7 36.g6 may hold (Komodo14.1 reckons so, but Stockfish16 strongly disagrees). The latter engine prefers 36.Kh4, although both engines agree Black is better.
35.g5?!
Locking the kingside with 35.f5 holds.
35...fxg5?!
Promising is 35...Bf5, eg 36.Ra3 Kc6 37.Ra2 b5 38.axb5+ Kxb5 39.Rxa5+ Kxa5 40.Ba3 Ka4 41.gxf6 gxf6 42.Be7 Kb3 43.Bb4 Kc2 44.Ba5 Kd3 45.Bb4 Bd7 46.Ba5 f5 47.Kh3 Ke4 48.Bc7 Be8 49.Kh4 Ke3, leaving White in zugzwang. That is a very long line, but 35...Bf5 certainly gives better winning chances than the text.
36.fxg5 hxg5 37.Bxg5 b5 38.Rb1?!
The engines prefer 38.h6 gxh6 39.Bxh6, when it is hard to see how Black can make progress.
38...a6?!
There are no winning chances after this, but 38...bxa4 39.Rb2 (39.Rb7+ Kc6 40.Rxg7? a3) Bf5 keeps the game going, with the engines reckoning Black has the upper hand.
The game finished:
39.axb5 axb5 40.Kf4 Bf7 41.h6 gxh6 42.Bxh6 Kc6 43.Bf8 Ra2 44.Bb4 Rf2+ 45.Ke3 Rh2 ½–½
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