Board Three
English Symmetrical
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4
This more-or-less ensures symmetry comes to an end, and is easily the most popular move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, scoring a very good 61%.
7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.Qd2!?
The main move in Mega23 is 10.Qd3, but the text is also popular. It may look strange to block White's dark-square bishop, but the idea is that the bishop will be fianchettoed.
10...Nd7
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 do not like this. Most popular is 10...Rb8, but the engines prefer 10...Be6!?, and if 11.Bxb7 Rb8 12.Bd5, then 12...Nxd5 gains the bishop-pair and leaves the white kingside looking a little airy.
11.b3 Nc5 12.Bb2
Not 12.b4? Na4.
12...a5 13.Rad1 Be6 14.h3
This does not seem to have much relevance to the position.. However, among moves preferred by the engines is 14.h4!?
14...Qb6 15.Nb5 Bxb2!?
Black need not worry about weakening the kingside as White's pieces are not well-placed to exploit holes there.
16.Qxb2 a4
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| Black has a little initiative |
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17.Qc2
If 17.b4 then 17...Bxc4 leads to mass exchanges and equality, eg 18.bxc5 Qxb5 19.Qxb5 Bxb5 20.cxd6 Bxe2 21.dxe7 Rfe8 22.Bxb7 Rab8 23.Rd8 Rfxe8 24.exd8=Q+ Rxd8 25.Re1 Bc4 26.Re4.
17...axb3 18.axb3 Bf5 19.e4 Bd7 20.b4?!
Best, according to the engines, is 20.Nc3, when 20...Qxb3 21.Qxb3 Nxb3 can be met by 22.e5 or 22.Nd5, with equality.
20...Bxb5 21.cxb5
Not 21.bxc5? Qxc5 as the c pawn is pinned, meaning Black emerges a sound pawn up and with the better bishop.
21...Ne6?!
This may be enough for a tiny edge, but the engines reckon 21...Nd7 gives Black the upper hand.
22.Qb2 Qxb5 23.Rd5 Qb6 24.e5
Activating the bishop.
24...dxe5 25.Qxe5!?
White temporarily gives up a second pawn, but gets a lot of activity.
25...Qxb4 26.Rb5 Qd4 27.Qxd4 Nxd4 28.Rxb7
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
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28...e6!?
This seems best. An obvious alternative is to anchor the knight with 28...e5, but that makes f7 weak.
29.Rd1 Ra4 30.Rd7 Nf5 31.Rb1 Rd4 32.Rc7 Rfd8 33.Rbb7 Rd1+ 34.Kh2 Nd6 35.Rb4 h5 36.g4!? hxg4 37.hxg4 Kg7 38.Bf3 Rd3 39.Kg2 Ne8 40.Ra7 R3d7!?
This lets White force a rook-and-pawn ending, which the engines reckon increases White's drawing chances.
41.Rxd7 Rxd7 42.Bc6 Rd8 43.Bxe8 Rxe8
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| How much of an advantage does Black have? |
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None, according to Stockfish16; less than half a pawn, according to Komodo14.1.
44.Kg3 g5 45.f4 Kg6 46.Rb5 gxf4+ 47.Kxf4
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| We are now in seven-piece-endgame territory, so with the help of the Syzygy endgame tablebase it is possible to be 100% sure of the rest of the analysis |
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The ending is drawn, but Black can play on in the hope of inducing an error.
47...Rd8 48.Kg3 Rd5 49.Rb8 Rd4 50.Rb5 Kf6 51.Rb8 e5 52.Kf3 Ke6 53.Re8+ Kd5 54.g5!? Rf4+ 55.Ke3 Kd6
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| What should White play? |
*****
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56.g6?
Syzygy shows 10 moves draw, including 56.Kd2!?
56...fxg6 57.Ra8 Ke6 58.Re8+ Kf5 59.Rf8+ Kg4 60.Re8 Rf5 61.Ke4 Kg5 62.Re7 Kg4 63.Re8 Rf1 64.Ke3 g5 65.Ke2 Rf5 66.Ke3 Kg3 67.Ke4 Rf1 68.Rg8 g4!
Giving up one pawn to reach a winning rook-and-pawn-versus-rook ending.
69.Kxe5
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| Black to play and win |
*****
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69...Kf3?
There are 13 winning moves, according to Syzygy, one line being 69...Kh3 70.Rh8+ Kg2 71.Ke4 g3 72.Rg8 Kf22 73.Rf8+ Kg1 74.Rh8 g2 75.Ke3 Rf2 76.Ra8 Rf5 77.Ra1+ Kh2 etc.
70.Rf8+ ½–½
FULL TEAM RESULT (Austria 2 had white on odd boards)
Siegfried Zörnpfenning (2040) ½–½ John M Quinn (2077)
Siegfried Zörnpfenning (2040) ½–½ John M Quinn (2077)
Paul Meyer (2064) ½–½ Geoffrey H James (2082)
Walter Pregl (1971) ½–½ Tim Spanton (1850)
Karl Lang (1973) 0-1 Stewart Reuben (1912)
England 2 won the match 2.5-1.5.
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