Calvià U2350 Round Seven
French Steinitz
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3!?
Siegbert Tarrasch's recommendation.
5...c5 6.dxc5!?
This is easily the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.
6...Nc6 7.Bf4 Bxc5 8.Bd3 a6!?
This is a popular alternative to the mainline, which runs 8...f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Ne5 Bd7 12.Qe2 Qe7, with equality, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1
9.0-0 h6!?
 |
| Black's slow play looks provocative, but the engines are happy with it |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10.Qe2 g5 11.Bg3 g4!? 12.Nh4 h5
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13.Nxd5!? exd5 14.e6
 |
| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
14...Nf8!?
The engines at first reckon this is an improvement over 14...Nf6, when Martine Dubois (2003) - Federico Coppola (1904), Bratto (Lombardy, Italy) 2014 continued 15.exf7+ Kxf7 16.Rfe1 b5 17.Rad1 Ra7!? 18.Bg6+ Kg7 with an unclear position (Stockfish16 gives Black a slight edge; Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge; Black won in 32 moves). However, if given enough time, the engines come to rate both the text and 14...Nf6 as giving a completely balanced position.
15.exf7+ Kxf7 16.Rfe1
The engines prefer 16.c4!?
16...Rh6
They reckon Black is better after 16...Be7!?
17.Rad1 Re6 18.Qd2 Qf6 19.Kh1!? Bd7 20.Rf1 Rae8 21.f3?
White has at least a slight edge after 21.Bf5, which attacks the e6 rook and unveils an attack on d5.
21...Be3
There is no satisfactory answer to this, and after ...
22.Qc3 Qxc3 23.bxc3 Rf6
... the black king is out of danger, leaving White with insufficient compensation for the sacrificed knight (0-1, 47 moves).
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