PLAYED for Battersea on board five (of eight) against Streatham & Brixton in London League Division One last night.
English Symmetrical
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 d6 6.Nc3 e5 7.d3 Nge7
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| Black has a Botvinnik setup, the key points being the V pawn-formation in the centre and the position of the king's knight at e7 - there are 3,320 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database |
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8.a3 0-0 9.Rb1 f5!?
More popular, and preferred by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, is 9...a5.
10.Bd2
Not 10.b4? as Black can reply 10...e4, although there are six examples of White playing the move in Mega23, including one by a 2245.
10...b6 11.b4 Bb7
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| How should White proceed? |
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12.Ne1!?
This may be a novelty, at least in this exact position. Mega23 has two games with 12.Ng5 and two with 12.Nd5. According to the engines the former should be met by 12...Qd7, with equality, and the latter by 12...Nxd5 13.cxd5 Nd4, again with equality (Komodo14.1) or possibly a slight edge for White (Stockfish16). The engines give best-play as 12.b5!? Na5 13.e4 Qd7, claiming White has the upper hand (Stockfish16) or at least a slight edge (Komodo14.1).
12...Qd7 13.Nc2
The game has transposed to a known position in which 13...Rae8 and 13...f4 have been played, but I preferred ...
13...Nd4
... as White is hard-pressed to avoid an exchange of light-square bishops.
14.Bxb7
Preserving the bishop by Bh3 or f3 looks artificial, while 14.e4!? Nxc2 15.Qxc2 f4 is also problematic.
14...Qxb7 15.Ne3!? f4 16.Ned5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 f3 18.exf3 Nxf3+ 19.Kg2
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| The white king's position has clearly been weakened, but the knight at d5 is strongly placed for defence and attack |
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19...Rf5 20.Be3 Raf8!?
Preceding this move with 20...cxb4 may be stronger.
21.bxc5 Rh5
Threatening mate-in-one.
22.h4 Qd7?!
After 22...dxc5 23.Bxc5 Rf7 Black has full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.
23.Rh1?
White has at least the upper hand after 23.cxb6, according to the engines, eg 23...Qg4 can be met by 24.Rh1, while 23...Rxh4!? seems to come unstuck against 24.Rh1!
23...dxc5 24.Bg5 h6 25.Bf6!?
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| How should Black respond? |
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25...Bxf6
After 25...Nd4!? the black king's rook appears trapped thanks to 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.g4. However one continuation by the engines runs 27...Rf3! 28.Ne3 Qb7 29.Kg1!? Rf7 30.gxh5 Nf3+ 31.Kf1 Nd2+ 32.Ke1! Qxh1+ 33.Kxd2 Qxh4!? 34.f3 Qxh5 35.Qe2 Qxf3. although they reckon White's knight is better than Black's three pawns. If in this line 28.gxh5, then 28...Qf5! can to lead to a perpetual, eg 29.Qe1 Rxd3 30.Rh2 Qg4+ 31.Kh1 Qf3+ etc.
Instead the engines give 25...e4! 26.dxe4 Rxd5! 27.Qxd5+ Qxd5 28.exd5 Rxf6, claiming a slight edge for Black.
26.Qxf3 Rf5
Not 26...Bxh4? as White is on top after 27.Qe2.
27.Qe4 Bg7 28.Rhf1 g5?!
The engines give 28...h5 or 28...R8f7, but much prefer White.
29.hxg5
Even stronger seems to be 29.Ne3, forcing the black king's rook from f5, and then taking on g5 at a time when Black has to recapture with the h pawn, eg 29...R5f7 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.Nxd5 with what the engines reckon is a positionally won game.
29...Rxg5 30.f3 Rf7
Interesting is the engines' 30...Rf4!? as 31.Nxe4 exf4 gives Black decent compensation for the exchange. However the engines reckon White is better after 31.Qe2!? Rd4 32.Rh1.
31.Rh1 Qa4!?
This pawn raid was the main point behind 30...Rf7.
32.Rbf1 Qxa3 33.Rf2 Qa4 34.Rh4 Qd7
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| The black queen has grabbed a pawn and returned home, but White is still slightly better, according to the engines |
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35.f4 Rg4!?
This is Komodo14.1's top choice. Stockfish16 prefers 35...exf4 36.Rhxf4 Rxf4 37.Rxf4, which frees the bishop but leaves the black king looking very exposed.
36.Rxg4 Qxg4 37.Ne3 Qd7 38.f5 Qd4 39.Nd5 Qxe4+ 40.dxe4 Bf6 ½–½
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| In the final position White has at least full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines, but JT was behind on the clock |
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