Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nge2!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 5.Nf3 a6 6.Bg3 Bg4 7.Bg2, with at least a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1
5...c6 6.Bf4 Qd8 7.g3 Bg4 8.Bg2 e6 9.h3 Bxe2!?
The engines are not keen on this surrender of the bishop-pair.
10.Qxe2!?
This seems to be a novelty.
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| How should Black respond? |
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10...Bd6
10...Bd6
Grabbing the d pawn with 10...Qxd4?! looks risky, and the engines demonstrate why with 11.Nb5!, eg 11...Qb4+ 12.c3 Qxb5 13.Qxb5 cxb5 14.Bxb7 etc. Even worse is 11...Qxb2? 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.0-0 with a winning attack, according to the engines.
11.Be5 Qe7?! 12.0-0
This is enough for at least a slight edge, but the engines give 12.Nb5! cxb5 13.Bxd6 etc. If 12...Bxe5, then 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Nd6+ with a positionally won game, according to the engines.
12...0-0
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| With both sides castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has more space in the centre, and the bishop-pair. Black can remove the bishop-pair, but at the cost of conceding even more space. The engines reckon White is at least slightly better.
13.Rfe1 Nbd7 14.Rad1 Rfd8!? 15.Qf3
The engines like 15.Nb1!?, eg 15...Rac8 16.Nd2 Ne8 17.f4 with what they reckon is at least a slight edge for White.
15...Bb4 16.a3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Qf3 Nb6!?
The engines quite like this retreat.
20.Qf4 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rd6!?
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| What should Black play? |
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22...Nc8
The text and 22...Rxd6 23.cxd6 Qd7 are of roughly equal value, according to the engines.
23.Rd4 Rxd4 24.Qxd4 Nb6 25.a4 Qd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7
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| Who, if anyone, stands better in this bishop-v-knight ending? |
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White has more space and has the better minor piece for playing on both wings. But there are no rival pawn-majorities, which would especially favour the bishop, and the engines reckon White at best has a slight edge.
27.f4 f6!? 28.exf6 gxf6 29.Kf3 Kf7 30.Ke3 Ke7 31.Kd4 Kd6
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| The white king is more active, but there is no easy breakthrough |
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32.b4 b6 33.c3 e5+ 34.Ke4 a5 35.Kf5?!
Decentralising the king is often risky.
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| How can Black exploit White's last move? |
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35...exf4
White would face grave difficulties if Black had found 35...b5!?
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| After 35...b5!?, how can White save the game? |
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If 36.axb5?!, then 36...a4 seems strong, and if 37.Be4 then 37...cxb5 gives Black a protected and passed a pawn.
If 36.bxa5. then 36...bxa4 is good as the white passer is much more easily stopped.
After 36.fxe5, both 36...Nxe5 and 36...fxe5 look good.
The engines reckon the only way to equalise is 36.Bxc6!?, eg 36...Kxc6 37.axb5+ Kxb5 38.bxa5 Kxa5 39.g4, after which it seems White can swop off the remaining black pawns and so draw.
Back to the game:
36.gxf4 c5
If 36...b5 then 37.Bxc6!? Kxc6 38.axb5+ Kxb5 39.bxa5 Kxa5 40.Ke6 may be even slightly better for White, but Black should draw, according to the engines.
37.b5
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| Black to play and draw |
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37...Ke7?
This is too passive, and will end with Black in zugzwang. Correct is going for counterplay with 37...c4, when 38.Bc6? Nc5 39.Kxf6 Nxa4 40.f5 Nc5! wins, eg 41.Kg7 a4 42.f6 a3 43.f7 Ne6+ etc. However White draws with other bishop moves, including 38.Bf3 and 38.Bf1.
38.Bc6 Nf8 39.Bd5!
38.Bc6 Nf8 39.Bd5!
Preventing ...Ne6 and threatening Bg8. Other moves only draw, it seems.
39...Kd6 40.Bg8 Ke7 41.c4
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| Black is in zugzwang |
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41...h6 42.h4 h5 43.Bd5 Nd7 44.Bf3 Nf8 45.Bd5
Intending to meet 45...Nd7 with 46.Kg6.
The game finished:
45...Nh7 46.Kg6 Nf8+ 47.Kxh5 Ne6 48.Bxe6 Kxe6 49.Kg6 1-0
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