 |
| Looking from Altea Old Town towards Benidorm |
Spanton (1808) - Juan Bautista Sánchez (2094)
Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6!?
This trails 5...Nc6 and especially 5...e6 in popularity, but scores an excellent 49% in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, compared with 47% for 5...Nc6 and 45% for 5...e6.
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
6.cxd5
Queen development with 6.Qb3 is more popular in Mega23, but the two moves usually transpose.
6...Bg7
In Mega23, 6...Nxd5 scores five percentage-points better.
7.Qb3 0-0
 |
| There are 2938 games with this position in Mega23 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Alexander Alekhine was first to reach the diagrammed position as White, at least in Mega23, and he played 8.Bc4!? against Max Euwe. The game was drawn, but when Alekhine had the same position a year later in a simul in Indonesia, he played what is today very-much the main move:
8.Be2
The idea is that the bishop will slide to f3, making it more difficult for Black to capture the d5 pawn.
8...Nbd7 9.Bf3 Nb6 10.Nge2 Bg4 11.Bxg4 Nxg4 12.a4
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12...Qc8!?
Most popular in Mega23 is 12...a5, although Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon White has a slight edge.
13.0-0 Qc4!? 14.Qxc4 Nxc4 15.Bg5 Nf6 16.b3 Nb6!? 17.d6!?
This is a typical idea in this type of position. White recognises that the d5 pawn cannot be held in the long run, and so decides to give it back at a time when Black is obliged to capture with the e pawn.
17...exd6 18.Rfe1 Nbd5 19.Rac1 Rfe8 20.Bxf6!?
Initiating a forcing simplifying-sequence.
20...Nxc3 21.Nxc3 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Bxf6
 |
| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black has the better minor-piece for cooperating with a rook, but White has more space and a small lead in development. The engines reckon the position is completely equal.
23.Ne4 Bxd4 24.Nxd6 b6
This looks natural, but Black has a slight edge, according to the engines, after 24...Rd8. The point is 25.Nxb7? loses to 25...Rd7 26.Na5 Bc3.
25.Kf1 Bc5 26.Nf5 Kb8 27.Rd1 Ke7 28.f3 a6 29.Nc7 Ra7 30.Nd5+ Ke6 31.Nf4+ Kf6 32.Nd5+ Kf6 33.Nf4+ ½–½
No comments:
Post a Comment