Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.g3!?
Overwhelmingly most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is the consistent 4.d4.
4...d5
This seems a naturally aggressive response, but when Accelerated Dragon guru John Donaldson reached the position, in 1997 in the Isle Of Man, he played 4...d6.
5.Qc2?
Apparently a novelty, and certainly not a good one.
5...dxe4 6.Qxe4 Nf6 7.Qc2 0-0 8.Bg2 Bf5 9.Qb3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
9...Qd3?!
I missed White's reply. Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 like 9...Nc6.
10.Ne5 Qd6
Despite the sub-par ninth move, Black is still better.
11.f4?!
The engines give 11.Nc4 Qe6+ 12.Ne3 Nc6 13.Qxe6 Bxe6 with just a slight edge for Black.
11...Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0
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| Both sides have castled - how would you assess the position? |
*****
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Black's queenside pawns are shattered, but that is unlikely to prove significant unless an ending is reached. Meanwhile White is well-behind on development and has the more-exposed king. The engines reckon Black is positionally winning.
13...Bd3 14.Re1 c4 15.Qa3 c5!?
Sacrificing the exchange to keep mating-hopes alive.
16.Bxa8!?
White is losing anyway, according to the engines, but this capture is hard to justify on any but materialistic grounds.
16...Rxa8 17.b4 Qd5 18.Qa5 Ne4 19.bxc5 Bd4+!?
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| Another sacrifice, although this one is temporary at most |
*****
*****
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20.Re3!?
The mainline I had calculated runs 20.cxd4 Qxd4+ (20...Nxg3!? is even stronger, according to the engines) 21.Re3 Qxa1 22.Qb4 Qxa1 23.Qxb1 Bxb1, after which Black emerges a knight up.
20...Bxc5
This threatens ...Bxe3+ followed by ...Qxa5.
21.Qa4 Nxg3!?
The sacrifices keep coming, but that is not surprising when one looks at the state of the white queenside.
22.hxg3 Qf3 23.Qxc4!?
Desperation, but White is mated after the 'obvious' 23.Kh2, eg 23...Bxe3 24.dxe3 Be4 etc.
23...Bxc4 24.d4 Qd1+ 25.Kh2 Qxc1
The game finished:
26.dxc5 Qxe3 27.Na3 Qf2+ 28.Kh3 Be6+ 29.g4 0-1
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