Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6!?
Castling is the main move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but the text has also been chosen by top players. The idea of capturing now is so Black cannot retake with the king's knight after playing 4...Nge7.
4...bxc6 5.d3 Ne7 6.Qe2!?
The idea of playing this, rather than castling, is so ...Ng6 can be met by h4.
6...Ng6 7.h4 h5 8.e5
One of the chief motifs of the 4.Bxc6!? variation is White's efforts to keep Black's light-square bishop out of play, and, naturally, Black's efforts to give it a role.
8...Be7
This is second in popularity in Mega24 to 8...f6!?, after which the mainline runs 9.Qe4 Kf7!? 10.Na3 d5!? 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Nc4 Qd5 with a complicated positional struggle.
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| Position after 12...Qd5 - White has the better pawn-structure and has a slight edge, according to Stockfish16, but Komodo14.1 reckons the bishop-pair gives Black enough compensation |
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9.Qe4 d5!? 10.exd6 Qxd6 11.Na3 Qd5 12.Bg5 f5?!
This may be a novelty, and is probably not a good one. Known moves are 12...Rb8 and 12...Qxe4+.
13.Qe3 Bf6!?
The engines agree this is best.
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| How should White proceed? |
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14.Bxf6
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 14.Nc4!?, and if 14...Ba6 then 15.0-0-0!? They also like the immediate 14.0-0-0!?, and if 14...Qxa2 then 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nc4.
14...gxf6 15.c4?!
Almost certainly better are 15.0-0-0!?, offering a transposition to the previous note, and 15.Nd2.
15...Qd6 16.d4?!
Hoping to take advantage of Black's uncastled king, but the white king is also uncastled. Probably better is 16.0-0-0, and if 16...e5 then 17.d4, as the e pawn is pinned.
16...cxd4 17.Nxd4 f4!? 18.Qd2 e5
Black has opened a route for the light-square bishop to get into the game.
19.Nb3 Qxd2+ 20.Nxd2 Bf5
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| The engines reckon Black has at least the upper hand |
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21.0-0-0 Kf7 22.c5!? e4?
But this is premature. After 22...Rhd8 23.Nac4 Rd5 24.Nd6+ Ke6 25.N2e4 Bxe4 26.Nxe4 a5 Black is positionally winning, according to the engines.
23.Nac4 Ne5 24.Nxe4??
Getting the move-order wrong. The correct way to win a pawn is 24.Nd6+ Ke6 25.N2xe4.
24...Nxc4 25.Nd6+ Nxd6 26.Rxd6 Be4 27.Re1!? Bxg2 28.Rd7+ Kg6 29.Ree7 Kf5 30.Rf7? Bd5 31.Rfe7 Bxa2 32.Rxa7 Rxa7 33.Rxa7 Bd5
Black is a bishop up and there is no chance of complications.
The game finished:
34.Kd2 Rb8 35.Kc3 Rb3+ 36.Kc2 Rf3 0-1
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