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| Before the start of today's round my opponent added to my collection of chess-related pens by presenting me with a ballpoint showing he is a notary in Třebíč, a Czech town I have fond memories of, having played there in 2014, 2017 and 2018, gaining rating points each time |
London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6!? 3.Bf4 Bg4
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| Black is using a Chigorin setup, although a true Chigorin includes an early c4 from White, usually on move two |
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4.e3 e6 5.Nbd2
Most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 5.c4, which dates back to at least an Alexander Alekhine simul in Canada in 1923, although the future world champion was held to a draw.
5...Bd6 6.Bg3 e5!?
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| It is not often Black can get in ...e5 against the London System so quickly, but the two tempi spent getting the e pawn to the fourth rank are probably worth it |
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7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Be2
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 suggest the apparent novelty 8.c4!?, claiming a slight edge for White.
8...Nxf3+
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| How should White recapture? |
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9.Nxf3
The engines suggest another apparent novelty, 9.gxf3!?, after which the position resembles a currently popular line of the French Burn, but with colours reversed.
9...Nf6 10.c3!?
This too may be a novelty. Known moves are are 10.0-0 and 10.Bh4!?, both of which seem rather more pertinent to the position.
10...0-0 11.Nd4!? Bxe2 12.Nxe2!?
The engines slightly prefer this over the developing 12.Qxe2, although I find it hard to understand why.
12...Re8 13.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black is slightly ahead on development and has more central space, but the engines reckon the position is equal, which again I find strange.
13...Ne4!?
Setting a little trap, while placing the knight on a good square.
14.Bxd6
Not 14.Qxd5? as Black is well on top after 14...Bxg3 15.Qxd8 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2 Raxd8 17.Rf3 Rd2.
14...Qxd6 15.Ng3 Rad8 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Qxd6?!
The engines are not too unhappy with this move, but White should probably not help Black double rooks on the open file.
17...Rxd6 18.Rfd1 Red8 19.Rxd6
Not 19.Rd4 c5 20.Rxe4?? Rd1+ 21.Rxd1 Rxd1#.
19...Rxd6 20.Kf1 Rd2 21.Rb1
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending, and how should Black continue? |
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Komodo14.1 gives Black the upper hand, but Stockfish16 reckons White is only slightly worse.
21....f5!?
The engines are happy enough with this, but it may be 21...Kf8 or 21...g6 (with ...Kg7 to come) is a little more accurate as White would not have the counterplay resource he gets in the game.
22.Ke1 Rc2 23.Rd1!?
White probably should not just wait for the black king to activate, although the engines, Komodo14.1 in particular, reckon 23.a4 is almost as good.
23...Rxb2 24.Rd8+ Kf7 25.Rd7+ Kf6 26.Rxc7
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| Has White equalised? |
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Stockfish16 reckons he has, but Komodo14.1 gives Black a slight edge. The latter seems more correct to me; certainly Black's extra kingside space, and the fact the white king is cut off on the back rank, make Black's position easier to play.
26...h5 27.a4 g5 28.g3 h4
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| How should White proceed? |
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29.Rh7?
White is completely equal, according to Stockfish16, after 29.gxh4, and Komodo14.1 agrees if given enough time to fully consider the position.
29...Kg6 30.Rc7?
Better is 30.Rh8!?, although after 30...hxg3 31.hxg3 Rb1+ 32.Ke2 Ra1 Black wins a pawn, as 33.Rb8 is met by the simple 38...b6, followed by ...Rxa4.
30...h3 31.Rd7 Kh5 32.Rd2
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| Black to play and win |
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32...Rxd2?
I thought this was the simplest way to win, but it only draws. Correct is 32...Rb3, or 32...Rb1+ 33.Rd1 Rb3.
33.Kxd2 Kg4 34.Ke2 a5
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| White to play and draw |
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35.c4?
White draws with 35.f3+!? (or 35.f4!?) exf3 36.Kf2, as it is Black who runs out of spare tempi after 36...b6 37.c4, and 37...f4 gets nowhere after 38.gxf4! (38.exf4? gxf4 39.gxf4 Kxf4 wins for Black) gxf4 39.e4! Note that 36...b5!? 37.axb5 a4 38.b6 a3 39.b7 a2 40.b8=Q a1=Q is also a draw, as the engines show, as long as White finds 41.Qb3!
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| Black to play and win |
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35...b6?
The engines show that winning is 35...f4, eg 36.gxf4 gxf4 37.exf4 Kxf4 38.c5 Ke5 etc.
36.Kf1?
Again f3+ (or f4) draws. but also losing is 36.Ke1? Kf3 37.Kf1, as Black has the reserve tempo 37...g4.
The game finished:
36...Kf3 37.Kg1 Ke2 38.Kh1 Kd3 39.g4 fxg4 0-1
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