Cambridge Round Nine

FACED a junior (born 2006).

Mohammed Aayan Ismail (2301 ECF/2111 Fide) - Spanton (1916 ECF/1766 Fide)

Catalan

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7!? 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Qc2 c6 9.Nc3!?

An unusual continuation. The main moves in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database are 9.b3, 9.Rd1 and especially 9.Bf4, but the text has also been played by grandmasters.

How should Black respond?

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9...dxc4

This is the commonest continuation, and is the top choice of Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

10.e4 b5 11.e5 Nd5 12.Ne4

How should Black proceed?

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12...f5?!

This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normal is 12...h6, with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines.
13.exf6 N7xf6 14.Ne5 Bd7!?

The engines prefer 14...Qc7, the idea being to follow-up with ...Nd7 or ...c5.

15.b3 c3!?

Returning the pawn in a bid to keep lines closed, but perhaps better is 15...cxb3 or 15...Nxe4!?

16.Nxc3 Nxc3 17.Qxc3 Nd5 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Ba5!?

The engines prefer targeting he weak e pawn directly with 19.Bh3 or 19.Rfe1, but agree White has at least the upper hand after the text.

How should Black reply?

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19...Qxa5?

Better is 19...Qe8.

20.Nxd7 Rfd8 21.Qe4 Bf6

If 21...Nc7, then 22.Bh3, and the e pawn falls anyway.

22.Qxe6+ Kh8 23.Bxd5 Re8!?

Also deeply unpleasant is 23...cxd5 24.Nxf6 etc.

The game finished:

24.Qf5 Bxd4!? 25.Rad1 Bxf2+!? 26.Rxf2 cxd5 27.Nf8! Re1+ 28.Kg2 1-0