Caro-Kann Classical
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3
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| There are 23,714 examples of this position in Chessbase's 2024 Mega database |
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10...e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 13.c3 Be7 14.c4 Qc7 15.0-0-0 Ngf6 16.Ne4 b5 17.c5!?
Giving up the d5 square, but keeping lines closed on the queenside and hoping to later use the d6 square.
17...a5 18.Nxf6+
This may be a novelty. Susanto Megaranto (2492) - Mohammed Al-Sayed (2486), Asia Classical (Doha, Qatar) 2006, went 18.Kb1 a4 19.Nxf6+ Nxf6 20.Ne5 Nd5, with an equal game, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (½–½, 67 moves).
18...Nxf6 19.Ne5!?
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| How should Black respond? |
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19...Rd8?!
The engines reckon best-play runs 19...Bxc5 20.Ng6 fxg6 21.Qxg6+ Qf7 22.dxc5 0-0 with equality.
20.Qg3 Rxd4?!
The engines are not keen on this, but cannot decide what is best, suggestions including 20...Rf8!?, 20...Rg8, 20...Bf8 and 20...Rh7.
21.Qxg7
Almost certainly better is the engines' 21.Bxa5!? Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1, when 22...Qxa5? fails to 23.Nxc6. Instead Black should perhaps play 22...Qb8, but the engines reckon White is winning, eg 23.Nxc6 Qxg3 24.fxg3 with strong queenside play.
21...Rh7
The engines prefer 21...Rf8!?, claiming complete equality, eg 22.Rhe1 Rd5 23.Ng4 Nxh5 24.Qxh6 Rg8 25.f3 Qg3, but the position remains sharp.
22.Qg3 Nd7?
Probably best is the engines' 22...Bxc5 23.Bc3 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Be7, although they reckon White has more than enough compensation for a pawn.
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| White to play and gain a winning advantage |
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23.Nxd7?
I rejected 23.Qg8+ because of 23...Nf8, but the engines reckon 24.Bc3! wins, eg 24...Rd5 25.Rxd5 cxd5 26.Kb1! Qxc5 27.Ng6! fxg6 28.hxg6. Possibly even stronger is their other main line, 23.Bc3! Qxe5 24.Qg8+ Bf8 25.Bxd4 Qg5+ 26.Qxg5 hxg5 27.g4 Nxc5 28.Bxc5 Bxc5 29.Rd2, when Black does not seem to have enough for the exchange.
23...Qxg3 24.fxg3 Rxd7 25.Bxa5 Rxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Rg7
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| Black is temporarily a pawn down, but that will not last, and the ending is easier for Black to play |
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27.Bd2 Rxg3 28.Bxh6 Rxg2
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| How should White continue? |
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29.Bf4?!
The engines reckon 29.Rh1! just about holds, but they also reckon 29.Rd2!? is better than the text.
29...Rg4 30.Bd6 Bg5+
Also strong is 30...Rc4+ 31.Kb1 Bxd6 as 32.cxd6? Rh4 is hopeless, but 32.Rxd6 Rxc5 33.h6 Ke7 34.h7! Rh5 35.Rxc6 Rxh7 36.Rc5 b4 is also very difficult for White, eg 37.Rc4 b3! 38.axb3 Kd6, when Black's connected passers are much better than White's doubled isolanis.
31.Kc2 Rh4
The engines' 31...Rc4+! obliges White to block the third rank with 32.Kb3 or 32.Kd3, reducing White's counterplay, while they reckon even worse is 32.Kb1?!
32.Rd3 Rxh5 33.Ra3 f5 34.Ra8+?!
Probably better is immediately going after the c6 pawn with 34.Ra6.
34...Kf7 35.Rf8+ Kg7 36.Re8 f4!?
This wins, according to the engines.
37.Rxe6 Rh2+ 38.Kd3
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| Black to play and win |
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38...Kf7?
Also insufficient, it seems, is 38...Rxb2?! 39.Be5+ Kf7 40.Rxc6 Rxa2 as White has 41.Rb6, but winning is 38...Rh3+ as the f pawn cannot be stopped.
39.Re2
Stockfish16 reckons 39.Bxf4!? Bxf4 40.Rxc6 is also completely equal, but Komodo14.1 gives Black a slight edge.
39...Rh3+ 40.Ke4 Re3+!? 41.Rxe3 fxe3 42.Kd3 Ke6 43.b3
Other moves also draw, eg 43.a3 e2!? 44.Kxe2 Bc1 45.b3 Bxa3 46.Kd3 Kd5 47.Kc3 Bxc5 48.Bxc5 Kxc5 49.b4+ with a drawn pawn-ending.
43...b4 44.Bf8 Kd5 45.Bd6 Bh6 ½–½
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