Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd5 6.Be3!?
This little-played continuation is a favourite of Hikaru Nakamura's, and has been tried by Magnus Carlsen. It is also the top choice of Stockfish16, although Komodo14.1 prefers the normal 6.Nxd4.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Qe7!?
This seems to be a novelty. Normal is 6...Nxf3+ 7.Qxd3 Bxe3, with what the engines reckon is complete equality.
7.Nc3?!
White gets at least a slight edge, according to the engines, after 7.Nxd4.
7...Nxb5 8.Nxb5 Bxe3?
The engines give 8...d5 9.exd5 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Nxd5, claiming equality.
9.fxe3?
Winning, according to the engines, is 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8, eg 10...Bc5 11.c3 d6 (if 11...b6, then 12.Qa4 is strong) 12.b4 Nb6 13.Nxb6, or 10...Bf4 11.g3 Bh6 12.d4!? b6 13.dxe5 Nxe4 14.Qd4.
9...Qc5?!
The engines reckon it is better to push the d pawn, either one square or two.
10.a4 Qxe3?
Perhaps the cautious 10...d6 is better.
11.Kh1 Qb6!?
The engines prefer castling.
12.Nxe5 0-0 13.Nc4 Qc5
Perhaps 13...Qc6!? is better, but the engines reckon 14.Ne3 is positionally winning.
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| White to play and win |
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14.Rf5?
Black can equalise after this, whereas 14.b4! Qxb4 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.Rxf6! gxf6 17.Nd5 Qc5 18.Qg4+ Kh8 19.Qh4 is devastating, eg 19...Rg8 20.Qxf6+ Rg7 21.Nd6 etc. The engines also give 14.Rxf6! gxf6 15.b4!? Qg5 16.Nxc7 Rb8 17.Nd6 with a huge attack. Other moves are also better than the text, including 14.e5.
14...Qc6??
Much better is 14...d5, after which the engines reckon White must sac the exchange, albeit with good compensation, viz 15.Rxf6 gxf6 and either 16.exd5 or 16.b4!?
15.Na5
This does not spoil anything, but White traps the black queen with 15.Nd4 Qa6 16.Ra5.
15...Qb6 16.Nc4 Qc6 17.Na5? Qb6 18.Nc4
The engines point out two sacrificial ideas that keep the game going with roughly equal chances, ie 18.b4!? d5 19.Rxf6! Qxf6 20.Nxc7 Rb8 21.Nxd5, and 18.Nc3!? Qxb2 29.Nb5!?
After the text I announced my next move would be 18...Qc6, and that I was claiming a draw by threefold repetition of position.
½–½
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