Caro-Kann Two Knights
1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 e6!?
This has been played by grandmasters, but after ...
4.d4
... Black has a position that exhibits downsides of both the Caro-Kann and French Defences.
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| Just as in the French, Black has shut in the light-square bishop, and just as in the Caro-Kann, Black will require a second tempo to attack White's centre with ...c5 |
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4...Ne7?!
Probably too slow.
5.Bd3 Nd7!?
This is Stockfish16's top choice; Komodo14.1 suggests 5...Na6!?
6.0-0
Possibly even stronger is 6.Qe2!?, as was illustrated in Luciana Morales Mendoza (2147) - Liz Alejandro (-), Peruvian Women's Championship 2002, which continued 6...Ng6? 7.exd5, winning a pawn (1-0, 25 moves).
6...Ng6 7.Re1
Stockfish16 suggests a fascinating novelty, viz 7.h4!?, and if 7...Nxh4 then 8.exd5 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 cxd5 10.Bf4, claiming White has much more than enough for a pawn.
7...Be7 8.Be3
This may be a novelty in what is anyway a fairly obscure position.
8...0-0 9.e5 c5 10.g3!?
Intending to meet 10...c4 with 11.Bf1, but also preparing the thrust h4.
10...cxd4 11.Bxd4 a6 12.h4 f6?!
Probably not good. The engines suggest 12...Bc5 or 12...Re8.
13.h5?
White is positionally winning, according to the engines, after 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Bxg6 hxg6 15.Ne5.
13...Ngxe5 14.Nxe5?!
Better, according to the engines, is 14.h6 or 14.Bf1.
14...fxe5 15.Bxe5
The engines suggest giving up the exchange with 15.Rxe5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5, but I thought, correctly, Black is simply better after 16...Bf6.
15...Nxe5 16.Rxe5 Qb6
Even stronger is 16...Bc5, and if 17.Re2 then 17...Qg5.
17.Qd2 Bf6 18.Ree1
White loses a piece after 18.Re2?? Qxb2.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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18...Bd7
Black is better after this, but the engines reckon Black should grab the b pawn with 18...Qxb2. However after 19.Ne2 Black should retreat the queen as 19...Qxa1?? loses to 20.Rxa1 Bxa1 21.c3 etc.
19.Rab1?
Better is 19.Nd1, which I play next move anyway.
19...Rae8?!
It is hard to believe White can survive after the engines' 19...Bd4 20.Nd1 Rf3 with ...Raf8 to come.
20.Nd1 h6?
This throws away all of Black's advantage, according to the engines, which like 20...Bc6.
21.Bg6 Bg5 22.Qe2 Re7 23.Ne3 Bb5 24.Bd3 Bc6
21.Bg6 Bg5 22.Qe2 Re7 23.Ne3 Bb5 24.Bd3 Bc6
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| The game now becomes very sharp |
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25.Ng4?
The engines give 25.Bg6 or 25.b4!?
25...Be8?
The engines reckon 25...e5 26.Bg6 e4 is winning, eg 27.Ne3 Rf3 28.Nf5!? Rf7! 29.Bxf7+ Kxf7 30.Ne3 Bxe3 31.fxe3 Rxg3+ with a strong attack against the exposed white king.
26.Ne3?
I picked up the knight, moving it to e5, but not letting go of the piece as I saw Black could capture on h5. I therefore played the text, missing that 26.Ne5! gives an edge as 26...Bxh5? 27.Qxh5 is good for White whichever way Black captures on f2, eg 27...Qxf2+ 28.Kh1 Qxg3 29.Ng6, or 27...Rxf2 28.Kh1 Rd2 29.Qg6.
26...Ref7 27.f4?!
Probably better is 27.Ng4.
27...Bf6?
Probably good is 27...Bxf4!? 28.gxf4 e5!? 29.fxe5 Rf3, but best seems to be the engines' 27...e5!? 28.fxg5 e4 with strong play against the white king.
28.Kh2 Bd7
The engines give 28...Re7 as equal.
29.Qg4!?
White is better, according to the engines, after 29.c3 or 29.c4.
29...e5
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| The game continues very sharply |
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30.Nf5?
If 30.Qg6?!, then 30...e4, but 30.Bf5 seems to hold.
30...Bxf5?
I was, rightly, much more worried about 30...Kh8, eg 31.fxe5 Bxe5 32.Rxe5 Qf2+ 33.Kh1 Bxf5 34.Bxf5 Rxf5 35.Re2 Qc5, after which material is level but Black's heavy pieces are better coordinated, and White has the weaker king. The engines reckon 30...Bh4!? is also strong.
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| How should White recapture? |
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31.Bxf5
White is probably winning after this, but definitely losing after 31.Qxf5?? as Black has 31...e4, eg 32.Be2 Bc3, or 32.Rxe4 dxe4 33.Bxe4 Rd8.
31...Re7
The engines prefer giving up the exchange with 31...exf4!? 32.Be6 fxg3+.
32.Qg6 e4!?
Perhaps moving the queen, to c5 or c7, is better, but 32...Qf2+ 33.Kh3 does not help Black.
33.c4!
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| Black does not seem to have a satisfactory response |
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33...dxc4
For quite some time this is Komodo14.1's top choice, while Stockfish16 gives 33...Rd8. Gradually both engines come to prefer 33...d4, but 34.Bxe4 is very strong.
34.Qh7+ Kf7 35.Bg6+
The engines reckon 35.Bxe4 is even more convincing.
35...Ke6 36.Rxe4+
White should probably keep the black king on the kingside with 36.Rbd1!, eg 36...e3 37.Bc2! Kf7 38.Qg6+ Kg8 39.Kh3 Rc7 40.b3 with continuing strong pressure.
36...Kd6 37.Rd1+ 1-0
Resignation is premature. Admittedly after 37...Kc5 White has 38.Rxc4+! (38.b4+ also wins) Kxc4 39.Bf7+!, eg 39...Rfxf7 40.Qc2+ Kb4 41.Qb3+ Ka5 42.Qa3+ Kb5 43.Rd5+ Kc4 44.Qd3+ Kb4 45.Qb3#. but 37...Kc7 38.Rxe7+ Bxe7 39.Qxg7 Qe3 is by no means game-over.
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