1.Nc3/Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 h6!?
A rare continuation - the position occurs 21 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database - but the same move has been played early in other openings, eg there are 812 games in Mega24 with the position after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 h6!?
3.e4 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.c3 c6!?
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| This position could easily have arisen from the Tartakower Variation of the Caro-Kann, which starts: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+exf6, and is currently fashionable |
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11.g4 Bg6 12.Bxg6 fxg6 13.Qb3+ Rf7 14.Nh4 f5?!
This is probably wrong. Black should play 14...g5, after which 15.Nf5 gives White a slight edge, according to Komodo14.1, although Stockfish16 is less sure at first, albeit coming to agree with its fellow engine.
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| How should White proceed? |
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15.gxf5?!
Almost certainly the wrong way to win a pawn. After 15.Nxg6 the attempt to open the white kingside with 15...fxg4!? runs into 16.Nh8!, winning the exchange. True, the continuation 16...Kxh8 17.Qxf7 gxh3 leaves the white king looking precarious, but that is also the case after the text.
15...gxf5
Not 15...Qxh4?? 16.fxg6 etc.
16.Nxf5 Qf6 17.Nxd6 Qxd6
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| How would you assess the position? |
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For a pawn, Black has obvious pressure against the white king and the weak white kingside pawns. However, a pawn is a pawn, and the engines reckon Black does not have full compensation.
18.Re1 Qg6+ 19.Kh2 Kh7 20.Be3 Qd6+ 21.Kg2
The engines reckon 21.f4!? maintains an advantage, there apparently being no perpetual after 21...Rxf4 22.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 23.Kg2.
21...Qg6+ 22.Kf1?!
The engines strongly dislike this evacuation attempt, preferring 22.Kh2, at which point, rather than 22...Qd6+, which allows 23.f4!?, the engines suggest 22...Nd7!?, reckoning White is lost after 23.Qxb7? Raf8.
22...Na6
Black has the upper hand after 22...Nd7!?, according to the engines.
23.Qd1 Re8 24.Ke2 Qg2!?
Black can win back the pawn with 24...Qh5+ 25.Kd2 Qxh3, but both engines prefer other ideas, eg 24...Nc7.
25.Qd3+ Kh8 26.Kd2 Nc7 27.Qf1 Qf3 28.Qh1!? Qf5 29.Re2
The engines prefer 29.Rad1.
29...Nd5 30.Rae1 Rfe7 31.Qg2 Nf4!?
Allowing liquidation seems to let White equalise. The engines suggest keeping the tension with 31...Re4 or 31...Qf7.
32.Bxf4
Not 32.Qf3?? Qd4+ etc.
32...Qxf4+?!
Probably better is 32...Rxe2+ 33.Rxe2 Qxf4+ 34.Re3 Rf8, with what the engines reckon is complete equality.
33.Re3 Rf8 34.R1e2 Ref7 35.Qg3 Qf5 36.Kc1 Qd5 37.b3 Rf3?!
The engines suggest adding to the pressure on White's position with 37...a5, planning to open lines on the queenside.
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| What should White play? |
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38.Rxf3!
The engines agree this is best.
38...Rxf3
Probably worse is 38...Qxf3?! 39.Re7.
39.Qb8+?!
Probably stronger is the engines' 39.Qg6.
39...Kh7 40.Kb2
Not 40.Re8? as 40...Qg5+! wins.
40...Qb5 41.Qe5+
The engines suggest the passive 41.Rc2!?, but call the position equal.
41...Qd3 42.Qe4+?!
The rook-and-pawn ending is probably better for Black, who has the smaller pawn-majority, so the engines suggest 42.Rc2!? or 42.c4.
42...Qxe4 43.Rxe4 Rxf2+ 44.Ka3
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| Black has the upper hand, according to the engines |
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44...Rf7?!
Probably too defensive. The engines recommend 44...Rf3.
45.Kb4 Kg6 46.c4 Rd7?!
Black should probably keep out the white king with 46...b6, or centralise his king.
47.Kc5 Kf5 48.Rg4?!
White would enjoy at least the upper hand, according to the engines, by keeping the rook on the e file.
48...g5 49.Rg1
Not 49.d5? cxd5 50.cxd5 as, thanks to the white rook going to the g file, Black has 50...Ke5.
49...b6+!? 50.Kxc6 Rxd4 51.Kb7 Rd7+ 52.Kc6 Rd2 53.b4!? Rxa2 54.c5 bxc5 55.bxc5 Rc2
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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White's advanced passed pawn compensates for being a pawn down, and the position is completely equal, according to the engines.
56.Kd6 Rd2+ 57.Kc7 h5 58.c6 Rc2 59.Kb7 Rb2+!?
A strange move, but it does not affect the engines' evaluation, which shows how big the drawing margin is.
60.Kxa7 Rc2 61.Kb7 Rb2+ 62.Kc8 Rc2 63.c7 g4 64.h4!?
Trying to create winning chances, but to no avail.
64...Kf4 65.Kd7 Rd2+ 66.Ke6 Rc2 67.Kd7 Rd2+ 68.Kc8 Rc2 69.Kd7 ½–½
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