The game started as a Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6.
Usually, at least at club level, the continuation is the Exchange Variation: 4.cxd5.
However, my opponent played what is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database: 4.Bg5.
I replied 4...c5!?, which is only fifth-most popular in Mega24, but scores up to 13 percentage points better than the more-popular moves.
White normally continues 5.cxd5, the line being sometimes known as the Dutch-Peruvian Gambit.
The gambit splits at this point: 5...Qb6!? is the Peruvian line, while I played the Dutch line, 5...cxd4.
After 6.Qxd4 Be7, my opponent played the main continuation, 7.e4.
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| There are 150 examples of this position in Mega24 |
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Eight games saw 7...0-0?!, 141 featured the natural 7...Nc6, and just one continued with the move I played, 7...exd5!?
It only occurs once, but is the top choice of Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.
Thanks to a transposition, there are actually two games in Mega24 with the position after 7...exd5!?
One continued 8.exd5, after which the engines reckon 8...Nc6 equalises.
The other game saw 8.e5, and Black was in trouble after replying 8...Ng8?!
I improved on this with 8...Nc6, and after 9.Bb5 the engines reckon 9...Nd7 would have at least equalised.
So what should White play at move eight?
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| Position after 7...exd5!? |
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The engines reckon the best tries for an advantage are A) 8.Bb5+ and B) 8.Bxf6.
A) 8.Bb5+
They agree best-play runs 8...Nc6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.e5, at which point they split.
Stockfish16 continues 10...Be7 11.Qxd5 0-0 (Komodo14.1 suggests 11...Qb6!?) 12.Nf3 a6!? 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Rd1 Bg4 16.0-0 f6!?
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| White is a pawn up, but Black's bishop-pair and general activity give enough compensation, according to Stockfish16 (Komodo14.1 reckons White has a slight edge) |
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Komodo14.1 (after 10.e5) continues 10...Bg5 11.Qc5!? (both engines prefer this to 11.Qxd5) d4!? 12.Nd5!? Bd7 13.Nf3 Be7 14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.Rc1!? Rd8 16.0-0 a6 17.Bd3 0-0.
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| Both engines reckon White has a slight edge |
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B) 8.Bxf6
After this the engines agree best-play runs 8...Bxf6 9.e5 Nc6 10.Bb5, which is a transposition to A).
CONCLUSION: 4...c5!? is a little-known but viable alternative to more-popular, but less-successful and less-active, moves.
The above analysis only scratches the surface of both sides' possibilities, but the lines are sharp, and the better-prepared player should have a practical advantage.
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