Queen's Pawn Irregular
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5!?
There are 1,809 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, with practitioners including Emanuel Lasker, Tigran Petrosian and Magnus Carlsen.
3...Be7 4.Qc1!?
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 are OK with this rare continuation, but it makes a strange impression.
4...h6 5.Bxe7 Qxe7
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| The only upside about this manoeuvre from White's view, as far as I can see, is that Black's good bishop has been exchanged |
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6.e3 Nf6 7.c4 0-0 8.Nc3 Nbd7 9.Be2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 11.0-0
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| How should Black proceed? |
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11...e4
Stockfish16 gives 11....exd4!? 12.exd4 Nb6, claiming equality. Komodo14.1 suggests 11...c6!?, again claiming equality.
12.Nd2
The engines like 12.Nh4!?, eg 12...Nb6 (12...g6?? 13.Nxg6) 13.Ng6 Qd8 14.Bb3 Re8 15.Nf4, when Stockfish16 gives White a slight edge, but Komodo14.1 calls the position equal.
12...c5 13.Re1 Re8 14.Nf1!? Nb6 15.Bb3 Bf5 16.Ng3 Bg6 17.dxc5!?
This looks a little odd, at least at first, but it is the engines' top choice.
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| Can you see White's idea? |
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17...Qxc5?!
I saw that 18.Nxe4?? loses to 18...Nxe4, but if I had spotted White's real idea I should have preferred 18...Nbd7!, which the engines agree is equal.
18.Nd5! Qd6
Or 18...Qxc1 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Raxc1 with at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
19.Nf4
Probably better is 19.Qc7!?, eg 19...Qd8 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 and either 21.Qxb7 or 21.Rad1.
19...Rac8 20.Qd1 Qxd1 21.Rexd1 Bh7
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| After a brief flurry of tactics, how would you assess the position? |
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The most significant feature is probably that Black's bishop is somewhat out of play, which is presumably why the engines give White a slight edge.
22.Rac1 Kf8 23.Kf1 Ng4!? 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nd5 Rxc1 26.Rxc1 Nd3?!
Tempting, but challenging control of the open c file with 26...Rc8 is more important.
27.Rc7
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| What should Black play? |
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27...Rc8?
Necessary is 27...Nxd5, but 28.Bxd5 Re7 29.Rc8+ Re8 30.Rxe8+ Kxe8 31.Nxe4 wins a pawn.
28.Rxf7+! Ke8
Objectively better, according to the engines, is 28...Kxf7!? 29.Nxb6 Kf6 30.Nxc8, but it would be astonishing if White did not go on to win.
29.Nxb6?!
Even stronger are 29.Rxg7 and 29.Nc7+!?
29...Rc1+ 30.Ke2 Bg8?
Better, or at least less worse, is 30...Rb1 31.Rxg7! Rxb2+ 32.Kf1 Rb1+ 33.Bd1!? (only move to avoid a draw) Rxd1+ 34.Ke2 Ra1 35.Nc4 Rxa2+ 36.Nd2 Ra1 37.N(either)xe4 Bxe4 38.Nxe4 Ne5 39.Rxb7, although White emerges two pawns up.
31.Rxb7
Possibly 31.Rxg7 is even stronger.
31...Bxb3 32.axb3 axb6 33.Nxe4 Nxb2 34.Rxb6 Rc2+ 35.Kf3 Nd3
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| White is three pawns up, and altogether the white position is worth a rook (Stockfish16) or at least a minor piece and a pawn (Komodo14.1) |
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36.Rb7 Kf8 37.b4 Rc4 38.Nc5!?
Stockfish16 is fine with this, but Komodo14.1 is less sure. The downside is White, as well as losing one of his extra pawns, allows a rook-and-pawn ending. The upside is White no longer has any weaknesses, and accidents are much less likely without knights on the board.
38...Nxc5 39.bxc5 Rxc5 40.g4 g5 41.Rh7 Rc6
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| Although Black is now 'only' two pawns down, White's advantage has apparently grown thanks to the simplification, and is worth the equivalent of more than a rook and pawn (Stockfish16) or at least more than a rook (Komodo14.1) |
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42.Ke4 Kg8 43.Rd7 Rc1 44.f4 Rh1 45.fxg5
Remaining two pawns up, but even stronger is creating connected passed pawns with 45.f5!?, according to the engines.
45...hxg5 46.Rd5 Rxh3 47.Rxg5+ Kf7
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| This looks similar to the notorious drawn ending of rook, h pawn and f pawn against rook, but the fact that here there is no pawn on a rook's file makes all the difference |
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48.Kf4 Rh1 49.Ke5 Rg1 50.e4 Ke7 51.Rg6 Kf7 52.Rf6+ Ke7 53.Rf4 Ra1 54.Kf5 Ra5+ 55.e5 Kf7 56.g5 Kg7 57.Rb4 Ra7 58.Rb5 Rf7+ 59.Kg4 Re7 60.Rd5 Ra7 61.Rd6 Ra5 62.Kf5 Ra7 63.Rg6+ Kh7
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| How should White finish the game? |
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64.Kf6?
There are many wins, but perhaps simplest is starting with 64.Rd6.
64...Ra6+ 65.e6 Rxe6+ 66.Kxe6 ½–½
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