Saturday, 15 June 2024

Davos Round Two

FACED a Ukrainian.

Kyrilo Zaitsev (2225) - Spanton (1942)
QGD Normal Position
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3 c5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.a3 a6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4 Ba7 9.Bb2 0-0 10.cxd5
More popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database are 10.Be2 and especially 10.Qc2.
10...Nxd5!?
All 70 games in Mega24 featured 10...exd5.
How should White respond?
*****
*****
*****
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11.Ne4
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon 11.Bd3 and 11.Qc2 give a slight edge.
11...Qe7 12.Qc2 Bd7 13.Rd1 Rfc8?!
Probably the wrong rook.
14.Qb1
The engines give 14.Neg5 f5 (if 14...g6 then 15.Qe4 looks strong) 15.Qb3, after which Stockfish16 awards White the upper hand, but Komodo14.1 calls the game completely equal.
14...f5!? 15.Ng3 f4!? 16.exf4 Nxf4 17.Qe4 e5?
The game is equal after 17...Rf8, according to the engines.
18.Bc4+
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 18.Rxd7!? Qxd7 19.Bc4+ Kh8 20.Ng5.
18...Be6 19.Nf5 Qf7?
Better is 19...Qf6, although the engines reckon 20.Rd7 is winning.
20.Ng5! Qg6
Not 20...Qxf5? 21.Qxf5.
21.Nxe6 Nxe6 22.Rd7 Kh8
There is nothing better.
23.Bxe6 Qxe6 24.Rxg7 Rf8 25.g4 Rxf5!?
Desperation - Black is completely lost.
26.gxf5 Qh6 27.Rxb7 Bd4
How should White proceed?
*****
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28.Bxd4?
Several moves win, including 28.Rc7 and 28.f6.
28...Qc1+ 29.Ke2 Nxd4+ 30.Qxd4 Qc2+ 31.Qd2 Qe4+ 32.Qe3 Qg4+?
Drawing is 32...Qc2+ as White cannot escape the checks.
33.f3 Qg2+ 34.Qf2 Qxh1 35.Qg3 1-0

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