Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.g3 Bf5 7.Bf4!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 7.Bg2 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Bf4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1.
7...Qb4 8.Qd2!?
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| How should Black proceed? |
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8...e6
The engines reckon 8...Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qxc2 10.Qxc2 Bxc2 11.Rxb7 is very good for White, eg 11...Nbd7 12.Bg2 e6 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.0-0, with what they calculate is more than enough compensation for a pawn.
9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.Nh4!? Bg4
Possibly better is 10...Ne4!? 11.Nxe4 Bxe4.
11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.h4 Be7 15.Bg2?!
The bishop has few prospects here, and anyway the move unguards the c4 square, which Black immediately threatens to exploit. The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 15.Kb1 or 15.a3.
15...Nb6
Threatening 15...Nc4, hitting b2 and the white queen.
16.a3 Qa5 17.Ne4 Qxd2+ 18.Nxd2 Nfd5 19.Bg3 Ne3 20.Rdg1 0-0-0 21.c3 Rh7 22.f4?
The engines reckon 22.Bf1 maintains equality, eg 22...Nxf1 23.Rxf1 Rdh8 24.Rh3, and if 24...Bxh4?! then 25.Rfh1 g5 26.Ne4 f6 27.b3, with what they reckon is more than enough compensation for a pawn.
22...Rdh8!?
Also strong is the obvious 22...Nxg4.
23.Nf3
There seems nothing better.
23...Nxg4 24.Ng5 Bxg5+ 25.fxg5 Ne3 26.Be4?!
Almost certainly better is 26.Rh3, the point being that after 26...Nf5 27.Bf2 Black cannot play 27...Nxh4?? as 28.Rgh1 wins.
26...Nf5 27.Bxf5 gxf5 28.Re1 Kd7 29.Re5 Nd5 30.Rf1 Ne7 31.Ra5 a6 32.c4 Ra8
The engines prefer 32...f6.
33.Kd2 b6 34.Ra4 b5 35.Ra5
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| What should Black play? |
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35...Ng6?!
The engines reckon 35...bxc4 and 35...f6 are much stronger.
36.cxb5 cxb5 37.a4 f4!? 38.Bxf4 Rxh4 39.Be5 Nxe5 40.dxe5 Rh2+ 41.Ke3 Ke7 42.axb5 Rxb2 43.bxa6 Ra7 44.Kd4 Rb6 45.Rfa1 Kc6 ½–½
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