Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf6 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1!? Bg4!? 8.h3 Bxf3!? 9.Qxf3 g6 10.d3 Bg7 11.Be3, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1.
4...cxd4 5.Qxd4 Qa5+!?
Much more popular is 5...Bd7.
6.Nc3 Qxb5 7.Nxb5 Nxd4 8.Nfxd4 Kd8
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| How would you assess this opening position? |
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Black has won the bishop-pair, but has lost castling rights and is behind in development. The engines reckon White is slightly better.
9.Be3 Nf6 10.f3 Bd7 11.a4
9.Be3 Nf6 10.f3 Bd7 11.a4
Not 11.0-0-0??, as played by a 2328 and a 2229, since 11...e5 etc wins a piece.
11...g6 12.0-0 Bg7 13.Rfd1 Ne8 14.c3?
This loses a pawn.
14...a6 15.Na3 Bxa4 16.b3 Bd7
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| How would you assess this middlegame position? |
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Black is a pawn up and still has the bishop-pair, but will find it hard complete development, while White is much more active. However the engines reckon Black is slightly better.
17.Nc4 Nc7 18.Nb6 Rb8 19.c4 Ne6 20.Rac1
The engines suggest preceding the text with 20.Nxe6+.
20...Ke8?!
The engines reckon Black has the upper hand after 20...Nxd4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 22.Rxd4 Bc6, the point being that if, as in the game, 23.Rb1, Black has 23...Kc7.
21.b4 Nxd4 22.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 23.Rxd4 Bc6 24.Rb1 Kf8 25.b5 axb5 26.cxb5 Be8 27.Rc4 e6?
The game is equal after a move such as 27...f5, 27...Rg8 or 27...h5, according to the engines.
28.Rc7 Kg7?!
Possibly better is 28...d5!? 29.exd5 exd5 30.Nxd5, although the engines reckon White is winning.
29.Nc8?
Better is 29.Nc4 d5 30.Nd6.
29...d5?
After 29...Bxb5 30.Nxd6 Be8 31.Nxb7 White is at least slightly better, according to the engines, but with material equal, and all the pawns on one side of the board, there must be good drawing chances.
30.exd5?
White is winning after 30.Nd6 dxe4 31.fxe4 b6 32.e5, according to the engines.
30...exd5 31.Ne7
The engines reckon 31.b6 may keep a slight edge.
31...d4 32.Nd5?!
Both 32.Kf2 and 32.Nc8 give complete equality, according to the engines.
32...d3?!
Probably better is 32...Rd8.
33.Rc3 Bd7
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| White to play and draw |
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34.Nb6!?
34.Nb6!?
Not 34.Rxd3?? Bf5, nor 34.Nf4? d2, but 34.Rb2 and 34.Ne3 may hold.
34...Be6 35.Rd1 Rhd8 36.Rcxd3 Rxd3 37.Rxd3 Kf6?!
The engines are OK with this, but bishop and rook is nearly always a better partnership than knight and rook, and after the text the position is easier for White to play.
38.Nd7+ Bxd7 39.Rxd7 Ke6 40.Rc7 b6 41.Kf2 Rd8 42.Rb7 Rd6 43.g4 g5
The engines agree 43...h6 and 43...h5!? leave the game completely equal. After the text Dragon1 at first gives White a slight edge, but comes to more-or-less agree with Stockfish16.1 that the position is still completely equal.
44.Ke3 h6 45.Ke4 Kf6!?
This is the only move that holds the draw.
46.f4 gxf4 47.Kxf4 Rd4+ 48.Ke3 Rd6
Also drawing, according to the engines, is 48...Rxg4.
49.h4 Kg6 50.Rc7
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| Black to play and draw |
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50...Kf6?
Both 50...Kg7!? and 50...Rd5!? seem to draw, albeit not without difficulty, eg 50...Kg7 51.Rc6 Rd5 52.Rxb6 f5! 53.g5 hxg5 54.hxg5 Re5+, after which the Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms White cannot make progress, one line running 55.Kd4 Re4+ 56.Kd5 Rg4 etc.
51.Ke4
Not 51.Rc6?? Rxc6 52.bxc6 Ke6 53.g5 as Black wins with 53...h5.
51...Ke6 52.h5!?
Black is lost.
52...Kf6 53.Rc6 Re6+ 54.Kf4 Ke7 55.Rxe6+ fxe6
55...Kxe6 also loses to 56.g5.
56.g5 hxg5+ 57.Kxg5 Kf7 58.h6 1-0
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