Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3 e5!?
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| How should White respond to this popular gambit? |
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6.dxe5!?
This is easily the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but is disliked by Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1. They prefer 6.Nf3, claiming a slight edge for White.
6...Qxd1+ 7.Nxd1 Nc6 8.Nf3
More common in Mega24, and preferred by the engines, is 8.f4!?
8...Be6 9.Ne3 0-0-0 10.Be2 Bb4+ 11.Kf1?
Better is 11.Bd2, giving equality, according to the engines.
11...h6
Black has a large advantage after 11...Nxc4!, the point being White cannot capture twice on c4 because Black has ...Rd1+ etc.
12.a3 Be7 13.Bd2?
13.b4 keeps the game equal, according to the engines.
13...g5!?
Black can play 13...Nxe5!?, but the text is also liked by the engines.
14.Bc3 Na4 15.Rc1 Nxc3 16.Rxc3 g4 17.Ne1 Nxe5
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| Black has regained the sacrificed pawn, and maintains the bishop-pair |
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18.f4?!
The engines strongly prefer 18.Nd3.
18...gxf3 19.Nxf3 Bf6 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.Rc2 f5 22.Bf3 c6 23.Nd5!?
This is best, according to the engines, but they still much prefer Black.
23...Bd6 24.b4 Kd7 25.Ne3 f4 26.Nd1 Bf5 27.Rd2 Kc7 28.Nf2 Rhe8 29.c5 Be5 30.Rxd8 Kxd8?!
The engines much prefer 30...Rxd8.
31.Be4?
Even worse is 31.Ne4? Bxe4 32.Bc3 etc, but the engines reckon 31.g4 fxg3 32.hxg3 Bxg3 33.Rxh6 leaves Black with only a slight edge.
31...Bxe4 32.Nxe4 Bc7
This seems better than 32...Bb2?! 33.Nd6.
33.Nd6?!
Hoping the rook-and-pawn ending offers salvation, but the engines prefer 33.Nf6.
33...Bxd6 34.cxd6
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| How would you judge the endgame? |
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Thanks to the weakness of White's queenside pawns, and to Black's lead in development, this is one rook-and-pawn ending that is anything but drawish.
34...Re3 35.Kf2 Rxa3 36.Rd1?!
Probably better is 36.Re1.
The game finished:
36...Ra4 37.Rd4 c5 38.Rxf4 Rxb4 39.Rf6 Ra5 40.Rxh6 a4 41.h4 a3 42.Rh8+ Kd7 43.Ra8 Rxh4 44.Rxa3 Kxd6 45,g3 Rh8 46.Ke3 Rg8 47.Kf4 b5 48.Rd3+ Kc6 49.Ke5 c4 50.Rf3 Kc5 51.Rf5 c3 52.Kf4 Kc4 53.Rf7 Kb3 54.Rc7 b2 55.Ke3 Rd8 0-1
There's a means of avoiding this line at move 3 which works if the transpositions are stuff you might play. The idea is you play 3. c4. If they offer a pawn sacrifice with 3. ..c6 or 3. .. e6 you decline by playing 4. d4. If they later take on d5, you are in a Panov-Botvinnik if they went 3. .. c6. It's an exchange French if they played 3. .. e6.
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RdC
Yes, indeed, I did consider that, but am not keen on the French Exchange position where Black has played an early ...Nf6 (as opposed to an early ...Bd6, when I think c4 is more intimidating).
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