French Alekhine-Chatard
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?
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| How should Black respond to this popular gambit, first played by Adolf Albin in 1890? |
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6...h6!?
This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, behind 6...a6, after which the mainline runs 7.Qg4 Bxg5 8.hxg5 c5 9.g6!? f5 10.Qf4 h6 11.Nf3, with the upper hand for White, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1. The engines quite like accepting the gambit with 6...Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5, but then the most popular continuation goes 8.Nh3 Qe7 9.Qg4 g6 10.0-0-0, with White getting at least enough compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.
7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.f4!?
More popular in Mega24 is 8.Qg4, but the engines prefer the text.
8...Nb6!?
Normal is 8...a6.
9.Qg4 Kf8?!
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 9...0-0 or 9...Rg8!?, albeit giving White the upper hand.
10.Bd3 Nc6 11.Nge2 Nb4 12.0-0-0 Bd7 13.Kb1 Nxd3
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| How should White recapture? |
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14.cxd3!?
The engines slightly prefer 14.Rxd3, but I wanted to keep the remaining black knight off the c4 square.
14...f5 15.Qh5!?
The engines prefer 15.exf6, or retreating the queen to h3.
15...Be8!?
Keeping queens on, now it is possible to lock the kingside, after which the white king will become the more-threatened of the two monarchs.
16.Qf3 h5 17.Rc1 Rc8 18.g3 g6 19.Ng1!?
Heading for the g5 outpost.
19...Kg7 20.Nh3 Bd7 21.Ng5 c5!?
The engines much prefer keeping the c file half-closed, suggesting 21...a5 (both like this), or 21...Na8!? (Stockfish16.1), or 21...Na4 (Dragon1).
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| How should White reply? |
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22.dxc5!
It is important not to let Black push the c pawn further, eg 22.Ne2 c4 equalises, according to the engines.
22...Rxc5
Capturing with the queen can be met, as in the game, by 23.Ne2.
23.Ne2 Rhc8 24.Qe3 Rb5?!
The engines suggest 24...Na4, but reckon both 25.Nd4 and 25.Qd2 give White at least the upper hand.
25.Rxc8 Bxc8 26.Nd4 Ra5
Not 26...Qc5? 27.Ndxe6+ etc.
27.Qd2 Ra6
Perhaps better is 27...Rc5, putting a major piece on the open file, but the engines reckon 28.Nb3 Rc6 29.Qa5 is winning.
28.Rc1 1-0 (Time)
The threat is 29.Rc7!, and if 28...Kg8 then 29.Qc3 leads to White occupying the seventh rank with deadly effect.
Very good played,and saved your tournament!
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks to winning my last two games, my Fide will be going up a smidgeon, instead of falling below 2000.
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