Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 4.0-0 Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Re1 0-0 7.d4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
4...Nf6 5.Qe2 e5!?
This rare continuation - just four games out of 401 in Mega24 - is a top choice of the engines, although they come to fluctuate between the text and the almost-as-rare 5...Qb6!?
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
6.0-0
The attempted refutation, starting with 6.Bxc6, should be met, according to the engines, by 6...bxc6 7.Nxe5 Bg7!?, when 8.0-0 0-0 transposes to the game.
6...Bg7!? 7.Bxc6!? bxc6 8.Nxe5 0-0!? 9.d3 Re8 10.Nf3 d5 11.e5!?
This seems to be a novelty. The games Ilya Smirin (2594) - Pavel Eljanov (2655), Netanya (Israel) 2019, and Sayantan Das (2459) - Adham Fawzy (2490), Guwahati (India) 2022, went 11.Bg5 Qb6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6, at which point the games split, but both were won by Black.
 |
| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11...Ba6
The engines give 11...Nd7 12.d4 f6 13.e6 cxd4 14.cxd4 Nf8, claiming Black has at least the better side of equality.
12.Re1 Ng4 13.Bf4 Nxe5!? 14.Nxe5 f6 15.Qd2 fxe5 16.Bg3 Qf6 17.Na3 Qf5?!
The engines dislike this, reckoning Black is at least slightly better after 17...Rad8, and after expanding on the kingside with 17...g5!? or 17...h5!?
18.Rad1 g5!? 19.Qe3 Re6!? 20.c4!? h5 21.f3 Rf8 22.h3 Qg6?!
The engines much prefer 22...g4 or 22...d4!?
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
23.cxd5
According to the engines 23.Qxc5 gives White at least the upper hand, a sample line running 23...g4 24.fxg4 hxg4 25.h4 d4!? 26.Qxa7 Bc8, when they reckon Black does not have enough for two pawns.
23...cxd5 24.Qxc5 Bb7
This is more effective than it would have been in the previous note as there is no c6 pawn obstructing the bishop's action.
25.Qxa7!?
This may look recklessly greedy, but it is not clear there is a better move.
25...Bc6
The engines give 25...Rb6!? (threatening to trap the white queen) 26.Bf2 Rxb2 27.Rb1 Rxb1 28.Nxb1 Rf7, claiming Black has full compensation for a pawn.
26.Qe3
The engines do not like this, preferring 26.Qc5 or 26.Nc2.
26...g4 27.fxg4 hxg4 28.h4 Bh6 29.Qe2
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
29...e4?!
The engines suggest 29...Ree8!?, 29...d4 or 29...Bf4, all with equal chances.
30.d4?!
White has at least the upper hand after 30.dxe4 or 30.Nc3, according to the engines.
30...e3
The engines at first are very keen on 30...Rf3!?, until it is played on the screen, at which point they immediately switch to calling the position equal, although it becomes very sharp, eg 31.gxf3 gxf3 32.Qf2 Qg4 33.Nc2! (an only-move) e3 34.Nxe3 Bxe3 35.Rxe3 Rxe3 36.Re1 Re4, reaching what they reckon is complete equality.
31.Rf1?
Other moves are much better, including 31.Qd3.
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
31...Ref6?
Moves such as 31...Rxf1+ and 31...Bb7!? preserve the balance, according to the engines, but they point out the strength of 31...Rf2!, when 32.Bxf2 exf2+ 33.Qxf2 loses to 33...Be3, while even worse is 32.Qa6 e2 33.Bxf2 exd1=Q 34.Rxd1 g3 35.Be1 Be3+ 36.Kh1 Qg4 etc.
32.Rxf6 Rxf6 33.Rf1?!
White has a winning advantage after 33.Nc2 or 33.Re1, according to the engines.
33...Rxf1+ 34.Qxf1 Qe6?
Black has enough for the two-pawn deficit after 34...Bg7, according to the engines, while 34...Qe4 is also better than the text.
35.Be5 Bg7 36.Qf4 e2!? 37.Qe3?
White wins comfortably after 37.Kf2.
37...Bxe5 38.dxe5
 |
| Black has two ways to draw - award yourself a gold star if you can spot either! |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...d4
The more spectacular draw comes after 38...Bb5!! 39.Nxb5 Qb6!! 40.Nd4 Qxd4!! 41.Qxd4 e1=Q+ 42.Kh2 Qh4+ etc, but also rather special is 38...Qh6!! 39.Qxe2 (39.Qxh6?? e1=Q+ 40.Kh2 g3+ 41.Kh3 Bd7+) Qxh4, when the engines reckon White, despite being two pawns up, cannot make progress, eg 42.Nc2 g3 (threatens mate in two) 43.Qd3 Qh2+ 44.Kf1 Qh1+ 45.Ke2 Qxg2+ 46.Kd1 Qf2, after which White is probably best-advised to bail out with a perpetual by 47.Qg6+ etc.
39.Qxe2 g3 40.Qc4 Bd5 41.Qxd4 Kh8 42.b4 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment