I WAS downfloated.
Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?
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| This move is fourth in popularity, behind 5...Bc5, 5...Be7 and especially 5...Ba5 |
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6.d4 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's extra room for manoeuvring, combined with the awkward siting of Black's dark-square bishop, more than compensate for being a pawn down, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
8.Re1 b6
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 8...h6 9.Nbd2 Re8, which the engines reckon gives a slight edge to White.
9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 Bb7 11.Nbd2 Re8
Black returned the pawn in Antonios Pavlidis (2307) - Vladimir Georgiev (2539), Thessaloniki Triandria (Greece) 2009, with 11...Be7!? 12.Nxe5, when 12...Na5!? 13.Ng6!? Nxc4 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Nxc4 gave White the upper hand, according to the engines (1-0, 34 moves).
12.Rb1 a5?!
This has little relevance to what is happening in the centre and kingside, and (at least temporarily) takes away the a5 square from Black's knight. Dragon1 reckons 12...Be7!? completely equalises; Stockfish17 disagrees, preferring 12...exd4 13.cxd4, and now 13...Be7, albeit both engines then give White at least a tiny pull.
13.Nf1 a4 14.Ng3!
The engines agree this is best.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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14...g6?!
White's attack is far too powerful after 14...g5? 15.Nxg5 hxg5 16.Bxg5, but best may be 14...Bf8.
15.Qe2?!
Much stronger, according to the engines, is 15.Qd2, eg 15...Kg7 16.Bd5 Be7 17.Bxf7! Kxf7 18.Qxh6 with a huge attack, a sample line running 18...Rg8 (18...Bf8? 19.Ng5+) 19.dxe5 Ng4 20.Qf4+ etc, or 15...Bf8 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Rxe5 18.Qf4 etc.
15...Ra5!?
The engines slightly prefer this to 15...exd4, when they reckon 16.Qd3!? gives White at least a slight edge.
16.d5!?
This cuts off Black's queenside pieces from assisting on the kingside, at least in the short and medium term, but it also takes pressure off the e5 square and severely hampers White's light-square bishop. The engines still suggest Qd2.
16...Nb8 17.Nf1!?
This retreat is the engines' top choice, even though Black is not threatening to trap White's light-square bishop with ...g5 (the reply Nxg5 would be catastrophic for Black).
17...Na6?!
The engines strongly dislike this, reckoning 17...Bf8 gives complete equality.
18.Ne3 Bf8?
A move too late. The engines give 18...Kg7!?, although 19.Ng4 Be7 20.Nfxe5 puts White on top.
19.Bg3?
The engines reckon this turns a winning position into a losing one. After 19.Ng4 Bg7 20.d6! Black is busted, eg 20...cxd6 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Rxb6! (22.Nxh6+ is also strong) Qxb6 23.Nxf6+ Kg7 (23...Kf8 24.Nxd7+; 23...Kh8 24.Qd2 g5 25.Nxg5!) 24.Nxe8+. The engines suggest 20...b5, but White has several winning lines, including 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Rxb5 Rxb5 23.Bxb5 Nc5 24.dxc7 Qe7 25.Nxf6+ Qxf6 26.Qe3 and 27.Qxh6.
19...d6
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 19...Nc5!? 20.Bxe5 Ncxe4.
20.Bb5?!
Attacking the black king's rook and trapping the black queen's rook, but the engines prefer 20.Bh4!? or 20.Nd2.
20...Rxb5!?
White is close to equalising, according to the engines, after 20...Re7?! 21.Nd2!? (or 21.Nc4).
21.Rxb5 Nc5
Even better is 21...Nxe4, according to the engines.
22.Rbb1
The engines reckon White should give back the exchange with 22.Rxc5!?, although Black remains a pawn up.
22...Nfxe4 23.Qc2 f5!?
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| Suddenly it is White's pieces that are awkwardly placed and Black's that are active |
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24.Rb4
White does not have an adequate answer, eg the engines' 24.h3 can be simply answered by 24...f4, but even stronger seems to be 24...Nxg3 25.fxg3 Bg7, when White's advantage of the exchange is more than offset by Black's bishop-pair, two pawns and superior pawn-structure.
24...Ba6 25.Nc4 Bxc4!? 26.Rxc4 b5 27.Rb4 Qc7 28.h3
The engines suggest 28.c4 bxc4 29.Rxc4, but agree Black is winning.
28...Nxg3 29.fxg3 e4 30.Nd4 Nd3 31.Rf1 Nxb4 32.cxb4 Bg7 33.Ne6 Be5 34.g4
The engines suggest offering the g3 pawn with, for example, 34.Qc1!?, but Black has several good replies, including 34...Bxg3 35.Qxh6 Rxe6! 36.dxe6 Qxe6 37.Qg5 Be5 38.Qd8+ Kh7 39.Qxc7+ Kh6, when Black's central passers should prevail easily.
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| What should Black play? |
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34...c6!
Other moves are much less convincing, eg 34...fxg4 35.hxg4 more-or-less requires Black to give up the exchange with 35...Rxe6!? 36.dxe6 Qxe6, but 37.Qxc7 keeps White in the game as the black king is exposed.
35.gxf5 cxd5 36.Nf4 Qxf5 37.Ne2!?
This is best, according to the engines, but there comes:
37...Bh2+ 0-1
Result corrected (I originally typed 1-0)
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