1.Nc3/Liberated Bishop
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Bf5!?
A Liberated Bishop approach has much more going for it when White cannot react with queenside pressure by playing c4, Nc3 and Qb3. The text scores an excellent 52% in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
3.f3!? e6
The mainline in Mega24 runs 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nxd5!? Nxd5 6.e4 h6!? 7.Bh4 Ne3?! 8.Qd3 Nxf1 9.exf5 Nxh2?! 10.Rxh2, with the upper hand for White, according to Stcokfish17 and Dragon1, but they are unimpressed with many of the moves in this sequence.
4.e4 dxe4 5.fxe4 Bg6
Not 5...Qh4+?? 6.g3 etc.
6.Nf3 Bb4 7.Bd3 Nc6
This is the main continuation in Mega24. The engines fluctuate between the text, 7...Ne7, 7...Nd7, 7...c5 and 7...Nf6.
8.a3 Bxc3+
The engines prefer 8...Ba5.
9.bxc3 Nge7
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| The pawn-formation somewhat resembles a French Winawer, and with the black light-square bishop outside of the pawn-chain, but Black has no pawn-pressure on the white centre |
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10.0-0 a6?!
This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. The known move is castling.
11.a4 Qd7 12.Ba3 f6!?
The engines are OK with this, albeit they reckon White is positionally winning.
13.Qe2 Bf7 14.Rab1 Nd8 15.Ra1
The engines suggest getting on with it on the kingside with e5, Nh4 or Qf2.
15...0-0 16.c4 Re8 17.c3
Stronger is 17.e5 f5 and now 18.c3, according to the engines.
17...Ng6 18.g3 Qxa4?!
The engines reckon a better way to grab the pawn is 18...e5 19.d5 Qxa4.
19.e5 Qd7
Possibly slightly better is 19...f5, but 20.h4 is good.
20.exf6 gxf6 21.Nd2 f5 22.Nf3 Nc6 23.Ng5 Rad8!?
Not just developing, but also setting up a possible sacrifice on d4.
24.Qh5 Nf8 25.Qh6 Bg6 26.Rae1
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| How should Black proceed? |
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26...Ne7
Dragon1 agrees with this, but Stockfish17 prefers 26...Nxd4!?, continuing 17.Bxf8!? Rxf8 18.Re3, when Black is two pawns up, but both engines reckon White is winning.
27.d5!?
Trying to open kingside lines with 27.g4!? may be better.
27...exd5 28.cxd5?
The engines reckon 28.h4 gives a large advantage.
28...Qxd5?
The wrong capture. Instead 28...Nxd5 29.Bc4 c6 equalises (Dragon1) or leaves White with only a slight edge (Stockfish17).
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| How should White proceed? |
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29.Rd1?
White has a winning advantage after the engines' 29.Nxh7! (29.Rxe7!? probably transposes) Bxh7 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Bxe7 Qxd3 32.Qg5+ Bg6 33.Bxd8, when Black has a pawn for the exchange, but the black king is much weaker.
29...Qb3
Best may be 29...c5!?, although the engines reckon White has at least full compensation for being two pawns down.
30.Bxe7 Rxe7 31.Bc4+ Qxc4 32.Rxd8 Qc5+ 33.Kg2
Possibly better is 33.Rf2!? Re1+ 34.Kg2.
33...Qc6+?
The engines reckon White is at best only slightly better after 33...Re2+ 34.Kh3 Qe7.
34.Kh3?
White has a won game after 34.Nf3, according to the engines.
34...Qf6?!
Almost certainly better is 34...Re8.
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| What should White play? |
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35.Nxh7??
Both 35.Nf3 and 35.Rb8 give the upper hand, according to the engines.
35...Rxh7 0-1
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