Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.h3!?
This is seventh-most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but has been played by grandmasters.
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| How should Black respond? |
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5...Nd4
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like the text and also like castling, the latter being most popular in Mega24.
6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Nd2 c6 9.Ba4 0-0 10.Nf3 d5 11.Qe2!?
This may be a novelty, and is preferred by the engines over the known move 11.exd5. Certainly Black gets a lot of compensation after 11.Nxe5?! Re8.
11...Qd6 12.Bc2!?
The engines like this unprovoked retreat, although it might be fairer to call it a repositioning. The bishop was no longer doing anything particularly useful on the a4-e8 diagonal, but will be well-placed if the b1-h7 diagonal opens up.
12...Re8 13.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has more space in the centre, which seems the only difference between the sides that is in anyway significant. The engines reckon Black has the better part of equality.
13...Nh5!? 14.exd5?
Clearly missing Black's exchange-winning reply. The engines reckon the cool 14.Re1!? is equal.
14...Ng3! 15.Qe1 cxd5?
But this throws nearly all the advantage away.
16.d4 Nxf1 17.dxe5 Qc7 18.Qxf1
Black is better after 18.Kxf1? d4!
18...d4!?
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| How should White proceed? |
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19.Be4?
Also good for Black is 19.Qd3? g6 20.Nxd4 Qxe5, while 19.Nxd4? Bxd4 20.Qd3 Bxf2+ 21.Kxf2 g6 leaves White with inadequate compensation, despite having a pawn and the bishop-pair for the exchange. However 19.Bd2 seems reasonable, if a little better for Black, and the engines reckon 19.c4!? gives enough for the exchange.
19...dxc3 20.Qd3 h6
Black is weak on the kingside dark squares after 20...g6?!
21.Qxc3 Rab8 22.Bd2 Be6 23.Qxc7 Bxc7 24.Be3 b6
The engines prefer 24...Bb6!? 25.Bxb6 axb6, presumably because open files make the position good for rooks.
25.a4
The engines suggest 25.Rc1!?, claiming Black has 'only' the upper hand.
25...Bd7 26.Bd4 Red8 27.a5?
This looks like the type of move played in positions like this, but here it simply loses a pawn.
27..bxa5 28.Bxa7 Rxb2 29.Bc5 Be6 30.Ba3?!
Black is already is the equivalent of more than a piece up, according to the engines, but allowing the swop of a pair of rooks when the exchange down is almost always bad.
30...Ra2 31.Rxa2 Bxa2 0-1
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