Johan Goormachtigh (2173) - Spanton (2009)
QGD Ragozin
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5
This is second in popularity to 5.Bg5.
5...exd5 6.Bf4!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5!? 8.Bg3 Ne4 9.Nd2!? Nxg3 10.hxg3 c6, with a slight edge for White, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish17 is less sure. Note that 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 Bxc3 11.Rc1 seems to give White good compensation for a pawn.
6...0-0 7.e3 c6
This may be a little passive. Most popular in Mega24 is 7...c5!?
 |
| The position looks like a mainline Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, but with the black dark-square bishop on b4 instead of e7, and the white dark-square bishop on f4 instead of g5 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
It is difficult to say whom the changes benefit. The engines reckon White is slightly better in the diagrammed position, but they also reckon White is slightly better in the analogous position from the Exchange Variation.
8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0-0 Re8 10.Qc2 Nf8 11.h3 Ne6 12.Bg3!?
This may be a novelty. The known move is 12.Bh2.
12...g6!?
A familiar idea from the Exchange Variation. One possible follow-up is ...Ng7 and ...Bf5 to swop light-square bishops.
13.a3
 |
| Where should the attacked bishop go? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13...Be7
The engines prefer 13...Bd6 or 13...Bf8.
14.b4 a6 15.Na4 Ng7 16.Nc5 Nfh5 17.Bh2 Bd6 18.Ne5 Qe7 19.a4 f6?!
The engines reckon White is only slightly better after 19...Nf6.
20.Nf3 Bxh2+ 21.Kxh2 Ne6 22.b5 Nxc5 23.Qxc5 Qxc5 24.dxc5 axb5 25.axb5 Bd7
 |
| After a flurry of exchanges, White's Minority Attack has made progress, but how should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26.Nd4
This is Dragon1's top choice, whereas Stockfish17 prefers 26.b6.
26...Ng7 27.Rfb1
But here the engines agree 27.b6 is best.
27...Ne6
27...Ne6
The engines like 27...Rxa1!? 28.Rxa1 cxb5!?, claiming White at best has a slight edge.
28.Rxa8
The engines reckon 28.Nxe6 Bxe6 29.b6 gives at least a slight edge.
28...Rxa8 29.bxc6 bxc6 30.Nxe6 Bxe6 31.Rb6 Bd7 32.Ba6 Bc8?!
Probably better is 32...Kf7, and if 33.Bb7, then 33...Rb8.
33.Bxc8 Rxc8
 |
| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has an active rook versus a passive one. Dragon1 reckons that gives the upper hand, but Stockfish17 calls the position completely equal.
34.Rb7 h5 35.Kg3 Re8!?
The rook will be less passive on e6.
36.Rc7 Re6 37.Kf4 Re4+ 38.Kf3 Re6 39.Ke2!?
The only way to try to make progress.
39...d4 40.e4!? f5!?
Dragon1 strongly dislikes this, but Stockfish17 is fine with it.
41.Kd3 fxe4+ 42.Kxd4
 |
| How should Black continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
42...Rf6?!
Both 42...h4 and 42...g5 give complete equality, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 reckons White in each case is slightly better.
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
43.Kxe4
Stockfish17 reckons 43.g4!? is winning, eg 43...Rxf2 44.Rxc6 Kf7 45.g5!? Rf3 46.Kxe4 Rxh3 47.Rf6+ Kg7 48.c6. For much of the line, Dragon1 reckons the position is equal, but it comes to give White the upper hand.
43...Rxf2 44.Rxc6 Rxg2 45.Rf6 Kg7 46.Rf3 Rc2 47.Kd5 g5 48.c6 Kg6 49.Rf8 Rc3 50.Kd6 Rxh3 51.c7 Rc3 52.c8=Q Rxc8 53.Rxc8
 |
| How would you assess this rook-versus-pawns ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Endgame tablebases show the position is drawn, but Black has to start with three only-moves.
53...Kf5!
The white king has to be shouldered away.
54.Kd5 h4!
Other moves lose, eg advancing the king now fails, one line running 54...Kf4 55.Rc4+! Kf3 56.Ke5 h4 57.Kf5 h3 58.Rc3+! Kg2 59.Kg4! h2 60.Rc2+ Kg1 61.Kg3 h1=N+ (the only hope - but White has a winning reply) 62.Kf3! g4+ 63.Kxg4 Nf2+ 64.Kf3 Nd3 65.Rd2 Ne5+ 66.Kf4! Nc4 67.Rd4 (other moves also win) Nb2 68.Kf3 Kf1 69.Rd2 etc.
55.Rf8+ Kg4
The third only-move on the trot, but this one is obvious.
56.Ke4 h3 57.Rh8 Kg3 58.Kf5 g4 59.Kg5 h2 ½–½
No comments:
Post a Comment