English Symmetrical
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4 e5 7.Nge2 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0
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| This position occurs 1,319 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database - how would you assess it? |
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The position is not only symmetrical, but has a closed centre, which greatly reduces the advantage of the move. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal.
9.f4 Be6
The mainline in Mega25 runs 9...f5 10.Be3 Nd4 11.Qd2, with an equal position, according to the engines.
10.Nd5 f5 11.Rb1 Qd7 12.a3 fxe4!?
This apparent-novelty - known moves are 12...Nd4, 12...Rab8, 12...Rae8 and 12...Rf7 - is the top choice of the engines.
13.dxe4 Rae8 14.b4 b6 15.Qd2 Nd4 16.Nxd4 cxd4
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| How would you assess this middlegame position? |
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Black has a protected passed pawn, but has an extra pawn-island and arguably a less-flexible structure. Dragon1 gives Black a slight edge, but Stockfish17 calls the game equal.
17.Bb2
The engines suggest 17.fxe5!?, eg 17...Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1 dxe5 19.Qd3, when they reckon Black has the better part of equality.
17...Rc8 18.Qd3
The engines again prefer fxe5.
18...Qb7!?
One line suggested by the engines runs 18...b5!? 19.cxb5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Bf5 21.Be4 Bxe4 22.Qxe4 Qxb5, when they reckon Black has the upper hand. Instead 19.fxe5 dxe5 20.Rxf8+ Rxf8 21.Nxe7+ Qxe7 22.cxb5 may be an improvement for White, but Black has more than enough compensation for a pawn after 22...h5, according to the engines.
19.Rbc1 Kh8 20.Rc2
White may be slightly better after 20.a4 or 20.b5!?, according to Stockfish17, but Dragon1 disagrees.
20...b5!?
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| How should White respond? |
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21.cxb5?
The engines reckon Black is at best only slightly better after 21.fxe5, eg 21...Rxf1+ 22.Qxf1 dxe5 23.c5 Rf8 24.Qe1 h6!? 25.Nxe7 Qxe7, but there are some tricky points, one being 24...Nxd5 25.exd5 Bxd5 can be met by 26.c6! Qf7 27.Rf2 Qxf2+ 28.Qxf2 Rxf2 29.Kxf2 Be6, when the engines give White complete equality, despite White being a pawn down.
21...Nxd5 22.exd5 Bxd5 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Bxd5 Qxd5 25.Re1 Qc4?
JMM afterwards said he rejected 25...Rc4 because he could not work out what was happening after 26.f5, which he thought was dangerous for Black. However the engines reckon Black is winning, eg 26...Bh6 27.fxg6 hxg6 28.Qxg6? loses to 28...Be3+ 29.Rxe3 (forced) dxe3 as there is no perpetual (the black king can escape to the queenside).
26.Qxc4 Rxc4 27.Kf2?!
Both 27.fxe5 and 27.Rc1 are probably better.
27...Kg8?
Black needed to avoid an exchange of rooks, and this can be done by 27...Rc2+ 28.Re2 Rc4, and by the engines' 27...d3!? 28.Rc1 d2!? 29.Rd1 Rc2.
28.fxe5 dxe5 29.Rc1 Rxc1+ 30.Bxc1 Kf7
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| How would you assess this bishop-and-pawn ending? |
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White's farside pawn-majority gives a large advantage - winning, according to the engines.
31.Kf3 Ke6 32.Ke4 Kd6 33.a4 Kc7?
Black can make the win more difficult by taking control of the g5 square with 33...h6.
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| What is White's winning plan? |
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34.a5?
The wrong idea - the queenside pawns cannot win by themselves. Correct is 34.Bg5, when the threat is 35.Be7 followed by g4-g5 and Bf6. Black can try to stop this with 34...Kd7, but then 35.a5 wins thanks to the threat of a6 etc. Black could try 34...h6 35.Be7 g5, but 36.g4 leaves the black bishop without a decent move, so the end could come after 36...Kb7 37.Bc5 Kb8 38.a5 Ka8 39.a6 Kb8 40.b6 axb6 41.Bxb6 Bf8 42.Ba5 Ka7 43.b5 Ka8, and now one win pointed out by the engines starts 44.Kd5!? d3 45.b6 e4 46.b7+ Ka7 47.Bc7.
34...Bf6 35.Kd5!? Bg7?!
The engines reckon 35...Kb7 and 35...Be7 are better.
36.g4 Kb7 37.Kc4?
This throws away the win by letting the e pawn advance. Various moves seem to win, including 37.h4!? and 37.Bd2, but the lines are tricky and the engines have a hard time agreeing on what is best.
37...e4 38.a6+
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| Black to play and draw |
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38...Kb6
Only 38...Ka8! draws, eg 39.Bb2 d3!? 40.Bc1, when neither side can make progress.
39.Bg5 Kc7
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| White to play and win |
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40.Bf4+
Missing a spectacular win with 40.Bd8+!?, when 40...Kxd8? 41.b6 Kc8 42.bxa7 wins trivially. Instead Black can try 40...Kb8, but 41.b6 axb6 42.Bxb6 wins. However, the text also keeps the win alive.
40...Kb6 41.Bg5
Also winning is 41.Bd6 d3 42.Bf4! Be5!? 43.Be3+ Kc7 44.Kd5, when after 44...Bxh2 the engines give as best 45.g5!? Bg1! 46.b6+! axb6 47.Bf4+ Kc8 48.Kxe4 Bh2!? 49.Bd2 b5!? 50.Kxd3 Kc7 51.Ke4 Kb6 52.Bf4! Bg1 52.Be3+ Bxe3 53.Kxe3 Kxa6 54.Kd4 Kb6 55.Kd5 etc.
41...Kc7 42.h3?
But now the win is gone.
42...e3 43.Kc5?
Trying too hard in a completely drawn position.
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| Black to play and win |
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43...Be5?
Winning is 43...e2, eg 44.Bd2 Bh6! 45.Be1 (45.g5 Bxg5) d3 etc.
44.Bd8+?
Nice idea ... but much too late. 44.Kc4 draws.
44...Kb8?
Winning is 44...Kxd8, the point being that after 45.b6 axb6+ 46.Kxb6 Black has 46...Bb8.
45.Kc4 Bc7 46.Bf6 Bb6 47.Kd3 Kc7 48.Be7 Kb8 49.g5 Kc8 50.Bd7 Kd7 51.Bc5 Kc7 52.h4 Kc8 53.Bd6 Kd7 54.Bc5 ½–½
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