Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nc6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4!?
A known pawn sacrifice.
7...Nxe4
Stockfish17 reckons immediate acceptance is best, but Dragon1 marginally prefers exchanging on d4 and then taking the e pawn.
8.d5
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| How should Black proceed? |
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8...Nb8!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database runs 8...Ne5 9.Re1 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Nf6 11.c4, when the engines agree White has full compensation for a pawn.
9.Re1 Nf6 10.Bg5 h6
More popular is 10...Na6.
11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.c4?!
Probably better is getting on with development with 12.Nbd2.
12...Rg8!?
This may be a novelty. The engines marginally prefer the known 12...Na6.
13.Qd3
The engines prefer developing the queen's knight to a3 or c3.
13...Qg4 14.g3 Nd7 15.Re4 Qg6 16.Qe2?!
Probably better is 16.Nh4, and if 16...Qg5 then 17.Nd2.
16...Ne5?
Black is at least slightly better after 16...f5, followed by castling, according to the engines.
17.Nh4 Qg5!?
The engines fluctuate between the text and 17...Qh7, in both cases giving White at least a slight edge.
18.f4 Qxh4 19.fxe5 Qg5 20.exd6 f5
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| How should White proceed? |
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21.Re5
Not 21.Rf4?? Qxf4, but the engines reckon White has the upper hand after 21.Re3! f4 22.Re4, and if 22...fxg3 then 23.h4!, the point being 23...Qf6? runs into 24.dxe7 Bxe7 25.d6! Qxd6 26.Nc3, with Nd5 and/or Rd1 to come. Possibly better is 22...f5!?, but 23.Re6 is good for White.
21...Kd7!
Best as, although 21...e6 22.dxe6 Bxd6 is fine for Black, White has a major improvement in 22.d7+! Kxd7 23.dxe6+ fxe6 24.Nc3! with a huge attack against the exposed black king.
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| What should White play? |
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22.dxe7?
Not taking Black's threats seriously enough. The game is completely equal, according to the engines, after a move such as 22.Qc2 or 22.Qf1.
22...Bxe7?
22...Bg7 wins the exchange.
23.Qf1
Even stronger is developing with 23.Nc3, and if 23...Bf6 then 24.Ne4.
23...Bf6 24.Re2?
Even worse is 24.Qxf5?? Qxf5 25.Rxf5 Bxb2 etc, but winning is 24.Rxf5, eg 24...Qe3+ 25.Kh1 Bxb2 (or 25...Qe4+ 26.Rf3 Bxb2 27.Nd2) 26.Rxf7+ Kd8 27.Nc3!? Bxc3 28.Qf5, with what the engines show is an irresistible attack, one line running 28...Qe8 29.Rf1 Rb8 30.Rf4!? Rg5!? 31.Qh7 Rg8 32.Re4 etc.
24...f4 25.Rg2??
White holds with 25.Kg2 and, maybe, 25.Nd2.
25...fxg3?
Other lines are much stronger, eg 25...Bd4+ 26.Kh1 f3!
26.Rxg3??
After 26.Kh1 Black is a pawn up but the game continues.
26...Qe3+ 27.Kh1
No better is 27.Kg2 Rxg3+ 28.hxg3 Rg8, eg 29.Qf3 Qxf3+ 30.Kxf3 Bxb2 etc.
27...Rxg3 28.hxg3 Qxg3 29.Qxf6
This allows a quick mate, but White's position is anyway hopeless.
29...Qh3+ 30.Kg1 Rg8+ 31.Kf2 Rg2+ 32.Ke1 Qe3+ 33.Kd1 Qe2+ 0-1
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