1.d3
1.d3!? e5 2.f4!? d5!? 3.Nf3!?
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon Black gets equal chances after 3.fxe5 with both 3...Nc6 and 3...f6!?
3...exf4 4.Bxf4 Bd6 5.Qd2 Nf6 6.Nc3 c6 7.0-0-0!? Be6
The first new move of the game - up to here everything had been in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
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| How would you assess the result of the irregular play? |
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White has an edge in development and a central pawn-majority, but Black has more space in the centre. The engines marginally prefer White, but less so the more time they are given.
8.e4!? Bxf4 9.Qxf4 d4 10.Ne2 c5
White gets the upper hand after 10...Bxa2?! 11.Qe5+ (this seems better than 11.b3 0-0!?) Be6 12.Nexd4, according to the engines.
11.Ng5!?
The engines prefer 11.Qg5, but reckon 11...Nbd7!? gives Black a slight edge.
11...Qe7 12.Nxe6 Qxe6 13.Kb1 Nc6 14.Nc1?!
This is a serious mistake, according to the engines, reckoning 14.Qg5 is equal.
14...Qe5?!
Black is positionally winning after 14...Ng4 (Stockfish17) or 14...a5 (Dragon1).
15.Qxe5+ Nxe5 16.Be2 Ke7!?
The engines reckon Black is right not to play 16...N(either)g4, which lets White swop off the bad bishop.
17.Nb3 Rac8 18.h3 h5 19.Rhf1 g6 20.Rf2 b6 21.Rdf1 Rc6 22.Nd2 Nfd7 23.Nf3 Nxf3?!
This loses e5 as an outpost square.
24.gxf3 Nf6 25.f4 Rcc8 26.Bf3
Almost certainly not 26.h4?! as 26...Ng4 27.Bxg4 (best, according to the engines) hxg4 strongly favours Black.
26...h4 27.Kc1 Nh5 28.Bg4 Ng3 29.Bxc8 Nxf1 30.Rxf1 Rxc8
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Black has more space on the central-queenside, and the slightly more active king, but a weak h pawn. The engines call the position equal.
31.Rg1 Rh8
The engines like 31...Re8!?, the idea being to meet 32.Rg4 with 32...f5!?, eg 33.exf5 gxf5 34.Rxh4 Kf6, claiming complete equality.
32.Rg5 Rg8!?
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| How should White proceed? |
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33.f5?
It was important to activate the king before pushing kingside pawns.
33...Kf6 34.Rg4 g5
Black has the upper hand, according to the engines.
35.Kd2 Ke5 36.c3?
And now they reckon Black is positionally winning, giving 36.a4 and 36.Ke2 as much better moves.
36...f6 37.Ke2 Rd8 38.c4
The engines agree this is best.
38...a6 39.a4 Rb8 40.Kf3 b5 41.axb5 axb5 42.cxb5 Rxb5 43.Rg2 Rb3
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| White is initially 'only' losing a pawn, but Black's advantage is worth more than a rook (Stockfish17) or even more than a queen (Dragon1) |
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44.Rd2 c4 45.Ke2 Kf4
By no means the sole winning move.
46.dxc4 Kxe4 47.c5 d3+ 48.Kf2 Rb5 (0-1, 67 moves)
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