French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6!?
This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database behind 4...Nf6 and 4...Bd6.
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| How should White respond? |
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5.Bd3
This was José Capablanca's choice in a 1901 game, but the mainline in Mega25 runs 5.Bb5!? Bd6 6.c4!? dxc4!? 7.d5 a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.dxc6 bxa4 10.0-0 with an imbalanced position that Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon gives equal chances.
5...Bd6
If 5...Nb4 then 6.Bb5+ c6 7.Ba4 Bd6 8.c3 Na6 9.0-0 is level, according to the engines.
6.0-0 Nge7 7.Re1
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| Can Black safely castle? |
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Yes! The point is 7...0-0 8.Bxh7+?? is a real Gift as after 8...Kxh7 the follow-up 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Qh5 fails to 10...Bf5.
7...Bg4
This is easily the commonest continuation in Mega25, and scores an excellent 61%.
8.c3 Qd7 9.Nbd2 0-0-0?!
This has been played by Alexander Alekhine, Rudolf Spielmann, Lev Psakhis and other strong players, but is strongly disliked by the engines.
10.b4 Ng6 11.b5 Na5
This is Stockfish17's choice, but Dragon1 prefers 11...Nce7.
12.Qa4 b6 13.Ne5 Nxe5
Not 13...Rhe8? 14.Nxd7 Rxe1+ 15.Nf1.
14.dxe5 Bc5?
Black is lost after this.
Jakub Tobolski (2082) - Milan Pacher (2408), Slovak Championship (Banská Štiavnica) 2011, went 14...Rhe8 15.Nb3!? Bxe5 [ChessBase has Black's last two moves in reverse order, which makes no sense] 16.Bd2 Nc4! 17.Qxa7 Qxb5? 18.h3 (1-0, 60 moves). Black could have improved with 17...c5, according to the engines, but earlier White had the possibility of 16.Nxa5!, when 16...Bxh2+? 17.Kxh2 Rxe1 loses to 18.Nc6 a5 19.bxa5 etc, or 18...Qe6 19.Bf4! After 16.Na5! the engines give 16...bax5, and now 17.Bd2 provides White with what seems more than enough compensation for being, at least temporarily, a pawn down.
15.Nb3
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| Black has no defence, eg 15...Nxb3 16.Qa6+! Kb8 17.axb3 etc, or 15...Nc4 16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Qxa7 etc |
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The game finished:
15...Qe7?! 16.Qxg4+ Kb8 17.Bg5 1-0
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