French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4!?
This is second in popularity to 5.Bd3 in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but scores 14 percentage points better.
5...c6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bg5 0-0!?
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| How should White proceed? |
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8.c5!?
On 8.Bxf6!? Qxf6 9.cxd5 Black has 9...Qg6!, meaning 10.dxc6? leaves White in a complete mess after 10...Re8+. Similarly White cannot win a pawn with 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Nxd5 as, in addition to 10...Qg6, Black has 10...Qe6+ 11.Ne3 Bb4+ 12.Nd2 Qf6 etc.
8...Re8+ 9.Be2 Bc7 10.0-0 b5!?
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 10...b6, 10...h6 and 10...Nbd7.
11.a3 h6 12.Bh4 Bf5 13.Bd3!?
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like this offer to exchange White's good bishop for Black's bad one. The point is that while the black light-square bishop is technically bad, and the white light-square bishop technically good, Black's bishop is active, while White's is passive.
13...Bg4!? 14.h3 Bh5 15.g4
The engines slightly prefer 15.Bf5!?, one line running 15...Nbd7 16.Qd3, when White threatens 17.g3 Bg6 18.Bxg6 fxg6 19.Qxg6, so Black should probably play 16...Bxf3, giving White the bishop-pair.
15...Bg6 16.Bxg6 fxg6 17.g5!?
The engines prefer 17.Qd3 g5 18.Bg3 Bxg3 19.fxg3, with what they reckon is an equal position.
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| How should Black respond? |
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17...Ne4?!
The engines give 17...hxg5 18.hxg5 Nbd7, claiming a slight edge for Black.
18.gxh6 g5?
18.gxh6 g5?
Better is 18...Qd7, but after 19.Re1 the engines give White the upper hand.
19.h7+?!
Much better, according to the engines, is 19.Nxe4 gxh4 20.Nfg5!? Re7 21.Nd6!? Bxd6 22.Qh5 with a very strong attack. If 19...Rxe4, then 20.h7+ Kh8 21.Ng5!? with horrible threats.
19...Kh8 20.Nxe4 gxh4
Not 20...Rxe4? 21.Ng5!?, transposing to the second line in the last note.
21.Nexg5
This seems best, but 21.Nd6!? and 21.Nfg5!? are also serious candidates.
21...Qf6 22.Kh1 Nd7 23.Rg1 Nf8 24.Qd3 Ne6 25.Nxe6
The engines reckon 25.Raf1!? may keep a slight edge.
25...Rxe6 26.Rg2?
The position is completely equal after R(either)e1, according to the engines.
26...Rf8 27.Ng5 Re7 28.Rag1 Bf4 29.Nf3 Bc7 30.Nh2
If 30.Ng5, hoping for threefold repetition, the engines reckon 30...a5 is very strong, one line running 31.Rf1 Bf4 32.Nf3 Re4 33.Rd1 a4 34.Qf1 g5, after which Black will pick up the h7 pawn in due course, and meanwhile continue to build up against White's king and queenside.
30...Qf5 31.Qd2?
Better is 31.Qxf5 Rxf5 32.b4 Kxh7 33.Ra1!?, but the engines reckon White's queenside is too vulnerable for the game to be saved.
31...Qxh3 32.Qg5 Ref7 33.Qg4?!
Probably better is 33.Qe3, but Black is on top after various moves, eg 33...Qd7, when 34.Rf1 h3 35.Rgg1Bxh2!? 36.Kxh2 Rf3 37.Qe2 Qf7 38.Kh1 Rxf2 39.Rxf2 Qxf2 40.Qg4 Qf3+ 41.Kh2 Qxg4 42.Rxg4 Rf2+ 43.Kxh3 Kxh7 is just one winning line given by the engines.
33...Qxg4 34.Nxg4 Kxh7?!
Even clearer is 34...h3 etc.
35.Re1?
Better, but almost certainly still losing, is 35.Ne5 Bxe5 36.dxe5, eg 36...Re7 37.b4 Rf3.
35...Rf4 36.Re7 R8f7 37.Rxf7 Rxf7 38.Ne3 Kh6 39.Kg1 g5 40.Rg4 Kh5
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| With the 40-move time control reached, I could have resigned with a clear conscience - Dragon1 reckons Black is the equivalent of more than a queen ahead |
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41.Rg2 Rf4 42.Nc2 Bd8 43.Kf1 Bf6 44.Ke2 Bxd6 45.Nxd4 Rxd4 46.Rg1 g4 47.b4 Re4+ 48.Kd3 Rf4 49.Ke2 Rf3 (0-1, 65 moves)
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