Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6!?
This is looked on with suspicion in many circles because it encourages White to play a move that many whites in this system want to play anyway. However there are 3,331 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 d5!?
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 prefer less-committal play with 5...d6, 5...g6 or 5...Qc7.
6.0-0 Bg4 7.Nbd2 e6 8.Re1 Nf6 9.b3 Be7 10.Bb2 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's better pawn-structure is worth slightly more than Black's bishop-pair, according to the engines.
11.c4?!
This lets Black gain space without worrying about a white knight settling on the c4 square. Known moves are 11.h3 and 11.Nf1.
11...Nd7
The immediate 11...d4!? may be premature in view of 12.h3 Bh5 13.g4 Bg6 14.Ne5 Qc7 15.f4!? with promising play for White. However it seems Black can play 13...Nxg4!? 14.hxg4 Bxg4 with decent compensation for the knight, according to the engines.
12.Qc2?!
The engines reckon 12.cxd5!? cxd5 13.exd5 exd5 14.d4 is equal.
12...d4!
12...d4!
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| Closing the centre is not normally what the player with the bishop-pair wants, but here Black's more-active pieces and the ability to engineer a pawn break with the f pawn mean Black is slightly better, according to the engines |
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13.e5 Qc7 14.h3 Bh5 15.Qd1?!
The engines suggest 15.Re4, the idea being to meet 15...Bg6 with 16.Re2.
15...Rae8 16.Qe2 f6 17.g4
The engines suggest 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Rf1, but give Black the upper hand.
17...Bf7!? 18.Rad1 fxe5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20 Qxe5 Bd6 21.Qe2 Bg6 22.Bc1 Qf7
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| How should White proceed? |
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23.Rf1?
Probably best is 23.f3, with what the engines reckon is 'only' a slight edge for Black.
23...Qf4 24.f3 Bxd3! 25.Qf2 Bxf1 26.Rxf1
Not 26.Ne4? Qxe4! 27.fxe4 Rxf2 28.Kxf2 Rf8+ etc.
26...Qh6!? 27.Ne4 Bf4 28.Bxf4 Rxf4 29.Qg3 e5 30.Nxc5
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| White has won back the pawn, but remains the exchange down, and is actually the equivalent of more than a minor piece down, according to the engines |
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30...Qg6 31.Ne4 Ref8 32.Rf2 Qf7
Piling on the pressure, but also good is 32...Rxe4!? 33.fxe4 Rxf2 and 34...Qxe4.
33.Kg2 Qd7 34.Nc5 Qd6 35.Ne4
On 35.Nd3 the engines like offering back the exchange, for example with 35...g5!?, when 36.Nxf4 exf4 leaves White badly placed to deal with Black's passed d pawn.
35...Qb4 36.Kf1
Preventing ...Qd1.
36...d3 37.Qg2 Qa3 38.Qg1 Qc1+ 39.Kh2 Rxe4!? 40.fxe4 Rxf2 41.Qxf2 Qc2
The game finished:
42.Kg3 d2 43.Qb6 Qd3+ 44.Kh4 d1=Q 0-1
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