Lessons From Bad Wörishofen

MY round-one game featured a dilemma often facing Black in the London System.

White has just played 9.Nf3-e5!? as preparation for castling short (avoiding the reply ...Bxg3)

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Black's dilemma lies in deciding what to do about the white knight that has crossed the dividing line and is well-placed to menace the black king's position.

If Black does nothing immediately, White can reinforce the knight by 10.Ndf3, or by10.f4 with possibly Ndf3 to come.

I chose to nip these threats in the bud by 9...Bxe5?!, a move that is strongly disliked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

After 10.dxe5 Nd7 my opponent played 11.Nf3, the game continuing 11...f6 12.exf6 Nxf6 13.0-0 Qe7 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5, when White has the bishop-pair, and Black is left with a bad bishop.

Nevertheless, Black has more space and is only slightly worse, according to the engines.

However, after 10...Nd7 the strongest players have tended to prefer 11.f4, and this is also the choice of the engines.

If then, as in the game, 11...f6, White has 12.Qh5, when 12...f5 13.Bh4 gives White the upper hand, according to the engines.

Seemingly better is the immediate 11...f5, when the engines agree White has the upper hand, but differ on how to exploit it, Stockfish17 suggesting 12.Nf3 or 12.Qh5, Dragon1 12.exf6.

Going back to the diagram, it is clear the engines simply do not like capturing on e5.

Instead they suggest 9...Bb7, which is also the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

White usually responds with 10.f4, but the engines reckon 10...Ne7!? gives Black at least equality.

Their idea is that after 11.Qf3, which is easily the commonest continuation, 11...Nf5 is good.

Alexei Shirov is among those who have tried 12.Bxf5?! exf5 13.Bh4, but the engines reckon it gives Black at least the upper hand after 13...cxd4!? (this seems to be a novelty), eg 14.exd4 Qe8!?

Probably better is 12.Bf2, but then 12...Be7!? clears the way for ...Nd6 and ...Nfe4.

White could instead give up any idea of castling long by playing 11.0-0, but then both 11...Ne4 and the commoner 11...Nf5 seem to give White a fine game.

LESSON: there is no need for panic stations just because a white knight has landed on e5.