I WAS upfloated.
Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3!?
This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, a long way behind 3.d4, but scoring four percentage points better.
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| How should Black respond? |
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3...Bg7
The obvious and most popular move, but Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer 3...d5!?, when the main line in Mega25 runs 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 Bg7 6.Na3 cxd4 7.Bc4 Qe4+ 8.Be3!? Nh6 (8...dxe3? 9.Bxf7+ etc) 9.cxd4 0-0, with an equal position, according to the engines.
4.Bc4!?
Much more common is 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5, when White usually chooses between 6.exd5 and the more popular 6.e5.
4...e6 5.0-0 Ne7 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4!?
The engines prefer the text over the more usual 7.cxd4, which scores nine percentage points less in Mega25.
7...0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has more space in the centre, and Black has a potentially weak d pawn on a half-open file. The engines give White a slight edge.
8.Bg5
This is the most popular move in Mega25, scoring an excellent 72%, but the engines prefer 8.Re1!?
8...h6 9.Bh4 a6 10.Nd2 Nbc6 11.N2f3!?
The engines agree this is a small improvement on the 11.Nxc6!? of Arystanbek Urazayev (2429) - Dmitry Andreikin (2728), Chess.com Blitz 2023, which continued 11...bxc6 12.Bd3 d5 13.Re1 g5!? 14.Bxg3 dxe4 15.Nxe4 f5 16.Nc5 f4 17.Bxf4, when 17...gxf4 18.Nxe6 Bxe6 19.Rxe6 would have left Black up knight for two pawns, but with at best a slight edge, according to the engines (instead Black blundered his queen with 17...Rxf4?? 18.Bh7+! etc).
11...b5!?
This allows White an interesting combination liked by the engines.
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| Can you see the idea? |
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12.Nxc6!? dxc6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Bxe7 Rd7
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| How should White proceed? |
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15.Bc5!?
This is enough for a slight edge, according to the engines, but as K-HS pointed out after the game, probably a little better is 15.Ba3!? However 15.Bxb5 cxb5 leaves Black with good compensation for a pawn, thanks to the bishop-pair and pressure against e4 and the white queenside.
15...bxc4 16.Rfd1 Rb8 17.Rxd7
The engines slightly prefer 17.Ba3!?
17...Bxd7 18.Rb1?
The position is completely equal after 18.Ba3!? or 18.Rd1!?, according to the engines.
18...Bxc3! 19.Bd4?
K-HS offered a draw.
Not 19.Rd1? Bxb2! (this is even stronger than 19...Rxb2), and if 20.Rxd7, then 20...Bd4 (threatening back-rank mate) followed by ...Bxc5. However the engines reckon 19.h4 and 19.Bd6!? keep White in the game.
19...Bxd4 20.Nxd4 c5 21.Nc2 Bc6 22.f3 c3 23.b3 Rd8?
This lets White off the hook. Instead 23...c4 piles on the pressure.
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| How does White equalise? |
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24.Ne3?
Both 24.Rc1 and 24.Ne1 hold, according to the engines.
24...Rd3 25.Kf2?!
This probably makes matters worse, although 25.Nc2 f5!? 26.exf5 gxf5 is winning, according to the engines.
25...Rd2+ 26.Ke1?!
Perhaps best is 26.Kg3, but 26...Re2 27.Nc4 Bb5 28.Rc1 Bxc4 29.bxc4 c2 leaves Black roughly the equivalent of a rook ahead, according to the engines.
26...Bb5 0-1
Massive loss of material is inevitable, eg 27.Ng4 Rxg2 28.Kd1 c2+ etc.
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