Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0
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| This position has become something of a tabiya, with 7,406 examples in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database |
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8.Ne2 Nd7 9.Qc2 h6!?
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon this is quite a bit better than the more popular 9...g6.
10.Be3 Qa5
Apparently a novelty - the idea presumably being to discourage queenside castling. Known moves are 10...Re8, 10...Qc7, 10...c5 and 10...Nb6.
11.Ng3 Re8 12.Nf5
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| What should Black do with the dark-square bishop? |
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12...Bf8?!
The engines give 12...Bc7 or 12...Bb8!?
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| How can White exploit Black's last move? |
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13.0-0
White may have a slight edge after this, but it misses the strength of 13.Bc4!, eg 13...Nb6 14.Nxh6+! gxh6 15.Qg6+ Kh8 16.Qxf7. Best, according to the engines, is 13...b5, but 14.Bb3 renews White's threats, eg 14...Nb6 is met by 15.Nxh6+! etc, so the engines reckon Black should either give up the exchange by 14...Re6!? or 14...Rxe3!?, or protect the king's rook with 14...Qd8, when 15.Nxh6+!? is playable but even stronger seems to be castling (long or short).
13...Qc7?!
White is only slightly better after 13...Nb6!?, according to the engines.
14.Rae1
14.Bc4! gives variations very similar to 13.Bc4!
14...Nb6 15.Bf4!? Qd8
Not 15...Qxf4? 16.Rxde8 Bxf5 17.Rxa8 Bxd3 as White wins the exchange thanks to the zwischenzug 18.Rxf8+.
16.Rxe8 Qxe8 17.Qd2 Bxf5!?
Giving up the bishop-pair but getting rid of a powerful knight.
18.Bxf5 Nxd5
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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White has the bishop-pair and better pawn-majority, but Black has a well-placed knight. The engines reckon White has the better part of equality, but no more.
19.Re1 Qd8 20.Bg3 a5 21.Qe2 b5 22.h4 a4 23.a3 Nb6?
The knight was good where it was. The engines give 23...g6 and 24...h5 with equality.
24.Bd3
Even stronger, according to the engines, are 24.h5 and 24.Qf3.
24...Qd5 25.Bc7
24...Qd5 25.Bc7
Here the engines prefer 25.Be4.
25...Nc4 26.Bxc4!?
The engines prefer keeping the bishop-pair.
26...bxc4 27.Qe4 Qb5 28.Re2 Ra7!?
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| Black has three isolanis, but they hold up White's pawn-majority, and it is not easy for White to get at them, which is why the engines reckon the position is completely equal |
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29.Qf4 Qd5 30.Re8!? Qd7
The only move, but it maintains equality.
31.Bb8 Rb7 32.Re2??
White has to play 32.Qe3!?, after which 32...Rxb2 33.Bf4 leaves White a pawn down but still equal.
White has to play 32.Qe3!?, after which 32...Rxb2 33.Bf4 leaves White a pawn down but still equal.
32...Qd8
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| The white bishop is trapped |
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33.Qf3 Qxb8 34.Qxc6 Rxb2 35.Rxb2
Black threatened 35...Rb1+ followed by mate.
35...Qxb2 36.Qxc4 Qxa3 37.d5 Bd6 38.g3 Qc5 39.Qxa4 Bxg3 40.Qe8+ Kh7 41.Qe2 Bc7
Even 41...Bxh4?! 42.Qe4+ f5!? 43.Qxh4 Qxd5 is plenty good enough for a win, according to the engines.
42.c4 Qd6 43.Qe4+ Kg8 44.Qe8+ Kh7 45.Qxf7!?
This speeds the end, but White's position is hopeless anyway.
45...Qh2+ 46.Kf1 Bb6 47.Ke1 Qxf2+ 48.Kd1 Be3 0-1
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