Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!?
There are 821 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. One of the ideas is to possibly dispense with the move c3.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Be6
The main continuation in Mega25 is 6...Bd6, which is also liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1. They also like 6...Na6!?
7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Ne2!? Nd7 9.Nf4!?
This involves a positional pawn sacrifice. The engines prefer 9.0-0 or 9.c4.
9...Bxf4 10.Bxf4 Qb6
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| How should White proceed? |
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11.0-0!?
11.0-0!?
Effectively making it a double-pawn sacrifice. This is a slight improvement, according to the engines, on Alejandro Pablo Marin (2455) - Salvador Armengol Navrro (2260), Catalonia Team Championship 1999, which went 11.c3!? Qxb2 12.Bd2 Nb6 13.0-0 0-0, when White did not seem to have enough for a pawn, although the game was drawn in 61 moves.
However, best, according to the engines, is 11.Be3!?, eg 11...Qxb2 12.0-0 Qa3!?, with an unclear position but one in which they reckon White has decent compensation for a pawn.
11...Qxd4 12.Qd2
The engines suggest 12.Qc1!?, and if, as in the game, 12...Ne5, then 13.Rd1 0-0-0!?, when Stockfish17 reckons White has enough for a pawn, but Dragon1 disagrees.
12...Ne5!
Grabbing the b pawn is possible, but the engines agree the text is best.
13.Be3 Qd6
The engines prefer either taking on b2, or 13...Qh4!?
14.Rad1?!
The wrong rook, according to the engines, whereas after 14.Rfd1 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 Qxd3 16.Rxd3 White has enough for a pawn (Stockfish17) or is only slightly worse (Dragon1).
14...Nxd3 15.Qc3?
Not 15.Qxd3?! Qxd3 16.Rxd3? as, in contrast to the previous note, Black has the skewer 16...Bc4. However the engines' 15.Rfe1 is an improvement.
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| After 15...Qc3? it is Black to play and gain a winning advantage |
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15...Nf4!
Black also has at least a slight edge after 15...Bf5, but the text is much stronger.
16.Rxd6
Forced.
16...Ne2+ 17.Kh1 Nxc3 18.bxc3 Bxa2 19.Bc5!?
The engines fluctuate between the text and 19.Ra1 Bd5 20.Bc5 a5!? 21.Re1+ Be6 22.Rb1 0-0 23.Rxb7 a4 24.Ba3 Rfe8, which they also assess as winning for Black.
19...Be6 20.Ra1 0-0
20...a5 21.Rb1 is a transposition to the previous note.
21.Rxa7!? Rxa7 22.Bxa7 Ra8 23.h3 h6
Not 23...Rxa7?? 24.Rd8#.
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| How would you assess this rook-and-bishop ending? |
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Black is a pawn up, but the extra pawn is doubled and part of a majority that cannot create a passer by normal means. There are also opposite-coloured bishops, which means Black must be careful to only allow an exchange of rooks if the resulting bishop ending is clearly winning. However, White's c2 pawn is chronically weak and cannot be defended in the long run. The engines agree Black is winning, but reckon Black's advantage is worth less than a minor piece.
24.Bb6 Ra6 25.Rd8+ Kh7 26.Bd4 Ra4 27.Bb6 Rc4 28.Ba5 Bd5 29.Rd7 b6!? 30.Bb4
Or 30.Bxb6 Rxc3 and 31...Rxc2.
30...Re4 31.Rd6
Black also wins after 31.Re7 c5!? 32.Rxe4 Bxe4 33.Ba3 Kg6, with ...Bxc2 to come, according to the engines.
31...Re2?
Better first is 31...b5.
32.c4 Bxc4 33.Rxc6 b5 34.Bxc5 Rxc2
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| Despite the slip at move 31, the engines reckon Black is still winning |
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35.Rb6 Kg6 36.Bf8??
This 'only' loses a pawn, but the loss of f2 turns the assessment from a little over +2.00 in Black's favour to more than +4.50.
36...Rxf2 37.Kg1 Rb2 38.g3 h5 39.h4 Bd5 40.Kf1 Rb3 41.Kf2!? Rf3+ 42.Ke1 Rxg3 43.Rxb5 Bc4 44.Rb2 Rh3?!
Black is winning comfortably after this, according to the engines, but the text makes the ending less straightforward than it should be.
45.Rg2+ Kf5 46.Bxg7 Rh1+!? 47.Kd2 Rxh4 48.Ke3?
Better is 48.Rf2+ as 48...Rf4? 49.Rxf4+ Kxf4 50.Bxf6 is drawn, eg 50...Kg3 51.Be5+ Kg2 Bf6 etc. However the engines reckon 48...Kg4 49.Bxf6 Rh3! wins.
48...Re4+ 49.Kd2 h4 50.Rf2+ Rf4 51.Ke3 Rxf2 52.Kxf2 Kg5
This is the only winning move, according to the Syzygy endgame tablebase, but it is obvious enough.
53.Kg2 Bd5+ 54.Kh3 Be6+ 55.Kg2 f5 56.Be5 f4 57.Bc7 Kg4 58.Bb6 Bd5+ 59.Kh2 h3 60.Bc5 Bg2 61.Kg1 Kf3 62.Bf2!? Ke2
Not 62...h2+?? 63.Kxh2 Kxf2 stalemate.
63.Bg3!? Kf3 64.Bf2 Kg4 65.Kh2 Bd5 66.Bg1 Be6 67.Bc5 Kf3 68.Kg1 Ke2 69.Bd6 f3 70.Bg3 f2+ 71.Bxf2 h2+ 0-1
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