1.b3
1.b3 d5 2.bb2 Nf6 3.Nf3 Bf5 4.g3!?
This is Stockfish17's top choice; Dragon1 prefers 4.c4 or 4.Nh4!?, the latter being a favourite of Hungarian grandmaster István Csom.
4...c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.d3 Qc7!? 7.Nbd2 e5!?
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| Is Black's broad pawn-centre strong or an overreach? |
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Stockfish17 calls the position equal, but Dragon1 gives Black a slight edge, or at least the better part of equality.
8.Nh4
The engines dislike this apparent-novelty.
Evgeny Romanov (2594) - Matthias Blübaum (2674), European Championship (Reykjavík) 2021, went 8.e4!? dxe4 9.dxe4 Be6 (9...Nxe4?! 10.Nxe5; 9...Bxe4? 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe4) 10.0-0 Rd8 11.Qc1!? Be7, when Black was at least equal, according to the engines (0-1, 59 moves).
Evgeny Romanov (2594) - Matthias Blübaum (2674), European Championship (Reykjavík) 2021, went 8.e4!? dxe4 9.dxe4 Be6 (9...Nxe4?! 10.Nxe5; 9...Bxe4? 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe4) 10.0-0 Rd8 11.Qc1!? Be7, when Black was at least equal, according to the engines (0-1, 59 moves).
8...Be6 9.e4 Be7
The engines much prefer 9...0-0-0!?
10.a3?!
It is hard to see the point of this move, unless it is to discourage Black from long castling.
10...Rd8 11.Qe2?
The engines suggest 11.Nf5 or 11.exd5.
11...Nd4 12.Bxd4
This is better than retreating the queen, according to the engines.
12...cxd4 13.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has the bishop-pair, more space in the centre and pressure down the half-open c file, all of which add up to a positionally won game, according to the engines.
14.Nf5 dxe4
The engines prefer 14...Bxf5, which surrenders the bishop-pair but gives White doubled pawns, while also strengthening Black's centre.
15.dxe4
White should have taken the chance to play 15.Nxe7+, according to the engines, meeting 15...Qxe7 with 16.Ne4!?
15...Rc8 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7
The bishop-pair has gone, but White has the better remaining bishop, and continued pressure down the c file.
17.Nf3 Rc5 18.a4
Probably not 18.b4?! Bc4, but perhaps 18.Ne1!?, which gets played anyway soon, is better.
18...Rfc8 19.Ra2 Qc7 20.Ne1 Rc3 21.h3 h6 22.Kh2 Nh7 23.h4!? Nf6 24.Bh3!? Qd7 25.Bxe6 Qxe6 26.f3!? Re3 27.Qd2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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27...Rcc3
Even stronger seems to be the engines' 27...Nxe4!? 28.fxe4 Qg4, their main line running 29.Qg2!? Re2 30.Rf2 Rxe1, and if White tries the tricky 31.Rxf7!?, then 31...Rc3, and if 32.Rf8+!? then 32...Kxf8 33.Qf2+ Kg8 34.Qxe1 Re3 winning.
28.Nd3 Nh5 29.Qg2 Qe7 30.Rf2 Rc6!? 31.Qh3 Rf6
Almost certainly stronger is 31...Rg6!?, and if 32.g4 then 32...Nf6, when the knight threatens to sac on either e4 or g4.
32.Qg4 g6 33.Ra1 Ng7?!
This relinquishes a lot of Black's advantage. Probably better is giving up on the kingside and returning to pressure the queenside with 33...Rc6 or 33...Qc7.
34.Raf1?!
Probably better is the engines' 34.Qc8+!? Kh7, and now 35.Raf1.
34...Kh7?!
This lets White transpose into the previous note. Instead 34...Rc6 returns to pressurising the queenside, while keeping the white queen out of Black's position.
35.Qc8!? Rc6 36.Qb8
JF offered a draw in my time.
36...f6 37.Rd2?!
White is at least equal after 37.Qxa7, according to the engines.
37...b6 38.Kg2 Ne6 39.Rff2?
The engines suggest 39.a5!?, and if 39...bxa5 then 40.Ra1 with what they reckon is a completely equal position.
39...Qd7
This seems to have been a good time for ...g5.
This seems to have been a good time for ...g5.
40.Qa8
Black threatened to trap White's queen with 40..Rc8.
40...Rc8
This is still good, but even better is 40...g5, according to the engines.
41.Qd5 Qxd5 42.exd5 Nc7 43.Nb4?
Correct is 43.d6 Nd5 44.f4 with counterplay, leaving Black only slightly better, according to the engines.
43...a5 44.d6 axb4 45.dxc7 Rxc7
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Black is only one pawn up, and has doubled pawns, but Black's advantage is worth much more than a minor piece, according to the engines.
46.f4 Rcc3?
This allows White unnecessary activity. Correct is 46...Kg7.
47.fxe5 Rxg3+ 48.Kf1 fxe5 49.Rf7+ Kg8 50.Rdf2 Rc8
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| White is two pawns down, but the activity of the white rooks, the weakness of Black's pawns, and the restricted state of Black's king mean the position is equal, according to the engines |
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51.R7f6?
Both 51.Re7, attacking Black's passer, and 51.Rb7, threatening to double on the seventh rank, while also threatening b6, hold the balance, according to the engines.
51...e4 52.R2f4
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| Black to play and win |
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52...d3?
52...h5 is good, but best is 52...e3!?, eg 53.Rxd4 Re8 54.Ke1 e2 etc. Perhaps White's best try is 53.Re6, but 53...g5 (not 53...Rxc2? as 54.Re8+ draws) 54.hxg5 Rxc2 wins, since 55.Rxd4 fails to 55...Rf2+ 56.Ke1 Rg1#, and if 55.gxh6 then 55...Rgg2, when there is no good answer to ...e2+.
53.cxd3 exd3 54.Rd6
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| Note that the c8 rook cannot invade White's position as White has a draw by repetition with Re8+ etc |
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54...g5 55.hxg5
Not 55.Rg6+ Kh7 56.Rff6 as Black has 56...Rc1+ 57.Kf2 gxh4 58.Rxg3 hxg3+ 59.Kxg3 d2, after which the d pawn queens.
55...hxg5 56.Rxb4
Also drawing is 56.Rff6.
56...Rc2 57.Rbd4 Rh3 58.Kg1
Not 58.Rxd3?? Rh1#.
58...Re3 59.Kf1 Rc1+ 60.Kf2 Re2+ 61.Kf3 Rf1+ 62.Kg4 Kf7 63.Rxd3 Rg2+ 64.Kh3 Rgg1?
Having overpressed, 64...Rfg1 was necessary to comfortably hold the draw.
However, JF now offered a draw, although I waited for him to move before making a deicsion.
65.Rd7+
White is better after 65.Rxb6, but the game should probably be drawn (even if Black does not take the draw offer).
65...Ke6 66.R3d6+ Kf5 67.Rd5+ Kg6 68.R5d6+ Kf5 ½–½
And not 68...Kh5?? 69.Rh7#.
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