Maróczy Bind
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Nxc6
This is easily the most popular move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and it is the top choice of Stockfish17 and Dragon1, but after ...
7...bxc6
... Black is better placed than usual in the Maróczy to get in the break ...d5.
8.Bd3 e5!?
Nevertheless this is the main continuation, although an annotation in Mega25 shows Paul Keres called the move dubious when Miguel Najdorf played it at Buenos Aires 1964.
9.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's light-square bishop is bad, but will not necessarily stay that way, especially if Black gets in ...d5. Black's d pawn is backward, but is not easily attacked. The engines reckon the position is equal.
10.Be3
René Letelier Martner - Najdorf, Buenos Airies 1964, went 10.f4 Bc5+ (Keres gave this a ?, according to Mega25, but the move seems fine) 11.Kh1 d6 12.f5 h6!? 13.g4 d5 14.g5 dxc4? (there is no doubting this is bad - the engines suggest 14...dxe4 or 14...hxg5, albeit preferring White) 15.gxf6 Qxd3 16.fxg7 Kxg7? (the game goes on after 16...Rd8, although 17.Bxh6 is good for White) 17.Qg4+ Kh7 18.Bxh6! 1-0 (Black is getting mated, whether or not the bishop is captured). Keres's annotations here appear to be an example of even a very strong player getting carried away by the result of a game - something that rarely happens when engines are to hand).10...d6
Just about playable is 10...d5!?, as long as Black does not fall for 11.cxd5 cxd5? (11...Bxc3 is better) 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Qxd5?? 14.Bxh7+ etc.
11.h3 Be6 12.Rc1 Re8
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 12...Qe7, 12...Qd7, 12...Bxc3 and 12...Nd7!?
13.f4
The engines suggest 13.Na4!?, when one line runs 13...d5 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.a3 Bf8 16.Nc5, with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.
13...exf4 14.Rxf4!?
The engines much prefer 14.Bxf4.
14...Nd7!
This is best, according to the engines.
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| How should White proceed? |
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15.Ne2!?
RJ after the game strongly advocated 15.e5?!, but White seems to have nothing, whichever way Black captures the pawn, eg 15...Nxe5 16.Bxh7+!? Kxh7 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Rh4 Ng6. I had seen this in the game, and now 19.Qh7+ Kf8 leaves Black winning, according to Stockfish17. However Dragon1 for quite some time reckons 20.Rh5 leaves Black only slightly better. But 20...Qc7 21.Ne4 Bg4! seems to confirm Black as having at least the upper hand, although the line remains sharp.
15...Ne5
This is not just a good outpost for the knight - Black also threatens 15...Qg5.
16.Rf1?!
Probably better is 16.Rf2.
16...Bc5!?
Also strong is 16...Qh4!?
17.Qd2?
More-or-less forced is the awkward-looking 17.Bxc5 dxc5 18.Rc3, but both 18...Qh4 and 18...Re7!? give Black the upper hand, according to the engines.
17...Qg5 18.Nf4
This seems best, but inadequate.
18...Bxh3! 19.Bxc5 dxc5 20.Qe3?!
Probably better is 20.Qf2.
20...Bxg2!
The blows keep coming. Black wins a second pawn, and swops off into a highly favourable late-middlegame.
21.Nxg2 Qxe3+ 22.Nxe3 Nxd3
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| Black's advantage is worth almost a rook, according to the engines |
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23.Rcd1 Rad8 24.Nf5 Nxb2 25.Ne7+ Kf8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Nxc6 Rd6 28.Rb1 Rxc6
Not 28...Nxc4?? 29.Rb8+ Rd8 30.Rxd8#.
The game finished:
29.Rxb2 Rb6 30.Rc2 a5 31.Rh2 Rb1+ 0-1
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