Queen's Pawn Game
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3!?
This has been played by grandmasters, but is only seventh-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
3...Nf6 4.e3!? c5
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| White is arguably playing the black side of a Chigorin Defrence to the Queen's Gambit, but with an extra tempo |
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Whatever it is called, Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 are unimpressed - they already give Black at least equality.
5.Be2 Nc6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Nb5!?
The engines like this, which is why they prefer 6...a6.
7...Be7 8.c4 dxc4!?
All three games to reach the position in Mega25 saw 8...0-0, but the engines reckon the text is better.
9.Bxc4
They suggest 9.dxc5!? or 9.Qa4!?
9...a6 10.Nc3 b5 11.Be2 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The position is symmetrical - in piece-structure, that is, not pawn-structure.
White has an extra pawn on the two central files, but a dark-square bishop restricted by its own pawns. Both engines call the game equal, although Dragon1 leans slightly towards Black.
12.Ne5?!
The engines reckon White should play 12.dxc5.
12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd5
Even stronger, according to the engines, is putting pressure on the doubled pawn with 13...Nd7.
14.Qc2
The engines suggest 14.Ne4 or 14.Nxd5, but agree Black has at least a slight edge.
14...Qc7 15.f4?!
Much better, according to the engines, is 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.f4, presumably the point being White then has a mobile kingside pawn-majority.
15...Nb4 16.Qb1 Bb7 17.a3 Nd5 18.Qxc2 Nxc3 19.bxc3!?
Stockfish17.1 reckons this is marginally better than recapturing with the queen, perhaps because the resulting pawn-structure makes it harder for Black to convert the queenside majority into a passed pawn. However, White now has two isolated pawns, which is likely why Dragon1 prefers 19.Qxc3.
19...Rfd8 20.a4!? Bc6 21.axb5 axb5
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| White's last two moves were the top choice of Stockfish17.1, which casts doubt on my explanation for the engine liking 19.bxc3!? as Black now has a conventional two-v-one majority |
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22.Rb1
22.Rb1
The engines prefer 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.c4!?, even though 23...b4 gives Black a protected passer.
22...Rab8 23.Bb2 c4!?
Now the b pawn is backward, but White's dark-square bishop will continue to find it hard to usefully get into the game.
24.Ra1 Bc5 25.Bc1 Qb6 26.Kh1
White can save the pawn, at least in the short term, with 26.Kf2!?, but that looks very risky.
The engines come to suggest 26.Bf3!? Rd3 27.Kh1, but 27...Bxf3 28.Rxf3 Rbd8 leaves Black well on top.
26...Bxe3 27.f5!?
This may be White's best chance, as otherwise there is no compensation for being a pawn down.
27...Bxc1 28.Raxc1 Qb7
This threatens both 29...Bxg2+, and 29...Be4 followed by 30...Bxf5.
29.Bf3 Rd3 30.fxe6 fxe6 31.Bxc6 Qxc6 32.Qf2 Qd7 33.Ra1 Rd2 34.Qf3
If 34.Qc5?!, then 34...Qd5 more-or-less forces queens off, leaving Black with a relatively easy double rook-and-pawn ending.
34...h6
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| How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame? |
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Black is not just a pawn up - the black pieces are well-placed for supporting the black majority and for eyeing targets at g2, c3 and e5. White's pieces control two open files, but the engines reckon Black's advantage is roughly equivalent to being up a minor piece.
35.Rad1!? Rd3 36.Rxd3!?
This is the engines' top choice, but after ...
36...cxd3 37.Rd1 d2
... the remaining white rook is virtually tied to the d1 square, making it difficult for White to create counterplay.
38.Qe2 Rd8 39.h3 Qd5 40.Kh2
No better is 40.Kg1 Qc5+ 41.Kh1 Qxc3 42.Qxb5 Qe3.
40...Qd3 41.Qg4 Qc4 42.Qxc4 bxc4 43.Kg1 Rd5 44.Kf2 Kf7 45.Kf3
45.Ke2 Rxe5+ 46.Kxd2 Rd5+ 47.Kc2 Rxd1 48.Kxd1 gives White a lost pawn ending.
45...Kg6 46.Ke4 Kg5 47.Kf3 Kf5 0-1
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