1.Nc3
1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 d6!?
The main move is 2...Nc6, but the text has also been played by grandmasters, and scores three percentage points better in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 d5?!
It is doubtful if Black can afford a non-developing move at this point. Normal is 4...Nf6.
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| How should White proceed? |
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5.Bf4
Stronger, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, is 5.e4.
5...c6?!
The c7 square looked vulnerable, but this is another non-developing move. Black should probably play 5...Nf6, relying on ...Na6 to protect c7 if the need arises.
6.e4
The only game to reach the position in Mega25 saw the much less convincing 6.e3?!, after which 6...Nf6 gave Black a reasonable game.
6...Bb4!?
This is Stockfish17.1's top choice; Dragon1 prefers 6...dxe4.
7.exd5 Qxd5
7.exd5 Qxd5
The engines suggest offering a pawn with 7...Ne7!?, albeit agreeing White the upper hand after 8.dxc6 Nbxc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxd1+ 11.Kxd1 Nxc6.
If 7...cxd5, then 8.Ndb5!? Na6 9.Qd4 seems strong.
8.Qd2 Bxc3 9.Qxc3 Qe4+ 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Bd3!?
Offering a pawn.
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| How should Black respond |
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11...Qe7
This is best, according to the engines, which reckon 11...Qxg2?! 12.0-0-0 gives White a huge attack.
12.0-0-0 Nd5!? 13.Qd2 Nxe3 14.Rhe1!
Black is fine after either immediate capture on e3.
14...0-0 15.Rxe3 Qc7 16.Nf5?!
It was probably better to build up slowly with 16.Rg3 or 16.Rde1.
16...Bxf5 17.Bxf5 g6 18.Rh3!? Qe5!
The only move to keep the game going, according to the engines, and certainly not 18...gxf5?? 19.Qg5+ etc.
19.Bd3 Qg7
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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Black has beaten off White's mating attack, but White remains with a large lead in development - enough for a winning advantage, according to the engines.
20.Qb4!? Nd7!?
The engines fluctuate between this and 20...b5.
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| Should White grab the b pawn? |
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21.Qxb7!
The only move to keep a winning advantage, according to the engines.
21...Ne5!?
Not 21...Rfb8? as 22.Qxd7 Qxb2+ 23.Kd2 leaves Black with nowhere near enough for a bishop.
22.Qb3?!
Stronger is 22.Qb4, as will soon become clear.
22...Ng4
Even better seems to be the engines' 22...Qf6!?, after which Black wins back the sacrificed pawn as the queen threatens 23...Qg5+, followed by ...Qxg2, as well as 23...Qxf2. White's best, according to the engines, is 23.Be2!? Qxf2 24.Qe3, when White has at least a slight edge thanks to Black's isolated queenside pawns and the fact White has the better minor piece for playing on a relatively open board.
23.Rf3 Ne5?!
23...Nxh2!? looks very risky after 24.Rf4, but 23...Qh6+ 24.Kb1 Qxh2 leaves White only slightly better (Stockfish17.1) or at best with the upper hand (Dragon1).
24.Re3
Maybe even stronger is 24.Rf4.
24...Ng4 25.Re2 Rab8
The engines prefer 25...Qh6+ 26.Kb1 Qxh2, but agree White has at least the upper hand.
26.Qa3
The engines reckon 26.Qc3!? Qxc3 27.bxc3 also gives White a winning advantage.
26...Qh6+ 27.Kb1 Qf4?
White is also winning after 27...Qxh2 28.g3, according to the engines, but less clearly so.
28.Re4 Qg5 29.h4!? Qf5
If 29...Qxh4, then 30.f3.
30.Ra4
Best is 30.Re8!, which wins the black queen as White threatens 31.Qxf8#.
30...Qe6 31.Re4 Qc8!
There was no way I would have accepted a draw by repetition after 31...Qf5, and the engines agree the text is Black's best move.
32.Re2 Re8?!
APP was presumably worried about an invasion on the seventh rank, but the engines much prefer 32...Nf6, when 33.Re7 can be met by, among other moves, 33...Nd5, with counterplay, and if 33.Qxa7!?, then 33...Qg4, or possibly again 33...Nd5, making life a little uncomfortable for White.
33.Rde1
Even stronger is 33.Qxa7!?, eg 33...Ra8 34.Rxe8+ Qxe8 35.Qd4, when White is two pawns up and not under threat.
33...Rxe2 34.Rxe2 Qc7 35.g3 Qb6 36.Qb3 Qc7 37.Qc3 Qd6 38.b3 Nf6 39.Qe5 Qxe5 40.Rxe5
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| How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending? |
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White is a pawn up, has fewer pawn islands and has the better minor piece, all of which add up to what the engines reckon is a winning advantage.
40...Kf8 41.Rc5 Rb6 42.a4 Nd7 43.Ra5 Rb7 44.Be4 Rc7
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| Black had no choice but to defend the weak pawns, which helps explain why the engines reckon White is winning, rather than just having the upper hand |
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45.Ra6 Nb8
Not 45...Nc5??, forking rook and bishop, as Black replies 46.Rxc6.
46.Ra5 Nd7 47.Kb2 Ke7 48.Kb2 Kd6 49.f4!?
This is Stockfish17.1's top choice, although Dragon1 prefers 49.b4!?
49...Nf6 50.Bf3 Nd7 51.g4 f6 52.Kd3 Rb7 53.Kc4 Nb6+ 54.Kc3 Nd7 55.b4 Rc7 56.Kd4 Rb7
Perhaps Black should try 56...c5+ 57.bxc5+ Nxc5, but the engines reckon White is still winning after, for example, 58.f5 gxf5 59.gxf5.
57.b5 c5+ 58.Kd3 Rc7 59.Ra6+ Ke7 60.Rc6 Rb7 61.Re6+ Kxe6 62.Bxb7
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| The minor-piece ending is easily won for White. |
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62...Kd6 63.a5 Kc7 64.Be4 Kd6 65.Kc4 Nb8 66.Bd5 h6 67.g5 fxg5 68.fxg5 hxg5 69.hxg5 Nd7 70.Be4
Not 70.Bf7?? Ne5+.
The game finished:
70...Ke5 71.Bc6 Nb8 72.Kxc5 Kf5 73.b6 axb6+ 74.Kxb6 Kxg5 75.Kb7 Nxc6 76.Kxc6 Kf4 77.a6 g5 78.a7 g4 79.a8=Q g3 80.Kd6 1-0
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