Bird
1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4!?
A rare continuation. The main move is 3.e3.
 |
| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
3...cxd4
Also popular is 3...e6, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer the text.
4.Nxd4
Stockfish17.1 suggests the apparently unplayed gambit 4.c3!?
4...Nc6 5.Nc3 e5!?
Probably a novelty. The known move is 5...Nf6.
6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.fxe5 d4!?
Major alternatives are 7...Bc5 and 7...Bb4.
8.Ne4 Qd5
Perhaps 8...Qa5+ is better, when the engines fluctuate between 9.Qd2!? and 9.c3!?
9.Nd6+ Bxd6 10.cxd6 Nf6!? 11.e3 Bg4?
The engines suggest 11...0-0 12.Qxd4 Qxd4 13.exd4 Re8+, albeit agreeing Black does not have enough for two pawns.
12.Qxd4 Qxd4 13.exd4 0-0 14.Bd3 Rfe8+
 |
| How would you assess this queenless middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black has a large lead in development, and one of White's extra pawns is doubled and almost certain to fall. However, White will have little difficulty getting his pieces into play, thus catching up on development, and should emerge a sound pawn up, and with a 4-2 farside pawn-majority. The engines reckon White is winning.
15.Kf2
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 15.Kf1!?
15...Ne4+ 16.Bxe4 Rxe4 17.Be3
The engines cannot agree on the best continuation, but one interesting line given by Stockfish17.1 runs 17.c4!? Rxd4 18.c5.
17...Rd8 18.Rhe1 Rxd6 19.c3 f5?!
White is at best only slightly better after 19...Rf6+ 20.Kg1 Rfe6, according to the engines.
20.Rde6 21.Rxe4 fxe4!?
The engines prefer 21...Rxe4, but agree 22.Re1!? wins, despite Black being able to swop off into an opposite-coloured bishops ending.
22.Re1 Kf7 23.b4
The engines prefer 23.c4.
23...Ke7
The engines reckon 23...Rf6+!? gives good drawing chances, eg 24.Ke3 Be6!? 25.a4 a6!? 26.Kxe4 Bc4!?, although White's two extra pawns are always going to be threatening.
24.a4 a6 25.c4 Kd7
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26.b5?!
This may be premature. The engines suggest a consolidating move such as 26.Ke3 or 26.Rb1.
26...axb5 27.axb5 cxb5 28.cxb5 Bf5 29.Ke3
Not 29.Rb1?? e3+ etc.
29...Rb6 30.Rb1 Kd6?!
The engines give 30...Be6!?, the point being 31.Kxe4 Bc4 should be fine for Black. Instead, the engines suggest 31.Ba5 Rb7 32.b6, claiming at least the upper hand for White.
31.Bb4+ Kd5 32.Bc5 Rb7 33.Rb4
Even stronger is 33.b6 or 33.Rf1, according to the engines.
33...g5?!
Best seems to be 33...Bd7 34.b6 Bc6, when the engines agree White has a large advantage - winning, according to Dragon1 - but the position may well be drawn (Dragon1's top two moves, 35.Rb1 and 35.Rb3, have for a long time an identical evaluation of +1.52, changing later to +1.46, often a sign that a position, although claimed to be winning, is really drawn ... with correct play).
34.b6 Bc8 35.Ra4 Rf7 36.Ra7?!
Best may be 36.Ra8 Bb7 37.Rg8, when Black is losing another pawn.
36...Bb7 37.Ra2 Ke6 38.Ra7 h5 39.Ra2 g4 40.Rf2!?
The win has gone, anyway, and this confirms that, but it may be my opponent wanted to exchange rooks out of worry I might be able to conjure up winning chances for Black on the kingside.
40...Rxf2 41.Kxf2 e3+ 42.Kxe3 Bxg2 43.Kf2 Bc6 44.Kg3 Kf5 45.Kh4 Bf3!? 46.Bd6
Not 46.Kxh4?? g3+ etc.
46...Ke6 47.Be5
MLM offered a draw in my time.
47...Kd7
Not 47...Kd5?? 48.b7 etc.
48.Kg3 Kc6 49.Bc7 Kb7 ½–½
No comments:
Post a Comment