Lessons From Cap Negret VII

MY round-seven game, where I had black against Luxembourg-based Geoffrey Stern (1970), reached the following position after White captured on e4.

White has a slight lead in development, and pressure against Black's queenside, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal

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I went for the 'safety-first' 11...Qxd1?!, which, as I pointed out in my blog notes, has been played by a 2400+ player (he later became a grandmaster), but is probably a mistake.

The point is that after 12.Rfxd1, White's lead in development has grown, and he still has pressure against the Black queenside. The resulting position is deeply unpleasant for Black, who has lost all seven games in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database that saw ...Qxd1.

Black should probably prefer 11...Qf6, simultaneously attacking f4 and b2, or 11...f6!?, preparing ...e5.

I rejected 11...Qf6 for fear that 12.Bg5!? is dangerous, forcing, as it does, 12...Qxb2. White certainly gets decent compensation for a pawn, which is why 11...f6!? might be a better practical choice for the nervous defender.

LESSON: exchanges that increase an opponent's lead in development are rarely really a 'safety-first' option.