English Symmetrical
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 Nf6 6.e4!?
Heading for a Botvinnik setup, which is regarded by some English Opening experts, for example Tony Kosten, as more effective when Black plays ...e5.
6...0-0 7.Nge2
This is what makes it a Botvinnik. The same pawn-formation was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch, but he played his king's knight to f3.
7...d6 8.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position, which occurs 8,084 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database? |
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The position remains largely symmetrical, apart from the locations of the king's knights. The game is equal, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.
8...Bd7 9.h3 Ne8!?
The start of a popular manoeuvre in the Botvinnik, in which the knight heads via c7 and e6 for the hole at d4.
10.f4 f5!?
This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, just ahead of 10...Nc7.
11.exf5 Bxf5!?
This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer the known 11..gxf5.
12.Bd5+
The engines reckon this helps Black. They prefer an immediate g4, or Be3.
12...Kh8 13.g4 Bd7 14.Ng3 e6 15.Bg2 Qc7 16.Be3 Nd4 17.Qd2 Bc6 18.Nge4?!
Probably the wrong knight. After 18.Nce4 White has a slight edge, according to the engines, and if, as in the game, 18...d5, then 19.cxd5 is strong, eg 19...exd5 20.Nxc5, or 19...Bxd5 20.Rac1 with Nxc5 and/or b4 to come.
18...d5!
With the king's knight having occupied e4, the text gives Black hopes of an edge.
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| How should White respond? |
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19.Nxc5!?
Possibly better is 19.cxd5 exd5 20.Ng3, when the engines reckon Black has the better part of equality. White might also be able to play 20.Nxc5!? - Stockfish17.1 reckons 20...Qd6 21.b4 b6 gives Black at best a slight edge, and possibly not that, although Dragon1 starts by claiming Black is winning, before eventually awarding Black a slight edge.
19...dxc4 20.dxc4?
This is definitely bad. Instead White should move the queen's knight to either e4 or e2, but with at least a slight edge for Black, according to the engines.
20...Bxg2 21.Bxd4 Bxd4+?!
Probably better is 21...Bxf1, the idea being to meet 22.Nxe6 with 22...Qxc4, when the engines' main line runs 23.Bxg7+ Nxg7 24.Nxf8 Bxh3 25.Nd7 Rd8 26.Qe3 Rxd7 27.Qxh3, after which material is level, but 27...Rd3 is very strong.
22.Qxd4+ e5! 23.fxe5 Rxf1+ 24.Rxf1 Bxf1 25.Kxf1
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| Now the fireworks have settled down, how would you assess the position? |
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Neither king is safe, and White has two pawns for the exchange, but Black is to play and there is a strong move available that gives at least the upper hand, according to the engines.
25...Ng7?!
White does not seem to have a good answer to 25...Rc8, eg 26.N3e4 b6 27.e6+ Kg8 28.Nd3 Rd8!? (this is even better than grabbing the c pawn, according to the engines) 29.Qc3 Qb7 30.Ndf2 Qc6 31.Ng5 Rc8 32.b3 h6!? 33.Nf7 Qxe6 34.Nxh6+ Kh7 35.g5 b5 36.c5 Qd5, after which both c5 and g5 hang.
26.Nd5 Qf7+
The engines prefer 26...Rf8+.
27.Kg2 Ne6?!
Again the engines prefer bringing the rook to f8.
28.Nxe6 Qxe6 29.Nf4 Qc6+!?
Dragon1 much prefers 29...Qb6, but Stockfish17.1 is fine with both moves.
30.Kg3 Qb6?!
The engines give 30...Rc8, which Stockfish17.1 reckons equalises, but Dragon1 claims leaves White winning. Best play would seem to go 31.e6+ Kg8 32.e7 Kf7 (if 32...Re8?, then 33.Nd5, threatening Nf6+, and if 33...Kf7, then 34.Qf4+ Kg7 35.g5!?, when one possible continuation is 35...Qc5 36.Kf3!? Qg1 37.Ke4 Qe1+ 38.Kd4 Rc8 39.Qe5+!? Qxe5 40.Kxe5 Kf7 41.Kd6 and wins) 33.Nd5 Qxc4!? 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.Qe6+ Kg7 36.Qe5+ Kf7 37.Nc7!? Qd3+ (37...Qxc7+? 38.e8=Q+!) 38.Kh4 Qd7 39.e8=Q+ Rxe8 40.Nxe8 Qxe8 41.Qxe8+ Kxe8 42.Kg5 Kf7, and the pawn ending is drawn, but these are complicated lines with plenty of plausible alternatives along the way.
31.c5 Rd8 32.Qc3
Not 32.cxb6?? Rxd4 33.bxa7 Ra4, when probably Black, if anyone, is better.
32...Qc6 33.e6+ Kg8 34.e7 Re8 35.Qc4+ Kg7
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| White to play and win ... or lose |
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36.Ne6+??
This turns a win into a loss. Instead, 36.Nd5 leaves Black with tremendous problems, eg 36...Qe6 37.Qc3+ Kf7 38.Nc7 Qxe7 39.Qf3+ Kg8 40.Nxe8 Qxe8 41.Qd5+, when Black is a pawn down, admittedly in a queen-and-pawn ending, but the engines reckon White's advantage is roughly equivalent to being up a rook. Also winning, according to the engines, is 36.Qd4+ Kf7 37.Nd5.
36...Kf6!?
Everything else loses trivially.
37.Ng5!
The best try, but losing.
37...Qc7+
RZ offered a draw.
Naturally not 37...Kxg5?? 38.Qf4#, while 37...Kxe7? leaves White with a 'quiet' drawing move.
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| If Black had played 37...Kxe7?, how could White draw? |
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The engines give 38.Qd4!, when White threatens to win with 39.Qg7+ and 40.Nf7+. Black can stop this easily enough with, for example, 38...Qf6, but 39.Qd5 threatens to win with 40.Qxb7+, so 39...Qc6, but then 40.Qd4 repeats, and neither side can improve, according to the engines. Note that 38.Qf7+? fails to 38...Kd8 as Black has the e6 square covered twice, preventing a successful Ne6, and 38.Nxh7? Qc7+ also loses for White, eg 39.Kf3 Qh2!?, after which White does not have a perpetual.
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| After the game's 37...Qc7+, should White accept the draw offer? |
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Yes, as subsequent play shows.
38.Kh4 Rxe7
Not 38...Qxe7?? 39.Qc3+! (39.Qd4+? loses to 39...Qe5) Qe5 40.Qf3+ (the availability of this check is the key difference between 39.Qc3+! and 29.Qd4+?) Ke7 41.Qxb7+ Kd8 42.Nf7#. Also inferior is 38...Kxe7? 39.Qf7+ Kd8 40.Ne6+ Rxe6 41.Qxe6, although Black has drawing chances in this queen-and-pawn ending after 41...Qxc5 42.Qg8+ Ke7! 43.Qxh7 Kf6.
39.Ne4+
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| Black to play and win |
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39...Rxe4??
Black has a simple win after 39...Kg7, eg 40.Nd6 (40.Qd4 Qe5) h6 (40...Re5 is also good enough), when they reckon Black's advantage is worth almost a rook.
40.Qxe4 g5+ 41.Kh5 Qf7+ 42.Kh6 Qf8+ 43.Qh5 Qf7+ ½–½
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