Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!?
 |
| 6.Be3!? is a favourite of Ian Nepomniachtchi and Wesley So |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
6...Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Ne2 Re8 9.Qd2!?
Castling is normal.
9...Qc7!?
Ensuring White can only castle short after moving a kingside pawn.
10.c4!?
Playing this without first spending a tempo on c3 is one of the points of 6.Be3!? However the engines suggest 10.h3 or 10.0-0-0!?
10...c5!
The problem with continuing development with, say, 10...Nd7, is White can reply 11.c5!, knocking Black's dark-square bishop off its best diagonal, which is worth it, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, despite giving up the d5 square.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.dxc5!?
One point of this is White will be able to castle short without spending a tempo on moving a kingside pawn. 11.d5 is an obvious alternative, and the engines also suggest 11.h3 and 11.0-0-0!?, in all four cases with what they reckon is an equal position.
11...Bxc5 12.Bxc5 Qxc5 13.0-0 Nc6 14.b3!
The engines agree this apparent-novelty improves on the known 14.Rad1, when Borislav Praštalo (2222) - Nermin Haznadar (2044), Bosnia-Herzegovina Team Championship 2024, went 14...Bg4 15.Rde1!? Red8!?, with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines (but 1-0, 46 moves).
14...Bg4 15.h3?!
This spends a tempo encouraging Black to make a move he probably wanted to play anyway. Possibly best is 15.Nf4!?
15...Bxe2 16.Bxe2 Rad8 17.Qb2
Not 17.Qc2?? Nd4.
17...Nd4 18.Rfe1??
The engines suggest 18.Bd1!?, but Black has the initiative.
 |
| After 18.Rfe1?? it is Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
18...Qe5!
Other moves, eg 18...Qa5, are also good, but the text leaves White busted.
19.Kf1
Or 19.Bf1 Nf3+ and 20...Qxb2.
19...Qh2 20.f3 Nf5!?
Simpler is 20...Nxe2 21.Rxe2 Rxe2, after which White loses at least a rook. However, the text also wins quickly.
21.Kf2
Objectively best, or, rather, least-worst, is 21.Bd3 Ne3+ 22.Rxe3 Rxe3 23.Be4 f5 24.Qf2!? Qh1+ 25.Qg1 Qxg1+ 26.Kxg1 fxe4, but clearly this is also hopeless.
21...Qg3+ 22.Kg1 Nh4 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment