QGD
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3!? b6!? 5.b3 Bb7 6.Bd3 Bd6!?
Varying from 6...Nbd7, which I played in our game last month at Mariánské Lázně,
7.0-0 0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
With a near-symmetrical pawn-structure, and pieces posted similarly, it is perhaps not surprising Stockfish17.1 and Dargon1 reckon the game is equal.
8.cxd5!?
Much more popular is 8.Bb2, but the engines prefer the text.
8...Nxd5!?
All 79 games to reach the position in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database feature 8...exd5, but the engines agree the text is just as good.
9.Nbd2 Nb4!? 10.Be2 c5 11.Nc4 cxd4!?
Trading the bishop-pair for easy development.
12.Nxd6 Qxd6
 |
| How should White capture on d4? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13.Qxd4!
This is best, according to the engines, just ahead of 13.Nxd4, but they reckon 13.exd4?! favours Black.
13...Qxd6 14.Nxd6 Rd8 15.a3 Nd5 16.Bb2 Nc6 17.Nxc6 Bxc6 18.Rac1 Bb7
Not 18...Rac8?? 19.Ba6.
19.Rfd1 Rac8
 |
| How would you assess this queenless middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Having the bishop-pair on an open board gives White a slight edge, according to the engines.
20.Bf3 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Rc8 22.Rc4 b5 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8
 |
| And what about this minor-piece ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Bishops are the only long-range pieces left on the board, and having two-versus-one gives at least a slight edge, and probably the upper hand, according to the engines.
24.e4 Nf6
The engines prefer 24...Ne7.
25.Be2 a6
Stockfish17.1 for quite a long time favours 25...Nxe4!?, even though, after 26.Bxb5, the players' have rival majorities, a factor that usually suits bishops much more than knights.
26.f3
And here Stockfish17.1, but not Dragon1, prefers 26.Bxf6!?
26...Kf8 27.Kf2
Stockfish17.1 still likes capturing on f6.
27...Ke7
The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 27...Nd7 or 27...Bb7.
28.g4 g6 29.Ke3 Nd7 30.Bc3 e5 31.a4 bxa4 32.Bb4+ Ke8 33.bxa4 Nb6?!
The engines reckon this leaves White with a winning advantage. They suggest 33...f6, 33...g5 or 33...Nb8.
34.a5 Nd7 35.Bd6 f6 36.Bc4 Nf8!?
This is the engines' top choice, but White has a strong reply.
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
37.g5! fxg5
Black's reply is forced, but now White gets a protected passed pawn.
38.Bxe5 Ne6 39.Kd2 Kd7 40.Kc3 Kc6 41.Kb4 Kd7
Not 41...Nc5?? as that loses the knight to 42.Bd5+
42.Bb3 Bb7 43.Bd5 Bc8
The engines prefer 43...Bc6!?, but agree 44.Bc4 gives White the upper hand, whereas 44.Bxc6+? Kxc6 is fine for Black.
44.Kc4 Ke7 45.Bc6 Nd8 46.Bd5 Ne6 47.Ba8!? Bc7 48.Kd5 Bb5 49.Bd6+ Kd7 50.e5?
The engines reckon White should play 50.Bg3.
 |
| Black to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
50...Nd8?
It seems White cannot make progress after a move of the h pawn (one or two squares) or after 50...Ba4. The text is a mistake because now the white king cannot be prevented from advancing.
51.Kc5 Nf7 52.Be4 Nd8 53.Bd5 Ne6+ 54.Kb6 Nd8 55.Bb8 Be2 56.Bd6 Bb5 57.Bg8 h5 58.Bd5 g4!? 59.fxg4 hxg4 60.Be4 Ke6 61.Kc5 g5 62.Bc7 Nf7 63.Bd5+ Ke7 64.e6 Nh6 65.Bd6+ Ke8 66.Be4 Ng8 67.Bc6+
 |
| The bishop-pair has done its job - the rest is easy for White |
*****
*****
*****
*****
67...Bxc6 68.Kxc6 Nf6 69.Kb6 Ne4 70.Bb4 Kd8 71.Kxa6 Kc7 72.Kb5 Nf6 73.a6 Ne8 74.Ba5+ Kb8 75.Bb6 Nf6 76.Kc6 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment