Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round One

THIS game ended a streak in which I had seven consecutive blacks.

Spanton (1911) - Detlef Sombetzki (1577)

Pirc/Philidor

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exf4!?

The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 5...exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.Be3 d5!? 8.exd5 Bc5!? 9.Qd3 Qe7!? 10.Nd4 Nb6 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.0-0-0, when Black does not have enough for a pawn, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6.Bxf4 Nb6

The engines suggest 6...Be7, although Stockfish17.1 fluctuates between the text and 6...c6 as its second choice. Dragon1 definitely prefers 6...c6 as a second choice; indeed, if given enough time, it prefers 6...c6 to 6...Be7.

7.Bd3 h6

Possibly a novelty. The known moves are 7...Bg4 and 7...Be7.

8.0-0 Be7 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.Rae1

Now White is fully mobilised, how would you assess the position?

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White's large lead in development and central space advantage give a positionally won game, according to the engines.

10...Nh5 11.Be3 c6 12.a4 a5 13.b3!?

The fact that a consolidating move like this is not only possible, but is possibly the best move in the position, according to Stockfish17.1, demonstrates Black's lack of counterplay. However, I should add that, given more time, Stockfish17.1 comes to fluctuate between the text and Dragon1's preference, 13.d5.
13...g5!?

Trying to take advantage of the white king's knight having no safe square to which it can move.

How should White respond?

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14.d5

Also strong is 14.Qf2, and there are other moves that maintain a large white advantage.

14...c5 15.e5!? 0-0

Not 15...g4? 16.exd6!

16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Ne4 Bf4 18.c4!?

Simple consolidation. Now White has a potential endgame advantage, as well as continuing middlegame chances.

18...Bxe3+ 19.Qxe3 Nf4 20.Bb1

Possibly even stronger is the double-sacrifice 20.Nfxg5!? hxg5 21.Rxf4!?

20...Re8 21.Qc3!? 1-0

Black lost on time (the time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment throughout). The engines reckon Black's best is to give up the exchange with 21...Rxe4!?, but White keeps a winning advantage.

Shrine near Dorschhausen