English/Réti
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 d4!?
Much more popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 3...Nf6, followed by 3...c6, 3...dxc4, 3...c5, and then the text.
4.Nf3 c5 5.d3 Nf6
Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like the rarely played 5...Ne7!?, intending to meet both 6.e3 and 6.0-0 with 6...Nec6!?, eg 6.e3 Nec6!? 7.exd4 cxd4 8.0-0 Be7 9.Na3 0-0, when they reckon the game is completely equal.
6.0-0 Nc6 7.a3!?
This may be a little slow, but it has been played by grandmasters. The engines suggest 7.e3 or 7.Na3.
7...e5!?
The engines prefer 7...a5.
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| The position after 7...e5!? occurs 125 times in Mega26, but usually with Black to move |
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Black has a slight edge when the position is reached with Black to move, according to the engines, but with White to move, they reckon White has a slight edge.
8.Re1
This seems to be a novelty. The engines like 8.b4!?, when Daniel Barría Zuñiga (2341) - Miran Oganian (2437), Chess.com Blitz 2022, went 8...cxb4?! 9.axb4 Bxb4 10.Nxe5! Nxe5?! 11.Qa4+ Nc6 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Qxb4, after which material is equal, but White is winning, according to the engines (but 0-1, 22 moves). Instead of 8...cxb4?!, Black should probably play 8...Bd6, albeit with what the engines reckon is a slight edge for White.
8...Bd6 9.e3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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For quite some time Dragon1 reckons Black's extra space confers a slight edge, but it eventually comes to agree with Stockfish18 that chances are equal.
10.h3
The engines do not like this, advocating exchanging on d4, or getting on with development with 10.Nbd2.
10...a5
Belated, but good, although the engines also like 10...h6 (despite not liking 10.h3).
11.exd4
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| How should Black recapture? |
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11...cxd4
Best, according to the engines, is 11...exd4.
12.Nbd2 Bf5!? 13.Qe2
Probably not 13.Ne4?!, as the engines reckon 13...Nxe4 14.dxe4 Be6 gives Black a positionally won game.
13...Re8 14.Nh4 Be6 15.Ne4 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Qd7 17.Kh2
The engines suggest 17.g4 or 17.Bd2!?, eg 17.Bd2!? Bxh3 18.Bxh3 Qxh3 19.b4!? axb4 20.axb4 Rxa1 21.Rxa1 Bxb4 22.Bxb4 Nxb4 23.Qxb7, reckoning White has full compensation for a pawn.
17...a4!?
Correctly assessing Black has time for this as White is not in position to take advantage of the tempo spent to cause mischief on the kingside.
18.Bd2 f5!? 19.Qe2 Qf7 20.Nf3?!
The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 20.Kg1!?, 20.Qd1 or 20.Rac1.
20...h6
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| The engines reckon Black has a positionally won game |
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21.Ng1
The engines more-or-less come to agree 21.Rac1 is best, but also that 21...Rad8 leaves Black on top.
21...e4!
This is the very move 21.Ng1 was presumably meant to prevent.
22.Rac1
The engines reckon this is better than 22.exd4 Bxc4 23.Qf3, when, according to them, three moves with the king's rook, 23...Re5!?, 23...Re6 and 23...Rf8, are among continuations leaving Black with a winning advantage. But possibly better than the text is 22.c5!? Bxc5 23.Rac1 Ba7 24.dxe4 fxe4 25.Qxe4, even though 25...Bxh3 is clearly good for Black, and the engines reckon 25...d3!? is even better.
22...exd3
Even stronger appear to be the engines' 22...Ne5 and 22...Rad8.
23.Qxd3 Ne5?!
Best may be 23...f4 24.Rxe6!? fxg3+ 25.fxg3 Rxe6 26.Bd5 Rf8 27.Re1 Nd8, with a tricky position, but one that at least slightly favours Black, according to the engines.
24.Qxd4 Rad8
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| How should White proceed? |
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25.Bd5
Not 25.Rxe5?? Bxe5 26.Qxe5 Rxd2, but possibly best is 25.Bf4!? Bb4 26.Qc3 Nd3 27.Rxe6! (an only-move, according to the engines) Qxe6 28.Bxb8 Nxc1 29.Qxc1 Qb6, when Black has two rooks for two bishops, a knight and a pawn. That is an unusual imbalance, but after best play, which the engines reckon runs something like 30.c5! (preventing both 30...Qxf2 and 30...Rxb8) Rc8 31.Qf4 Qxc5 32.Bd6 Qb5, the game, according to them, is completely equal.
25...Nc6 26.Bxe6?
White remains a pawn up after the engines' 26.Rxe6! Nxd4 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.Rd1.
26...Rxe6 27.Qd5
Best may be 27.Qd3!?, but 27...Be5 (27...Bxg3+!? 28.Qxg3 Rxd2 is also good for Black) 28.Qc2 Nd4 leaves Black with an advantage worth more than a minor piece, despite being a pawn down, according to the engines.
27...Bxg3+ 0-1
Premature resignation? After 27.fxg3 Rxd5 28.cxd5 Rxe1 29.Rxe1 Qxd5 Black has queen and pawn for rook and bishop, enjoying an advantage equivalent to being almost a rook ahead, according to the engines.
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