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1.c4 d6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 f5 4.Bg2 c6!?
This is second-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but a very long way behind 4...Nf6.
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| How should White respond? |
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5.d4
This and 5.d3 are almost equally popular, but the text scores 15 percentage points better.
5...Nd7
Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest 5...Nf6!? or 5...Be7, eg 5...Nf6!? 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Nf3 Nbd7, with equality (Stockfish18) or a small edge for White (Dragon1). But they dislike 5...e4, reckoning 6.f3 d5 7.Nh3!? gives White the upper hand, eg 7...Be7 8.0-0 Nf6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Bg5 Nc6 11.e3 0-0 12.Nf4, with tremendous pressure against Black's extended centre.
6.e4!? exd4
The engines prefer 6...fxe4.
7.Qxd4 Qb6!?
This apparent-novelty is quite liked by Stockfish18. The known move is 7...Ne5.
8.Nf3 Qxd4 9.Nxd4 Ne5 10.exf5 Nxc4?
Perhaps the engines' 10...Ne7 is best, albeit they give White the upper hand.
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| How should White proceed? |
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11.0-0
Even stronger is 11.Nxc6! I rejected it because of the reply 11...Bxf5, but the engines continue 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Re1+, when material is level, but they reckon White's advantage is about the equivalent of being a piece up.
11...Nf6?
11...Nf6?
Possibly best is 11...Kf7!?, as the text allows 12.Nxc6! Bxf5 13.Re1+ with a large advantage.
12.Re1+? Kf7!?
Not 12...Be7? 13.Nxc6!
13.Ne6?!
This loses much of White's remaining advantage, according to the engines, whereas they reckon 13.b3!? Ne5 14.Ba3! is very strong, eg 14...Be7 15.f4 Ned7 16.g4!? Nxg4 17.Rxe7!? Kxe7 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Ncb5! cxb5?! 20.Bd5+ Rf6 21.Re6+ Kf7 22.Bxd6 leads to unstoppable mate. That is a very sharp line, and Black probably does better to play 13...Nb6, when 14.a4 d5 15.a5 Nbd7 16.a6!? gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines, but the game goes on.
13...Be7?
After 13...d5 White has only a slight edge, according to the engines.
14.Nxg7! Ne5 15.Ne6 Nd3!?
Winning the bishop-pair is apparently Black's best chance, although the engines reckon White nevertheless has a winning advantage.
16.Re3 Nxc1 17.Rxc1 Bxe6
The engines suggest 17...d5.
18.fxe6+ Kg7
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| Black is 'only' a pawn down, and even has hopes of getting down to opposite-colour bishops, but the engines reckon White's advantage is worth about 2.5 pawns |
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19.Ne2!?
This is best, according to the engines.
19...Rhf8 20.Bh3 c5!? 21.Nf4 Rfd8 22.Bg2!
Now the d pawn will be blockaded, as 22...d5 runs into 23.Re5 d4 24.Nd3.
22...Rab8 23.Rd3 b6 24.Bd5 Rdc8 25.b3 a6 26.a4 Kf8!? 27.Ng2!?
The knight is headed for e3 and either f5 or c4.
27...Rc7 28.Ne3 Ra7 29.Nf5 b5 30.axb5 axb5 31.Bf3!? Rb6 32.Rcd1 Raa6 33.Bd5!? Ra5 34.Rf3!?
With the black queenside pawns blockaded or restrained, it is time to switch to the kingside.
34...Rba6 35.Kg2 Rb6!?
Black does not really have a useful move.
36.g4!? Ke8 37.g5 Nxd5 38.Rxd5 Ra7 39.h4 c4!?
This is Black's best, according to the engines, but that only shows how bad Black's position is.
40.bxc4 bxc4 41.Rc3 Rc6 42.Ne3 Ra4 43.f4 Bd8 44.Rd4 Bb6 45.Rdxc4 Raxc4 46.Rxc4 Rxc4 47.Nxc4 Bc7 48.Kf3 d5 49.Ne3 d4 50.Nd5 1-0
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