Lessons From Bischofsgrün II

THE following position was reached after six moves of my round-two game, in which I was White against Peter Babrikowski (2155).

Black has just played 6...d6!?

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The position is reached 1,429 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, with most games (1,240) continuing with 7.Be2 or 7.Be3, both of which score an excellent 65%

I preferred 7.Bg5, which occurs just 40 times, and scores a miserable 35%.

One of the problems with my move in such positions is that after the reply 7...Be7, White has to be constantly on the alert for tricks based on the move ...Nxe4.

Indeed, if White were to meet 7...Be7 with 8.b3, Black can already play 8...Nxe4!?, eg 9.Nxe4 Bxg5 10.Nxc6! (an only-move, according to the engines) bxc6 11.Nxg5 Qa5+! 12.b4! (12.Qd2? Qe5+) Qxg5 13.Qxd6 Bb7, with what the engines reckon is an equal position.

I was aware of the danger, and I am sure my opponent was too, but that did not stop me reaching the following position, having just played 13.f3?!

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This is a case where ...Nxe4 does not just equalise, but gives Black at least a slight edge, eg 13...Nxe4! 14.Bxe7 Nxc3!? 15.bxc3 Qxe7 16.Qxd6 Qg5 leaves Black with much the better pawn-structure, as well as the better bishop, and Black has the upper hand (Stockfish18) or is even winning (Dragon1).

White can improve with 14.Nxe4 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 Qxg5 16.Qxd6, but 16...Rfd8 leaves Black with the better bishop, and what the engines reckon is a slight plus.

LESSON: when White has a pawn on e4, and Black has a knight on f6, the move Bg5 can open White to surprise tactical shots if Black has a bishop-queen battery on e7 and d8.