 |
| Heron (or similar) |
Spanton (1997) - Dieter Pirrot (2321)
French Burn
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4!?
This lags behind 4...Be7 in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but is fashionable, and is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1.
5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Nxf6+!?
The main move in Mega26 is 6.Bxf6, after which Black chooses between 6...Bxf6, which can transpose to the game, and 6...gxf6, when Black keeps the bishop-pair, at the expense of a damaged kingside pawn-structure.
6...Bxf6
6...gxf6!? seems to make less sense now, as Black no longer gains the bishop-pair, but it has been played by grandmasters
7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Qd3!?
The engines prefer this, marginally, over the much more common 9.Bd3.
9...c5 10.0-0-0!?
This is the point behind 9.Qd3!?
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has a slight lead in development, which may be enough for an edge, although the engines' evaluations fluctuate, with Stockfish18 starting off by giving White a slight edge, whereas at the same moment Dragon1 calls the game completely equal. But slowly the two engines' evaluations converge, and briefly Dragon1 is more fond of White's position than is Stockfish18.
10...Rd8 11.Qe3?!
White has problems after this. Probably best is 11.Qe4, and if, as in the game, 11...Nc6, White has time for 12.Bd3, when Kramnik has tried 12...Nxd4!? 13.Qxh7+ Kf8, but the engines give White at least a slight edge. They prefer 12...Qh6+ 13.Kb1, and either 12...cxd4 or 12...Nxd4, winning a pawn, but with White having good compensation, eg 12...Nxd4 (Stockfish18's top choice) 13.Rhe1!? Rb8!? (apparently a novelty) 14.Nxd4 cxd4 (14...Rxd4? 15.Qe5) 15.Qe5 Bd7 16.Be4 Qf6!? 17.Qxf6 gxf6 18.Rxd4, when White has regained the pawn, and has the better structure.
11...Nc6 12.d5!?
Maksim Chigaev (2632) - Vladimir Kramnik (2753), Chess.com Blitz 2023, went 12.Bd3?! cxd4 13.Qe4 g6 14.Rhe1 Bd7, with the upper hand for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 42 moves).12...exd5
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13.Qxc5
Possibly better is 13.Rxd5!? Be6 (13...Rxd5?? 14.Qe8#) 14.Rxd8+ Rxd8, and now either 15.a3 or 15.Bd3, but in each case the engines reckon Black has at least the better part of equality.
13...Bf5!?
This apparent-novelty, targeting c3, is the top choice of Dragon1, for a while, but it comes to concur with Stockfish18 in preferring the known 13...Bg4, when 14.Be2 Rac8 gave Black an initiative in Aspasia Giaidzi (2360) - Susan Lalić (2320), Athens Scheveningen (Women) 1992 (0-1, 47 moves), and Gyula Mészáros (2419) - Kornél Szalai (2315), Hungarian Team Championship 2006 (1-0, 44 moves).
14.Nd4!
If 14.Bd3, Black has 14...Bg4!?, when White has nothing better than 15.Be2, transferring to the previous note.
14...Nxd4 15.Qxd4 Rac8 16.c3 Qh6+
The engines suggest 16...Qg5+!? 17.f4, and now 17...Qh6, claiming Black is at least slightly better, one point being 18.Bd3 (this is best, according to the engines) can be met by 18...Be4!?, when f4 is hanging, along with g2.
17.Qd2?
White has no problems after 17.Rd2, according to the engines.
 |
| Black to play and gain what the engines reckon is a positionally won game |
*****
*****
*****
*****
17...d4?
White does not have a satisfactory answer to 17...Qg6!, according to the engines, the threat being 18...d4. White can stop this with 18.Qd4, but 18...Bb1 threatens both mate and the a2 pawn. White can stop both of these with 19.Bd3, but 19...Bxd3 20.Qxd3 allows 20...Qxg2, when the half-open g file is not of much use to White, with only heavy pieces on the board. Other queen moves by Black are also better than the text.
White does not have a satisfactory answer to 17...Qg6!, according to the engines, the threat being 18...d4. White can stop this with 18.Qd4, but 18...Bb1 threatens both mate and the a2 pawn. White can stop both of these with 19.Bd3, but 19...Bxd3 20.Qxd3 allows 20...Qxg2, when the half-open g file is not of much use to White, with only heavy pieces on the board. Other queen moves by Black are also better than the text.
18.Qxh6 gxh6 19.Bd3 Be6 20.Bb1
Not 20.Kb1 dxc3 21.bxc3, as Stockfish18 points out the possibility of 21...Rxd3!! 22.Rxd3 Bf5 23.Kc2 Rd8 24.Rhd1 b5, when it is only now Dragon1 sees the danger. The point is that the black rook and bishop are holding all three white pieces in place, meaning Black has a free piece in the shape of the king. A sample line runs 25.Rd1 Kg7 26.Rd2 h5 27.Rd2 h4 28.Rd1 Kh6 29.Rd2 Kg5 30.h3 Be4 31.Rd1 Kf4 f5 32.Rd1 Ke5 33.Rd2 f4 34.f3 Bxd3+ 35.Rxd3 Rxd3 36.Kxd3 Kd5, when Black's reserve tempi make this an easily won pawn ending, eg 37.a3 a5 38.Kd2 Kc4 39.Kc2 a4 etc.
20...b5 21.Rd3 dxc3
If 21...b4, then 22.Rhd1 bxc3 23.bxc3, when both black further captures on c3 lose.
22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.bxc3
 |
| Who, if anyone, has the advantage in this rook-and-bishop ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Neither side, it seems - the engines call the game completely equal.
23...Bc4
The engines suggest 23...Rc8 or 23...Rb8!?
24.Re1
Both engines are at first are quite enthusiastic about 24.Rd1, but Stockfish18 soon changes its assessment to equal, although Dragon1 persists in awarding White a slight edge.
24...Rd6 25.Re3 Rf6 26.f3 Ra6 27.Kb2 Rd6 28.Kc1 Kg7 29.a3 Ra6 30.Kb2 Rd6 31.Kc1 Ra6 ½–½
No comments:
Post a Comment