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Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6!?
Stockfish19 and Dragon1 prefer this over the slightly more popular, at least in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, 5...a6. The engines also like 5...g6!?
6.g3!?
The main move is 6.Ne5!?
6...Bg4 7.Bg2 e6 8.Bf4
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| Where should Black's queen go? |
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8...Qd8
This is the engines' top choice, but 8...Qb4!? is also playable, although the engines reckon White gets more than enough compensation if Black grabs the b pawn, eg 9.0-0!? Qxb2 10.Qb1!? Ba3!? (10...Qxb1?! 11.Rfxb1 b6 12.Ne5) 11.Ne5 0-0 12.Qe1!? Bb4 13.Rb1 Qxc3 14.Rxb4 Qxe1 15.Rxe1, when, for a pawn, White has a lead in development and the bishop-pair. The engines reckon Black, instead of grabbing the pawn, should instead carry on developing with 9...Nbd7 or 9...Be7.
9.h3 Bxf3!?
This is Stockfish19's top choice; Dragon1 rates the text and 9...Bh5 as of similar value.
10.Qxf3!?
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| How should Black proceed? |
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10...Be7
This seems to be a novelty. Eduardas Rozentalis (2588) - Vladislav Nevednichy (2570), Greek Team Championship 2009, went 10...Qxd4 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Nb5!? cxb5 (forced) 13.Qxb7 Rd8 14.Bc7 Be7 15.Rad1!?, at which point a draw was agreed. The engines reckon best-play runs 15...Qxb2 16.Bxd8 Bxd8 17.Bc6 0-0 18.Bxd7 Bb6, with equal chances.11.0-0-0 Nbd7 12.g4!? Qa5 13.Kb1 Nb6
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| How should White proceed? |
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14.Bf1
The engines reckon 14.Bc1!? gives White a positionally won game.
14...Nbd5 15.Bd2 Nxc3+ 16.Bxc3 Bb4
14...Nbd5 15.Bd2 Nxc3+ 16.Bxc3 Bb4
The engines prefer 16...Qd5.
17.Bxb4 Qxb4
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| White no longer has the bishop-pair, but Black has fallen behind in development |
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18.c4!? Qe7 19.g5 Nd7 20.d5 exd5
Not 20...Ne5? 21.Qe3.
21.cxd5 0-0!
The engines strongly approve of what is effectively a pawn sacrifice.
22.dxc6 bxc6
If 22...Ne5 23.Qe4 bxc6, holding on to the pawn, White has 24.Bd3 Ng6 25.h4, with the upper hand, according to the engines.
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| Should White grab the c pawn? |
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23.Bg2
If 23.Qxc6, then 23...Nc5 gives decent compensation, according to the engines, although they are not sure if it is enough.
23...Nb6 24.h4 Nd5 25.Qf5 Rab8!? 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Rxd5
The engines prefer 27.Qxd5.
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| How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame? |
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White is a pawn up, but the relative exposure of the white king, and the vulnerability of White's kingside pawns, give full compensation, according to the engines.
27...Qb4 28.b3!? g6 29.Qd3 a5 30.Ra4 Qa3 31.Qc3 Rfc8 32.Qb2 Qc5 33.Rhd1
There are constant tricks for White to avoid, eg here 33.Rc4?? loses to 33...Qf5+! (33...Qxc4 is also strong) 34.Rc2 a4, eg 35.Re1 axb3 36.axb3 Rxc2! 37.Qxc2 Rxb3+.
33...Qf5+ 34.Ka1 Qf3?
This is Dragon19's top choice, for a short while, but it comes to agree with Stockfish19 that Black needs to play 34...a4!, meeting 35.Rxa4 with 35...Rc2.
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| White to play and gain what the engines reckon is a winning advantage |
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35.Qd2
The engines point out the strength of 35.a4!, giving the white king breathing room, and stopping Black attacking White's queenside pawns with ...a4. One point is that Black cannot capture on b3 as White wins with 36.Rd8+, thanks to the weakness of Black's back rank.
35...a4?
Too late. Better is 35...Ra8, but White has the upper hand after 36.Rf4 or 36.Qe3, according to the engines.
36.Rxa4 Re8 37.Rf4 Qc6 38.Rf6 Qe4 39.Qd5!? Qe7
Dragon1 suggests going into a rook-and-pawn ending with 39...Qxd5, but Stockfish19 is unimpressed.
40.Rd6 Qe2 41.Rf6 Rf8!? 42.Qd3 Qe5+ 43.Qd4 Qe2 44.Rd6?
White is winning comfortably after, for example, 44.Qd2 Qe5+ 45.Kb1 Qe4+ 46.Kb2 Qxh4, when Black has won a pawn back, but White's queenside passers should eventually decide matters.
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| Black to play and equalise |
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44...Rxb3! 45.Rd8
Or 45.axb3 Ra8+ 46.Qa4 (not 46.Kb1? Qa2+ 47.Kc1 Rc8+ 48.Qc4 Rxc4+ 49.bxc4 Qxc4+ and 50...Qxh4) Rxa4+ 47.bxa4, when the engines reckon the position is completely equal.
45...Rb8 46.Rxf8+ Rxf8
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| White is a pawn up, but seemingly can make nothing of it while queens remain on the board |
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47.a4!?
A double-edged try.
47...Qc2 48.Rb1 Ra8 49.Rb4
An only-move, which shows how precarious White's position is.
49...Re8 50.Qb2 Qd1+ 51.Qb1 Qd2 52.Qb2 Qd1+ 53.Ka2!? Qd5+
Not 53...Re2?? 54.Rb8+
54.Ka3 Qd3+ 55.Rb3 Qd6+ 56.Ka2 Qd5 57.Qc3 Ra8 58.Ka3 Qd7 59.Rb4 Rc8 60.Qb3 Qd2 61.Rb8 Qd6+ 62.Rb4 ½–½
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