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| For pondering |
Sicilian O'Kelly/Maróczy Bind
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6
Stockfish19 and Dragon1 prefer the main move, 6...e5, one of the points of the O'Kelly Variation being White cannot reply with Nb5.
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| How should White proceed? |
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7.Be3
The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 7.Nxc6!? dxc6!? (7...bxc6 8.e5) 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, and now the engines recommend 9.Bf4!?, claiming the upper hand for White.
7...Bb4 8.Nxc6!?
More common are 8.Bd3 and 8.f3, but Stockfish19 reckons 8...Ne5 and 8...d5, respectively, equalise, although Dragon1 is less sure about 8...Ne5.
8...bxc6
The engines agree this is better than allowing 8...dxc6 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.e5, followed by queenside castling, and they definitely dislike 8...Bxc3+?!
9.e5 Ne4 10.Qd4 Nxc3?!
Black is only slightly worse after 10...f5!?, according to the engines.
11.bxc3 Be7
FNL offered a draw in my time.
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| How would you assess the position? |
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White's extra space and freer development more than compensate for having isolated and doubled pawns, according to the engines.
12.Qg4?!
Apparently a novelty, and almost certainly not a good one. The known move 12.Bd3 is better, according to the engines, and they reckon even stronger is another apparent-novelty in 12.c5!?
12...Kf8?
The engines prefer, as a kingside defensive move, 12...g6?!, but both it and the text seem to be eclipsed by 12...Qa5!?, eg 13.Qxg7 Qxc3+ 14.Ke2 Rf8 15.Rc1 Qb2+, when the engines reckon Black is slightly better.
13.c5!
Forming a sort of advanced Maróczy Bind, with pawns on e5 and c5 instead of the normal e4 and c4.
13...Qa5 14.Qd4 Rb8 15.Bd3 Rb2 16.0-0!? Rxa2
The engines at first agree this is best, but Stockfish19 comes to prefer 16...f5.
17.Rxa2 Qxa2 18.Qb4!?
Dragon1 prefers 18.Rb1, but Stockfish19 reckons the text is much stronger.
18...f5 19.Bc4
Even stronger is Stockfish19's 19.c4! (Dragon1 agrees, once shown the move), eg 19...a5 20.Qc3 a4 21.Bc2 Bd8!? 22.Bd4 (22.Ra1 Ba5!) Ba6 23.Bd3 Bg5!? 24.f4 Be7 25.Ra1 Qb3 26.Qxb3 axb3 27.Rxa6.
19...Qc2
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| White to play and win |
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20.Bxa6??
This turns a winning position, according to the engines, into a lost one. Somewhat better is 20.Qb8, but 20...Kf7 is OK for Black as 21.Bxa6?? loses to 21...Bxa6 22.Qxh8 Bxf1. Almost certainly best is 20.f3, threatening to win the black queen with 21.Rc1, when the engines reckon both 20...f4?! 21.Bxf4 Qf5 22.Bg3 and 20...a5!? 21.Qa3 give White a winning position.
20...Bxa6 21.Rc1 Qe4 22.Qb8+ Kf7 23.Qxh8
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| White has won the exchange, but is losing the game |
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23...f4 24.Bd4 f3 25.gxf3?
'Best', according to the engines, is 25.h3 Qg6 26.g3 Qh6 27.Kh2, but after 27...Qxc1 28.Qxh7 Qf1!? 29.Qh5+ Kh8 30.Qxf3 Bc4 31.Qg2 Qd3, Black has a bishop for two pawns, and continuing threats (the engines reckon Black's advantage is worth more than +8.00).
25...Qg6+ 26.Kh1 Be2 0-1
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