Alejandro Garcia Oviedo (1811) - Spanton (1940)
Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5
This is much less popular than 6.cxd4, but it scores better in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database.
6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6
This has been recommended by grandmaster Victor Bologan.
Almost as popular, but not scoring so well, is 8...Bb4+.
9.Nc3 0-0 10.h3!?
The main move is 10.Be3.
The text is a minor sideline that has grown in popularity in the last two years and scores very well for White.
Note that 10.Nxe4? is bad because the d4 pawn cannot be saved after 10...dxe4.
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| Position after White's little-played but worth-investigating 10.h3!? |
I took a long look at 10...Nxd4? 11.Nxd4 Nxf2 12.Kxf2 Qh4+ but gave it up because of 13.Ke3? But Stockfish9 points out 13...Bxd4+ 14.Qxd4 Qg3+ 15.Kd2 Qg2+ with a very murky position.
However, the engine improves in a big way by giving back one of the knights with 13.Kf3!, when 13...Qxd4 allows White to exchange queens, while 13...Bxd4?? loses to 14.g3.
11.0-0 Nxc3?
I rejected the obvious 11...fxe5 because of 12.Nxe4? (White should play 12.Bxc6, with equal chances) dxe4 13.Ng5, but 13...Qe7 is simple and good.
12.bxc3 fxe5 13.Bxc6! bxc6 14.Nxe5
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| Black has the bishop-pair but has to act urgently to prevent being much worse |
But White has kingside attacking chances thanks to his kingside pawn-majority and the magnificent knight at e5. Meanwhile, Black's dark-square bishop is in danger of being completely shut out of the action.
14...Qf6?
Playing for an attack on f2 that White is easily able to nip in the bud.
I rejected the superior 14...c5 because of 15.Ba3, missing that 15...Re8 indirectly saves the c5 pawn by targeting the knight. Even so, White is still significantly better.
15.Ba3 Re8 16.f4
White duly got his kingside attack and won rather easily in 30 moves.
