4NCL Easter Round Three

AFTER taking a halfpoint bye in round two, I faced a junior (born 2016).

Spanton (1944 ECF/1908 Fide) - Tara Tamilselvan (1879 ECF/1820 Fide)

King's Indian Defence

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Qc2!?

White can get away with moves like this early in the opening, but it can hardly be the best continuation.

3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.d4 e5 7.d5

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer 7.dxe5, albeit giving Black at least equality after the reply 7...dxe5.

How should Black proceed?

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7...Nd4!

A typical idea in the King's Indian, and here almost a necessity, according to the engines, as they reckon White is doing well after 7...Ne7.

8.Nxd4!?

Dragon1 is quite happy with this, but Stockfish17.1 prefers playing around the knight.

8...exd4 9.Ne2 0-0 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 c5 12.dxc6?

The engines suggest 12.f3 or 12.Bxf6!?, but reckon Black has at least the upper hand.

12...Qa5+!

This zwischenzug gives White a major headache.

13.Kd1

Also deeply unpleasant is 13.Qd2 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Nxe4.

13...bxc6 14.f3 Qb6 15.Qd2 c5

The engines prefer 15...Rb8, and if 16.Bf2!?, then 16...c5.

16.Rb1 Ba6

Stockfish17.1 likes 16...d5!?, the idea being to meet 17.exd5 with 17...Bf5 18.Rc1 Rae8. giving pressure, and 17.cxd5 with 17...Ba6, again enjoying a strong initiative for a pawn.

17.Nc1

The engines much prefer 17.Bxf6!? Bxf6 18.Nf4, but certainly not 17.b3? g5!? 18.Bg3 Bxc4!

17...Nd7 18.Bd3 Ne5 19.b3 Rfe8 20.Bg3 Nxd3!?

An odd decision, at first sight, giving up a well-placed knight for a hemmed-in bishop, but the engines agree it is clearly the best move.

21.Qxd3 Rad8

Almost certainly even stronger is the positional pawn sacrifice 21...d5!? 22.exd5 Re3.

22.Re1 d5 23.exd5 Rxe1+ 24.Kxe1 Rd8 25.Qc2

Probably not 25.Qe4?! Rd8.

25...Rd8 26.Nd3 Qa5+ 27.Kf1 Kh7?!

The engines reckon this gives away almost all of Black's advantage, whereas 27...Bc8 maintains the upper hand.

28.Re1

But they agree the best response is 28.Bh4, and if 28...Re8, then 29.Re1 with what they reckon is complete equality.

28...Bc8 29.Bh4 Rd6

29...g5!? looks very risky, but White has nothing better than retreating the bishop, according to the engines, after which 30...Bf5 is good.

30.Be7 Rc6 31.Re2 Qc7 32.Kg1

The position of the white king at last looks normal

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32...Bf5 33.Bh4!? Re6 34.Rxe6 fxe6!? 35.Bg3?

This drives the black queen to a good square, whereas after 35.Be1!?, or 35.g4 Bxd3 36.Qxd3, the engines agree the game is equal.

35...Qa5 36.a4?

After 36.Kf1!? Bxd3 (36...Qc3? 37.Qxc3 bxc3 38.Ke2=) 37.Qxd3 Qxa2 38.Bd6 Black is a pawn up but, at best, only slightly better, according to the engines.

36...Qc3 37.Qxc3

Forced.

37...bxc3 38.Nc1 Bd4+ 39.Bf2

39.Kf1? Be3.

39...Bc2 40.Kf1 Kg7 41.a5 Kf7?

This almost certainly should not win, whereas certainly winning is 41...e5,  the idea being to meet 42.Bxd4 with 42...exd4.

42.b4??

Also losing, according to Dragon1 for quite some time, is 42.Bxd4 cxd4 43.Ke2, but Stockfish17.1 reckons Black is only slightly better. At first 43...Ke7 is Dragon1's top choice, but eventually it comes to see 44.b4 as more-or-less equalising, so it switches to 43...e5 44.b4 e4!? 45.fxe4 Bxe4, but after 46.Nd3 Ke6 47.Nc5+ Ke5 48.b5 it agrees with Stockfish17.1 that White holds.

42...Bxf2 43.b5

The point behind 42.b4??, but it is easily parried.

Black has three winning moves

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43...Bd4

Also winning are 43...Be3 and 43...Bh4.

44.f4 Be4 45.Ke2 Ke7 46.Nb3 Kd7 47.g3 Kc7 48.h3 c2 49.Kd2 Bb2 50.Ke3 Bf5 0-1

Miniatures 10

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151) - J Lewis (141)

Highbury (London) Rapidplay 1989

Stonewall Attack/King's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 g6

This is easily Black's commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

3.Bd3 Bg7 4.f4

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like 4.e4!?, at first claiming White has an edge, although they come to call the position equal. They do not like the text.

4...0-0 5.Nf3

Again the engines reckon White's best is e4.

5...d6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.c3?!

This is a standard move in the Stonewall Attack, but it has little relevance here as Black has not played ...c5 (threatening a possible ...c4), and there is no question of a black knight landing on b4.

7...c5 8.0-0 a6 9.a4 Rb8!?

This move does not appear in Mega25, which only has 9...b6 and 9...Qc7.

10.Qe2 Qc7 11.Ng5 e5!?

How should White proceed?

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12.Nde4?!

White has equal chances after 12.dxe5!? dxe5 13.f5, according to the engines.

12...Nxe4 13.Nxe4 d5 14.Nxc5 dxc5 15.fxe5??

A hard-to-explain blunder. After 15.dxc5 e4!? 16.Bc2 Qxc5 Black is better, but the game goes on.

15...Nxd3 16.Qxd3 Bf5 17.Rxf5!? gxf5 18.Qxf5 Qc6 0-1

LESSON: no amount of 'sophisticated' opening preparation will avail if gross blunders are not avoided.

Return Of The King's Indian?

TALKING to a friend recently - cannot remember whom, or even where, but it may have been in Prague at the world seniors - he commented how the King's Indian Defence is 'never' seen at elite levels any more.

I pointed out how Mark Hebden had made a living out of it on the weekend circuit, and how it used to be a favourite with Garry Kasparov.

But that was quite a few years ago, or as the authoritative source Wikipedia puts it: "In the early 2000s the opening's popularity suffered after Vladimir Kramnik began scoring excellently against it; so much so that Kasparov gave up the opening after several critical losses to Kramnik."

However, that may be about to change after Magnus Carlsen used the defence to beat Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam in Germany's Bundesliga.

Notes in italics are by international master Malcolm Pein in Chess magazine.

Warmerdam (Solingen 2646) - Carlsen (St Pauli 2831)

English/Modern/King's Indian

1.c4 e5 2.g3 g6

At this point ChessBase classifies the opening as "A20: English Opening: 1...e5."

3.d4!?

This is much less popular than 3.Bg2, but scores 15 percentage points better in the 2025 Mega database, and is preferred by Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

3...d6!?

A provocative reply.

4.Nf3!?

It must have been very tempting to proceed 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+, which is how Yasser Seirawan beat Anatoly Karpov at Haninge (Sweden) 1990, although the engines reckon Black's position is fine.

4...Nd7 5.Nc3 Bg7

ChessBase now calls the game "A41: 1.d4 d6: Tartakower System and Modern Defence."

5.Bg2 Ngf6 7.0-0 0-0

ChessBase finally settles on "E67: King's Indian: Fianchetto: 6...Nbd7"

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8.Qc2 Re8 9.Rd1!? e4!?

Ambitious. 9...c6 and 9...Qe7 are standard, but not 9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Nb6 11.c5!

Most popular in Mega25 is 9...c6, followed by 9...exd4 and 9...e4!? The engines like 9...Qe7!?

10.Ne1

10.Ng5 e3 11.Bxe3?! Rxe3! 12.fxe3 Ng4 gives full compensation.

10...Nb6 11.c5?

The computer [unspecified] prefers 11.Bg5 when 11...Nxc4?! 12.Nxe4 is good for White, as is 11...Bf5 12.Nxe4 Kh8 13.f3 h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Qb3. Instead, 11...e3!? 12.fxe3 Nxc4 13.Nd5! also looks better for White, but he has to reckon with 13...Nxd5!? 14.Bxd8 Ndxe3 15.Qc3 Nxd1 16.Rxd1 Ne3 17.Rd2 Nxg2, which looks pretty messy.

11...Nbd5 12.cxd6

12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Nb4 14.Qb1 d5! is terrible for White after 15.Bf3 Bf5 or 15.Bd3 Bxd4.

12...Qxd6 13.Bg5

Not 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Nb4 15.Qb1 Qe7 or 13.e3? Bg4.

Walter Browne (2540) - Yuri Balashov (2600), Buenos Aires 1980, went 13.Qb3 Bg4 14.Nc2!? Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bxe2 16.Re1 Qa6!?, with at least a slight edge for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 39 moves).

13...e3!?

The wedge is driven into White's position with the aid of a supporting cast.

14.f3 Nxc3 15.bxc3

15.Qxc3 Nd5 16.Qb3 h6 is even worse.

15...Nd5 16.c4 h6!? 17.cxd5 hxg5 18.Rac1 Bf5!? 19.Qb3

If 19.Qxc7 [then] 19...Qxd5.

19...Rab8

The engines prefer the immediate 19...Rad8!?

20.Qc4?!

The engines much prefer 20.Nc2.

20...Rbd8!? 21.f4!?

Exposing the king, but otherwise White might lose both d pawns for no compensation.

21...gxf4 22.Qxc7!? fxg3

22...Qa6 23.Nd3 fxg3 24.hxg3 Rc8 was even better.

23.Qxd6 Rxd6 24.hxg3

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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Black has the bishop-pair, the better pawn-structure and, with his next move, confirms Black's possession of the initiative, adding up to a winning advantage, according to the engines.

24...Ra6 25.Bf3 Bf8!?

As Pein points out, there is nothing wrong with grabbing the a2 pawn. He suggests Carlsen may have been worried that 25...Rxa2 could be successfully answered by 26.d6?, but that makes White's position worse, especially after 26...Rd2. However 26.g4 Bd7 27.Rc7 is more promising for White, although the engines reckon Black is winning after 27...Bb5!?

26.g4

Pein's suggestion of 26.Rc7 is preferred by the engines.

26...Be4 27.Rc7!? Rxa2 28.Kf1

If 28.Rxb7 [then] 28...Bxf3 29.Nxf3 Rxe2 and wins.

28...Rd2 29.Ra1 Rxd4 30.Rxa7 Bxd5 31.Bxd5 Rxd5 32.Kg2 Rd2 33.Kf3 Rd1 0-1

So will the King's Indian Defence undergo a revival, at high levels as well as in club play?

Time will tell, and after all it may be significant that Carlsen only committed to a KID setup after White committed to a kingside fianchetto.

Winning Chess

THE English 65+ championship at Kenilworth, Warwickshire, was won by international master Paul Littlewood, whose score of +5=1-1 left him a half-point clear of the field.

Going into the last round, he was tied in the lead with IM Peter Large, Fide master Terry Chapman and 15th seed Paul Hutchinson.

Large and Chapman drew, which left the door open for Littlewood.

Paul Hutchinson (2038 ECF/1970 Fide) - Paul Littlewood (2274 ECF/2317 Fide)

King's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.Bg5!?

This is second-most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database - narrowly ahead of 5.g3, but well behind 5.e4.

5...h6 6.Bh4 d6 7.e3 c6 8.Be2 a6 9.Qc2

The main move is 9.0-0, against which Littlewood has lost twice in games in Mega24.

9...b5 10.b4?!

This may be a novelty, and is not liked by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1. The commonest continuation in Mega24, albeit from a small sample, is 10.a3, while the engines like 10.0-0.

10...a5 11.bxa5

Not 11.a3? axb4.

11...g5 12.Bg3 b4 13.Nb1 Qxa5 14.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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Black has pressure against the white queenside, but can also choose to play on the kingside. The engines reckon Black is at least slightly better.

14...Nh5 15.Nbd2 f5?!

The engines much prefer 15...Nxg3 or 15...Bf5.

16.Nb3 Qc7 17.Rad1?!

The engines give 17.c5, claiming at least a slight edge for White.
17...Nxg3 18.hxg3 c5 19.Ne1!? Be6 20.Bf3 Ra3 21.d5?!

Closing lines looks natural when facing the bishop-pair, but the text makes White's remaining bishop bad, and weakens dark squares. Instead 21.dxc5 dxc5 22.Bd5 deals with the bishop-pair, and gives White at least a slight edge, according to Komodo14.1, although Stockfish16 reckons the position is equal.

21...Bc8!?

The engines give Black a positionally won game

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22.Nd3 Nd7 23.e4 g4 24.Be2 fxe4 25.Nf4 Ne5 26.f3?

The engines reckon this sacrifice makes matters much worse.

26...exf3 27.gxf3 Bf5 28.Qc1 gxf3 29.Bxf3 Rxa2

Black is two pawns up, one of which is a protected passer,  and has the bishop-pair, as well as the safer king

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30.Rd2 Ra3 31.Bd1 Qd7 32.Bc2 Bxc2 33.Qxc2 Qf5 34.Qd1 Qg4

Now White cannot avoid queens coming off.

35.Qxg4 Nxg4 36.Nc1?! Rxg3+ 37.Kh1 Rh3+!? 38.Kg1 Bd4+ 39.Rxd4!?

Desperation.

The game finished:

39...Rg3+ 40.Kh1 cxd4 41.Nce2 Rh3+ 42.Kg1 d3 43.Nd4 Rg3+ 44.Kh1 Rxf4!? 45.Rxf3 d2 0-1

Lessons From The 4NCL V

Spanton (1965 ECF/1747 Fide) - Kevin Winter (1786 ECF/1735 Fide)
26th 4NCL Weekend Congress (Woodland Grange, Warwickshire) U2000 Round 5
King's Indian

1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Bg5

More popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database are 5.g3 and especially 5.e4, but there are almost 4,000 examples of the text.

5...0-0 6.Qd2!?

This is Stockfish14's choice, at least for a while, but much more popular is 6.e3.

6...c5 7.d5

How should Black proceed?

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7...b5!?

Stockfish14 is keen on this Benko-style gambit.

8.Bxf6!?

Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 slightly prefer 8.cxb5, which has been played by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2817) and Artur Yusupov. (2565).

8...exf6!

The engines agree this is better than the obvious 8...Bxf6. By capturing with the pawn, Black gets a half-open central file and a pawn-ram to batter either e3 or g3,

9.Nxb5 Qb6

The engines prefer kingside play with 9...Bg4.

10.e3 Nd7 11.Be2 f5 12.0-0 Nf6 13.a4 Ne4 14.Qc2 Qd8!?

Black has full compensation for the pawn, according to the engines.

15.Bd3 Ng5?

But this is too much. The engines reckon 15...a6 16.Nc3 Nxc3 offers equal chances.

16.Nxg5 Qxg5 17.Nxd6 Bd7 18.Rab1 a6?

This does not trap the knight, and so just wastes time.

19.Nb7 Rfc8 20.Rfd1!?

Preparing a piece-sacrifice.

20...Rab8 21.Nxc5!

Also good is 21.Na5, but the text is preferred by the engines, although it takes Komodo12.1.1 a little time to come to this view.

21...Rxc5 22.b4 Rcc8 23.c5 f4

The engines agree going for counterplay like this is Black's best chance.

24.exf4 Qxf4 25.c6 Bg4 26.Re1 Rxb4?

Black should play 26...Qg5 or 26...Be5, according to the engines.

27.Rxb4 Qxb4 28.Re4 Qd6 29.Bxa6!

This is even stronger than immediately capturing the black light-square bishop.

29...Qf6?

The engines prefer 29...Bd1!?, eg 30.Qxd1 Rxc6, but 31.Bc4 leaves White two pawns up, albeit the presence of opposite-coloured bishops gives Black hope.

30.Rxg4 Qa1+ 31.Bf1 Be5 32.g3 Bd6 33.Kg2 Rb8 34.c7 Rc8 35.Rc4 Qe5 36.Bd3?

Better is 36.Qe4, eg 36...Qxe4+ 37.Rxe4 Rxc7 38.a5.

36...Qxd5+ 37.Be4 Qe5 38.f4 Qe7 39.Bc6!?

This is Komodo12.1.1's choice, at least at first, but it comes to equally like Stockfish14's top line: 39.a5 Rxc7 40.a6.

39...Rxc7 40.Qc3?

White still has the upper hand, according to the engines, after 40.a5.

40...Qe2+ 41.Kg1 Qd1+

The engines' 41...g5!? seems to fully equalise, eg 42.a5 gxf4 43.gxf4 Bf8, when the white king appears too exposed for serious winning chances.

42.Kf2 Re7??

White is better, but probably not winning, after, for example, 42...Bf8 43.Qc2 Qd6.

43.Be4?

White's back-rank mating threat means 43.Bf3 wins instantly.

43...f6??

The engines reckon Black had to play 43...Rd7, when it is hard to see how White makes progress.

44.Rd4

Black is busted.

The game finished:

44...Bc5? 45.Qxc5 Qa1 46.Rd8+ Kg7 47.Qxe7+ Kh6 48.Qf8+ Kh5 49.Bf3#

Beat The ... King's Indian Sämisch

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

The Sämisch Variation against the King's Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 has been regarded as a major threat to the defence since it was first played at international level in 1925.

Black usually continues with 5...0-0, scoring 44%, but of those moves in Mega21 that appear more than 100 times, the best move statistically, scoring 51%, is 5...a6!?, which also happens to be, at least for quite some time, the top choice of the analysis engine Stockfish13 (Komodo12.1.1 prefers castling).

Position after 5...a6!?

Both of White's popular replies involve developing the queen's bishop.

A) 6.Be3 (603 games)

After 6...c6 the line splits.

A1 7.Qd2 b5, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 8.0-0-0 Qa5 9.Kb1 Nbd7 scores 55% for Black.

A1.2 8.Bd3 0-0 (this and 8...bxc4 score equally well - I have gone for the move preferred by the engines) 9.Nge2 Nbd7 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Rac1 e5 scores 53% for Black.

A2 7.Bd3 0-0, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 8.Nge2 b5 9.0-0 bxc4 10.Bxc4 Nbd7 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2.2 8.a4 a5 9.Nge2 Na6, when A2.2a 10.0-0 Nb4 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and A2.2b 10.Rc1 e5 11.0-0 Nb4 scores 67% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

A3 7.a4 a5 8.Bd3 0-0 transposes to A2.2.

A4 7.c5!? Nbd7 scores 50% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B) 6.Bg5 (91 games)

After 6...c6 the line splits.

B1 7.Qd2 h6!? 8.Be3 b5 scores 57% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B2 7.a4 a5 8.Qd2 Na6, after which the line splits again.

B2.1 9.Nge2 0-0 10.Nc1 e5 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B2.2 9.Rd1 Nb4 scores 50% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

Beat The ... King's Indian

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

The King's Indian Defence starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7, at which point White scores a decent 56% with the most-popular move 4.e4.

Position after 4.e4

Black has two major replies.

A) 4...d6 (166,091 games)

After 5.h3 (this modern-looking move, which raises White's score to an excellent 60%, dates back to at least 1855) the line splits.

A1 5...0-0 6.Bg5, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6...c5 7.d5 when A1.1a 7...e6 8.Bd3 exd5 9.cxd5 Re8 10.Nf3 c4 11.Bc2 b5 12.0-0!? scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample, A1.1b 7...b5!? 8.cxb5 a6 9.a4 Qa5 10.Bd2 scores 75% for White, A1.1c 7...h6 8.Be3 e6 9.Qd2!? exd5 10.exd5 scores 81% for White, A1.1d 7...a6 8.a4 e6 9.Bd3 exd5 10.cxd5 scores 71% for White, and A1.1e 7...Qa5 8.Bd2 e6 9.Bd3 exd5 10.cxd5!? scores 69% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2 5...Nbd7 6.Bg5!?, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 6...e5 7.d5, when A2.1a 7...h6 8.Be3 Nc5 9.Qc2 a5 reaches a position in Mega21 in which White scores 100% with both 10.0-0-0 and 10.Be2, albeit from very small samples, and A2.1b 7...a5 8.Bd3 Nc5 9.Bc2 scores 54% for White.

A2.2 6...h6 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 is a transposition to A2.1a.

A2.3 6...0-0 7.Bd3, when A2.3a 7...e5 8.d5 Nc5 9.Bc2 a5 10.Nge2 scores 76% for White and A2.3b 7...c5 8.d5 Ne5 9.Be2 scores 76% for White.

A3 5...c5 6.d5 0-0 7.Bd3, after which the line splits again.

A3.1 7...e6 8.Bg5!? is a transposition to A1.1a.

A3.2 7...Na6 8.Nf3 Nc7 9.Bg5, when A3.2a 9...a6 10.a4 Rb8 11.a5 scores 94% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A3.2b 9...h6 10.Be3 scores 64% for White.

A3.3 7...a6 8.a4, when A3.3a 8...e6 9.Nf3 exd5 10.cxd5 Nbd7 11.0-0 (this and 11.Bf4 score equally well, but castling is much preferred by Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1) Re8 12.Bf4 (this and 12.Re1 score equally well, but the bishop move is much preferred by the analysis engines) Qc7 13.Qd2 scores 71% for White and A3.3b 8...e5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Be3 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A4 5...c6 6.Bg5!?, after which the line splits again.

A4.1 6...Qa5 7.Qd2 scores 78% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A4.2 6...0-0 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5 Na6 9.Nge2, when A4.2a 9...cxd5 10.Nxd5 scores 79% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A4.2b 9...Nc5 10.Bc2 a5 11.0-0 h6 12.Be3 cxd5 13.exd5!? scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A5 5...e5 6.d5, after which the line splits again.

A5.1 6...0-0 7.Bd3 when A5.1a 7...a5 8.Nge2 Na6 9.g4!? scores 88% for White, albeit from a small sample, A5.1b 7...Nbd7 8.Be3 Nc5 9.Bc2 a5 10.Nge2 scores 72% for White and A5.1c 7...Na6 8.Nge2 Nc5 9.Bc2 a5 10.g4!? scores 86% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A5.2 6...a5 7.Bd3 Na6 8.Nge2 scores 70% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A5.3 6...Nbd7 7.Be3, when A5.3a 7...Nc5 8.Qc2 a5 9.Nf3 scores 63% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A5.3b 7...0-0 8.Nf3 Nc5 9.Nd2!? a5 10.Be2 Ne8 11.g4!? f5 12.gxf5 gxf5 13.Rg1!? scores 64% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B) 4...0-0 (15,462 games)

After 5.Bg5!? the line splits.

B1 5...d6 6.h3!? is a transposition to A1.

B2 5...c5 6.d5 , after which the line splits again.

B2.1 6...d6 7.h3!? is a transposition to A1.1

B2.2 6...h6 7.Be3 d6 8.h3!? is a transposition to A1.1c.

B3 5...h6 6.Be3 d6 7.h3!? (7.f3 scores equally well, but it seems sensible to choose the repertoire-consistent move) e5 8.d5, after which the line splits again.

B3.1 8...a5 9.Qd2 Kh7 10.Bd3 Na6 11.Nge2 Nc5 12.Bc2 scores 72% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B3.2 8...Na6 9.Bd3, when B3.2a 9...Nc5 10.Bc2 a5 11.Nge2 scores 82% for White and B3.2b 9...Nh5!? 10.g3 scores 68% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B3.3 8...Nbd7 9.Nf3 Nc5 10.Nd2!? a5 11.Be2 Bd7 12.b3!? scores 71% for White.

Champion Of Champions (part three)

HERE is how the tournament bracket looks after two matches.

Round of 16               Quarter-Finals
1. Steinitz
v---------------------------Carlsen
16. Carlsen (+102.5)

8.Tal (+8.5)
v----------------------------Tal
9.Petrosian

6. Botvinnik
v--------------------------
11. Fischer

13. Kasparov
v--------------------------
4. Alekhine

3. Capablanca
v--------------------------
14. Kramnik

5. Euwe
v--------------------------
12. Karpov

7. Smyslov
v--------------------------
10. Spassky

15. Anand
v--------------------------
2. Lasker

Round of 16
Match Three: Botvinnik v Fischer
Game One
Mikhail Botvinnik - Bobby Fischer
King's Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
Fischer also played the provocative 4...0-0, but usually preferred with the text.
5.f3
The Sämisch Variation was overwhelmingly Botvinnik's favourite response to the King's Indian.
5...e5
Played by Fischer 12 times in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database compared with 11 for 5...0-0.
6.Nge2 0-0 7.Bg5 c6 8.Qd2 Qa5

A position that does not occur in Botvinnik's games

White scores very well from here in Mega20, a fact reflected in an averaged evaluation from Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 of +71.5 for Botvinnik, giving Fischer a tough task in game two.

Game Two
Bobby Fischer - Mikhail Botvinnik
French Winawer
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3
I do not think many chess fans will be surprised to see this position appear on the board in a 'game' between Fischer and Botvinnik.
6...Ne7 7.a4!?
Fischer did not believe in the attacking, but committal, 7.Qg4.
7...Nbc6 8.Nf3 Bd7 9.Bd3

We have reached a position that does not occur in Botvinnik's games

Fischer famously had trouble against the French Defence, despite publicly calling the Winawer unsound., so perhaps it is not surprising the engines give him an averaged score here of just +5.5.
That means Botvinnik wins the match with a score of +66, giving the older generation two wins out of three against their more-modern brethren.
Here is the updated tournament bracket.

Round of 16               Quarter-Finals
1. Steinitz
v---------------------------Carlsen
16. Carlsen (+102,5)

8.Tal (+8.5)
v----------------------------Tal
9.Petrosian

6. Botvinnik (+66)
v----------------------------Botvinnik
11. Fischer

13. Kasparov
v--------------------------
4. Alekhine

3. Capablanca
v--------------------------
14. Kramnik

5. Euwe
v--------------------------
12. Karpov

7. Smyslov
v--------------------------
10. Spassky

15. Anand
v--------------------------
2. Lasker