Thursday, October 3, 2013

Is this winnable ?

Dont know if winnable is correct English. I am just wondering if white can convert a small advantage that occurs in the Teichmann defense into a full point.

Consider the position after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 e6 9.Bg2 c6 10.h4 Nbd7 (diagram)


I discussed the main line 10...Bb4 in length in previous posts, but 10...Nbd7 ( and also 10...Bd6 ) gives interesting, unbalanced positions.

My silicon assistant suggests 11.h5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 Nxg4 14.hxg6 Nxf2 15.Ke2 Nxh1 16.gxf7+ Kxf7 17.Bxh1 (diagram)

Black has rook and two pawns for the two pieces. Some might say black has the material advantage ( especially in view of the g and h pawns ), but my computer gives white a small plus ?! let's look at the lines

a/ 17...h5 18.Ne4
...a1/ 18...h4 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Bg2 (+=)
...a2/ 18...Be7 19.Bf4 (+=)
...a3/ 18...Bb4 19.Ng5+ (+)
...a4/ 18...Rd8 19.Ng5+ (+)
...a5/ 18...Re8 19.Ng5+ (+)

b/ 17...h6 18.Ne4
...b1/ 18...g5 19.Be3 (+=)
...b2/ 18...Be7 19.Be3 (+=)
...b3/ 18...Bb4 19.Be3 (+=)
...b4/ 18...Rd8 19.Be3 (+)

c/ 17...g6 18.Ne4
...c1/ 18...Bg7 19.Nd6+ (+)
...c2/ 18...Be7 19.Bh6 (+)

d/ 17...Bc5 18.Ne4
...d1/ 18...Be7 19.Be3 (+=)
...d2/ 18...Bb6 19.Nd6+ (+)
...d3/ 18...Bd4 19.Nd6+ (+)

e/ 17...Bb4 18.Ne4
...e1/ 18...Be7 19.Be3 (+=)
...e2/ 18...Rd8 19.Ng5+ (+)

f/ 17...Be7 18.Ne4 h5 19.Bf4 (+=)

g/ 17...a6 18.Be3 (+=)

So it quickly becomes clear that the line 17...Be5 18.Ne4 h5 19.Bf4 (diagram) is critical

Does white have something here ? Maybe, maybe not.  Sure wont be easy for either player.