B16 Caro-Kann: Bronstein-Larsen Variation (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6)

Today I noticed that Stockfish 9 had been released, so I downloaded it immediately and analysed this game with the new engine. I should test it against the previous one at some convenient moment by putting them to play against each other with the same settings. The game I am sharing today was a 5 minute game that was played at Chess.com. The move 5...gxf6 is an interesting idea, but if I ever were to play this while controlling the black pieces, I would go with 5...exf6 as it would keep the pawn structure in better shape and it would open the a3-f8 diagonal for the bishop, where it would want to go after gxf6 as well. Therefore, in my opinion, 5...exf6 is more natural one. It also the move that the engine prefers and actually thinks that White should be clearly better after 5...gxf6 at depth 34. Then the game continued with other moves that the engine does not really like, but the first position that I am going to take a closer look at is the one that arose after 8...Qe7. I played the really horrible move 9.dxe5 and the game might have ended after Kojjootti's reply, had he played 9...Qb4+ that is.

The moves 9.Kf1 and 9.O-O-O would have been better than what I played and would not have given my opponent a chance to win a piece.

Kojjootti played simply 9...fxe5, which gave me time to play 10.Bd2 and solve my problems for the time being, save both the bishop on f4 and the one on c4. The next huge mistake was played by my opponent on move 18, when he played 18...Bxh6. While this was a blitz game and there was not that much time to think about the moves, still I think that a move like 18...Bxh6 would not have crossed my mind, had I controlled the black pieces because it just invites the queen closer to the king and thereby restricting the options that the black king has. I think if the bishops are traded it is in Black's best interest to let White to initiate the trading process. In that way Black would be able to get the king to g7 and have the idea of Rh8 in some situations.

18...Nd5 was Kojjootti's best chance to fight for a draw, according to Stockfish 9 64 POPCNT at depth 34.

From that bad decision my opponent did not recover from and I was able to eventually even checkmate my opponent on move 55.

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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 B16 Caro-Kann: Bronstein-Larsen Variation 6.Bf4 Nd7 6...Qd5 7.Bg3 h5 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be2 Nd7 10.h3 Bf5 11.Nh4 Be4 12.0-0 Qg5 13.b3 f5 14.Re1 Nf6 15.Qc1 Qxc1 16.Raxc1 Bh6 17.Ra1 Bxc2 18.Be5 0-0-0 19.g3 Bg5 20.Ng2 h4 21.g4 Volcik,M (1670) -Kubeczka,A (2069) Ostrava 2014 0-1 7.Bc4 7.c3 Nb6 8.Bd3 Qd5 9.Qf3 h5 10.Be4 Qe6 11.Ne2 h4 12.b3 f5 13.Bc2 Qd5 14.Qh3 Rg8 15.0-0 Qe6 16.Rfe1 Qg6 17.c4 Bd7 18.a4 a5 19.Rad1 e6 20.Bc7 Nc8 21.Nf4 Qg5 Toma,K (2290) -Jakubiec,E (2183) Poronin 2012 1-0 (39) 7...e5N Black threatens to win material: e5xf4 7...Nb6 8.Bb3 Bf5 8...e6 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.Bg3 Rg8 11.Qd3 f5 12.0-0-0 Nd5 13.Rhe1 Rb8 14.Qxf5 Rg7 15.Bxd5 cxd5 16.Bh4 Qa5 17.Qf6 Rg6 18.Qh8+ Kd7 19.Qxh7 Ke8 20.Qh8+ Kd7 21.Ne5+ Bxe5 22.Qxe5 Ra8 23.Kb1 Banasik,D-Burdzinski,M Torun 1991 1-0 (33) 9.Ne2 Nd5 10.Bd2 e6 11.Ng3 Bg6 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Ne4 Be7 14.h4 1/2-1/2 (14) Kienast, J-Solbach,M Germany 1988 8.Qh5 White has a mate threat 8.dxe5 fxe5 9.Be3 Qe7 8...Qe7= 9.dxe5?? letting the wind out of his own sails 9.Kf1 b5 ≤9...exf4 10.Re1 Ne5 11.dxe5± 10.Bb3 a5 11.dxe5 a4= 11...fxe5?? 12.Bg5 Nf6 13.Qf3+- 9...fxe5 9...Qb4+ secures victory 10.Bd2 Qxc4 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Qe5+ Be7-+ 10.Bd2 10.Kf1 Qf6 11.Bg3 Bg7= 10...b5 10...Nf6 11.Qe2 Rg8= 11.Bd3?? White is ruining his position 11.Bb3!? Nf6 12.Qe2± 11...e4 11...Nf6!? 12.Qh4 Rg8 12.Be2= Nf6 Black threatens to win material: Nf6xh5 13.Qh4 Bf5 13...Nd5 14.Qxe7+ Bxe7 15.a4 14.0-0-0 14.Bc3 Bg7 15.Qg5 Bg6= 14...Bg7 14...Nd5 15.Qg3 h5 16.Nh3= 15.Qg5 White threatens to win material: Qg5xf5. White forks: f5+g7 15.Nh3 Nd5 16.Qxe7+ Nxe7 15...Bg6 16.Nh3 h6 Black threatens to win material: h6xg5 17.Qh4 0-0 17...Nd5!? 18.Qxe7+ Kxe7 18.Bxh6± Bxh6+? 18...Nd5!? 19.Qxe7 Bxh6+ 19...Nxe7? 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nf4+- 20.Qg5 Bxg5+ 21.Nxg5 Rae8 19.Qxh6 Nh7? 19...Nd5 20.Nf4 Nxf4 21.Qxf4+- 20.Rd2 20.Nf4!? keeps an even firmer grip Qf6 21.h4 e3 22.fxe3 Be4+- 20...Rfd8 20...Rad8 21.Rhd1+- 21.Rhd1 Rxd2 21...a5 22.Qe3+- 22.Rxd2 22.Qxd2 seems even better Nf8 23.Nf4 Rc8+- 22...Rd8 22...a6 23.a3+- 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Nf4 Qf6 24...Nf8 25.h4 Qd4 26.Nxg6 fxg6+- 25.Nxg6 fxg6 26.Qe3 Qg5?? shortens the misery for Black 26...Qe7 27.Bd3! Deflection: e4 Nf6+- 27.Qxg5 Nxg5 28.Kd2 Kf7 29.Ke3 Ke6 29...Ne6 doesn't do any good 30.Kxe4 g5 31.Bg4 Nc5+ 32.Kf5+- 30.Kf4 Kf6 31.h4 Ne6+ 31...Nf7 does not help much 32.Kxe4 Nd6+ 33.Kd4 Nf5+ 34.Kc5 Nxh4 35.Bf3+- 32.Kxe4 Nc5+ 33.Kd4 Na4 33...Ne6+ doesn't change the outcome of the game 34.Ke3+- 34.b3 Nb6 34...c5+ cannot undo what has already been done 35.Kd3 Nb6 36.Ke4+- 35.Kc5 Ke5 36.Kxc6 Kd4 36...b4 does not save the day 37.g3+- 37.Bd3 b4 37...Nd5 doesn't change anything anymore 38.Kxb5 Nc7+ 39.Kc6+- 38.Bxg6 Kc3 39.h5 Kb2 39...Kd4 hardly improves anything 40.Kd6 Nd5 41.h6 Nf6 42.Ke6 Nd5 43.h7 Nf4+ 44.Kf7 Nxg6 45.Kxg6 Kc3 46.h8Q+ Kxc2 47.Qd4 a6 48.Kf5 a5 49.Ke4 a4 50.bxa4 b3 51.axb3 Kb1 52.Qd2 Ka1 53.Kd3 Kb1 54.Kc3 Ka1 55.Qb2# 40.h6 Kxa2 40...Nc8 is not much help 41.Bd3 Kxa2 42.h7 Ne7+ 43.Kc5 Nc8 44.h8Q Nb6 45.Be4 a6 46.Kxb6 Kb1 47.c4+ Kc1 48.Kxa6 Kd2 49.Qb2+ Ke1 50.Bd3 Kd1 51.Qe2+ Kc1 52.Qc2# 41.h7 Nc8 42.h8Q Ne7+ 43.Kb7 43.Kb5 a6+ 44.Kxb4 Nd5+ 45.Kc4 Ne7 46.Qf6 Nxg6 47.Qxg6 a5 48.Kc3 a4 49.bxa4 Kb1 50.Qe4 Ka1 51.Kb3 Kb1 52.Qe1# 43...Nxg6 44.Qf6 Nh4 44...Nf8 a fruitless try to alter the course of the game 45.Qxf8 a5 46.Ka6 a4 47.bxa4 b3 48.cxb3 Kb1 49.Qc5 Ka2 50.Qc2+ Ka1 51.Qc1+ Ka2 52.Kb5 Kxb3 53.Qd2 Ka3 54.Kc4 Kxa4 55.Qa2# 45.Qxh4 Kb2 45...Ka3 does not solve anything 46.Qd4 Ka2 47.Kxa7 Kb1 48.Ka6 Kxc2 49.Kb5 Kc1 50.Kc4 Kc2 51.Kxb4 Kb1 52.Kc3 Ka1 53.Kc2+ Ka2 54.Qa7# 46.Qxb4 Kxc2 46...Kc1 doesn't get the cat off the tree 47.Qd4 a6 48.Kxa6 Kb1 49.Kb5 Kc1 50.Kc4 Kb1 51.Kc3 Ka1 52.Qd1+ Ka2 53.Qg1 Ka3 54.Qa1# 47.Kxa7 Kd1 47...Kc1 cannot change what is in store for White 48.f4 Kb1 49.Qd2 Ka1 50.f5 Kb1 51.f6 Ka1 52.f7 Kb1 53.f8Q Ka1 54.Qf1# 48.f4 Ke2 48...Kc2 doesn't get the bull off the ice 49.f5 Kb1 50.f6 Ka1 51.f7 Kb1 52.f8Q Ka1 53.Qf2 Kb1 54.Qbe1# 49.Qc3 49.f5 Kd1 50.f6 Kc1 51.f7 Kb1 52.f8Q Ka1 53.Qf2 Kb1 54.Qbe1# 49...Kf2 49...Kd1 cannot change destiny 50.f5 Ke2 51.f6 Kf2 52.f7 Kxg2 53.f8Q Kh2 54.Qf2+ Kh1 55.Qa1# 50.f5 Kxg2 50...Kf1 is no salvation 51.f6 Kxg2 52.f7 Kf1 53.f8Q+ Kg2 54.Qcg7+ Kh3 55.Qfh8# 51.f6 Kg1 51...Kh1 does not improve anything 52.f7 Kg1 53.f8R Kh2 54.Rf2+ Kg1 55.Qe1# 52.Qc2 52.f7 Kf1 53.f8Q+ Kg2 54.Qcg7+ Kh3 55.Qfh8# 52...Kf1 53.f7 Kg1 53...Ke1 doesn't improve anything 54.Qg2 Kd1 55.f8R Kc1 56.Rf1# 54.f8Q Kh1 55.Qf1# 1–0

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Vierjoki,T

1749

Kojjootti

1724

1–0

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The position after 5...gxf6 has seen quite a lot of play in Grand Master play, but I am only going to include some of the most recent examples to the publishing tool below.

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Move	N	Result	Elo

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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.Be3 h5 7.Qd2 Na6 8.Bd3 h4 9.Ne2 h3 10.gxh3 Bxh3 11.Nf4 Bg4 12.Rg1 Qd7 13.d5 Bf3 14.Rg3 Bxd5 15.0-0-0 e5 16.Nxd5 Qxd5 17.c4 Qe6 18.Qa5 Bb4 19.Qa4 Bc5 20.Bxc5 Nxc5 21.Qa3 b6 22.Bc2 Qxc4 23.Kb1 Ke7 24.Rc3 Qa6 25.Qxa6 Nxa6 26.Rxc6 Rxh2 27.Bf5 Rxf2 28.Bc8 Nc5 29.Rc7+ Kf8 30.b4 Ne6 31.Bxe6 fxe6 32.Rh1 Rg2 33.Rh8+ Rg8 34.Rh6 Rg1+ 35.Kb2 f5 36.Rxe6 Kg8 37.Rxe5 Rf8 38.Rc3 f4 39.Rf3 Kg7 40.Re7+ Kg6 41.Rxa7 Rg2+ 42.Kc1 Kf5 43.a4 Ke4 44.Rf1 f3 45.a5 bxa5 46.Rxa5 Rc8+ 47.Kb1 Rc3 48.Ra8 f2 49.Kb2 Rf3 50.Raa1 Kd3 51.Kb3 Ke2+ 52.Ka4 Rg8 53.b5 Ra8+ 54.Kb4 Rf4+ 55.Kc5 Rc8+ 56.Kd6 Rf6+ 57.Kd7 Rb8 58.Rfb1 Rb7+ 59.Kc8 Rh7 60.Rb2+ Kd3 61.Rd1+ Kc3 62.Rxf2 Rxf2 63.Rd7 Rh6 64.Kc7 Rb2 0–1

• Start an analysis engine:
• Try maximizing the board:
• Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
• Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
• Drag the split bars between window panes.
• Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
• Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Godena,M	2502	Hracek,Z	2631	0–1
Najer,E	2663	Levin,E	2518	1–0
Piorun,K	2609	Seirawan,Y	2620	½–½
Guseinov,G	2634	Seirawan,Y	2620	1–0
Hasangatin,R	2509	Seirawan,Y	2620	0–1
Grandelius,N	2649	Li,C	2755	½–½
Kulaots,K	2556	Kovalenko,I	2684	0–1
Predke,A	2601	Ovetchkin,R	2540	1–0

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