A38 Symmetrical English vs ...g6: 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6 (1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.O-O O-O 7.d3 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qxd5)

There may have been too many posts about Symmetrical English lately, but this may be the last one for awhile. This is also a return for the games that have not been previously shared, for the time being that is. This is a blitz game I played at Chess.com on July 19th, 2016. The move statistics do not go beyond the move 9...Qxd5 because my opponent's 10th move, Ne1, was a novelty according to the LiveBook. I also searched that position in my reference database and the move 10.Ne1 had been played 3 times with the score of 0%, which means that in all of those 3 games the player controlling the black pieces won the game. We kept following one of those three games and part of that game can be seen in the notation.

[Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2016.07.19"] [Round "?"] [White "Kojjootti"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "1726"] [BlackElo "1771"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (30s)"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. d3 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 {A38 Symmetrical English vs ...g6: 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6. LiveBook: 420 Games} 10. Ne1 {-0.54/24} (10. Be3 $11 {0.00/26}) 10... Qh5 { -0.13/25} (10... Qd6 $15 {-0.54/24}) 11. Bf3 $146 {-0.65/25} (11. Bxc6 $11 { -0.13/25} bxc6 12. Ng2) (11. Nf3 Bh3 12. a3 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 Qd5 14. Kg1 Rfd8 15. Qc2 Rac8 16. Be3 b6 17. Rfc1 Na5 18. Nd2 Qf5 19. Rab1 Qg4 20. Nf3 c4 21. d4 Qd7 22. Rd1 Qb5 23. Kf1 Qd5 24. Qa4 h6 25. Qb4 Nc6 {Revesz,I (1811) -Kiss,G (1996) Hungary 2016 0-1 (51)}) 11... Qh3 {0.00/24} (11... Bg4 $15 {-0.65/25}) 12. Bg2 {-0.49/23} (12. Bxc6 $11 {0.00/24} bxc6 13. Be3) 12... Qh5 {0.00/29} (12... Qe6 $15 {-0.49/23}) 13. Nc2 {-0.62/26} (13. Bf3 $11 {0.00/29} Bg4 14. Be3) 13... Bh3 $15 14. Ne3 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nd4 16. f3 b6 17. Rb1 Bh6 {-0.16/25} (17... Qe5 $15 {-0.60/23 is more appropriate.}) 18. b4 cxb4 19. Rxb4 Rfd8 $36 {Black has the initiative.} 20. Re1 {-1.07/24} (20. Nc2 $11 {-0.25/28 keeps the balance.} Bxc1 21. Nxd4) 20... Qc5 {0.00/32} (20... Rac8 $17 {-1.07/24 Hoping for ...Qa5. } 21. Rf1 Qa5) 21. Rc4 $11 Qd6 22. Ng4 {-0.48/27} (22. Nc2 $1 $11 {0.04/31} Bg7 23. Nxd4 Bxd4 24. Qa4) 22... Bg7 $1 $15 23. Nh6+ {-1.12/26} (23. e3 $15 { -0.54/29} Nf5 24. Nf2) 23... Kf8 $1 $17 24. Ng4 {-2.57/25} (24. Bf4 $17 { -1.13/30 keeps fighting.} Qd5 25. a4) 24... Qe6 $2 {-0.79/28} (24... b5 $19 { -2.57/25} 25. Bf4 e5 26. Rxd4 Qxd4) 25. Bf4 $2 {-2.63/24} (25. e3 $17 {-0.79/ 28 is a better defense.} Nf5 26. e4) 25... Rac8 {-1.36/29} ({Black should try} 25... b5 $19 {-2.63/24} 26. Rc1 Qxa2) 26. Rxc8 {-2.75/27} (26. e3 $17 {-1.36/29 } Rxc4 27. dxc4) 26... Rxc8 $19 27. a4 Nf5 {-1.12/29} (27... Rc2 $19 {-2.79/24} 28. h3 Rxe2+ 29. Rxe2 Nxe2) 28. e4 {-1.95/26} (28. e3 $17 {-1.12/29}) 28... Nd4 29. Be3 {-2.75/26} (29. Nf2 $142 {-1.88/30}) 29... Qa2+ 30. Nf2 $2 {-5.04/25} ( 30. Bf2 {-2.77/30}) 30... Rc2 31. f4 Qxa4 32. e5 {[#] Black must now prevent Bxd4.} Nf5 33. Bd2 Qc6+ 34. Ne4 {-4.31/24} (34. Kf1 $142 {-2.73/27}) 34... Nd4 35. Kg1 Ra2 {-2.68/28} (35... f5 $142 {-5.56/26} 36. exf6 exf6) 36. Be3 Ne6 $2 {-1.03/28} (36... Qd5 $19 {-2.62/24 and Black stays clearly on top. And now ... f5 would win.} 37. Bd2 Qd7) 37. d4 $2 {-8.00/25} (37. Bf2 $17 {-1.03/28}) 37... Qxe4 {[#]} 38. d5 Qg2# {Precision: White = 19%, Black = 28%.} 0-1

Here are some of the latest and highest rated games that reached the position after 9...Qxd5.

[Event "Dvorkovich Memorial op"] [Site "Taganrog"] [Date "2015.01.26"] [Round "9"] [White "Maletin, Pavel"] [Black "Shimanov, Aleksandr"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "2578"] [BlackElo "2591"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2015.01.18"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "RUS"] [SourceTitle "Mega2015 Update 10"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2015.02.02"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. Bg2 c5 6. O-O d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 Nc6 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Nd4 Qd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qa6 15. Rxc5 b6 16. Rc2 Qxa2 17. Qa1 Qb3 18. Rfc1 a5 19. Qa3 a4 20. d4 Qxa3 21. bxa3 Rfd8 22. Rb1 Bxd4 23. Bxd4 Rxd4 24. Rxb6 Ra7 25. Kg2 Kg7 26. Rbc6 Rd1 27. R6c4 Ra1 28. R2c3 Ra2 29. Re3 h5 30. Rb4 Kf6 31. f4 e6 32. Kf2 Ra1 33. h3 Ra2 34. Rb5 Rc7 35. Rb4 Ra7 36. Rc3 Ra1 37. Rb5 Rh1 38. Kg2 Re1 39. Kf2 Rh1 40. Kg2 Re1 1/2-1/2 [Event "RUS-chT"] [Site "Sochi"] [Date "2015.05.06"] [Round "6.5"] [White "Brodsky, Michail"] [Black "Khairullin, Ildar"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "2562"] [BlackElo "2630"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "2015.05.01"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "RUS"] [SourceTitle "Mega2015 Update 25"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2015.05.14"] [WhiteTeam "Samara Lada"] [BlackTeam "St Petersburg Horseman"] [WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "RUS"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Nd4 Qd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qa6 15. a4 b6 16. b3 Qb7 17. Rc4 a5 18. Qd2 e5 19. Bh6 Bxh6 20. Qxh6 f5 21. Qh3 Rad8 22. Qg2 Qe7 23. f4 Rd4 24. fxe5 Qxe5 25. Qf3 Re8 26. Rf2 Qe6 27. Qb7 Rd7 28. Qf3 Rd4 29. Qb7 Rd7 30. Qf3 1/2-1/2 [Event "Petrovac op"] [Site "Petrovac"] [Date "2015.05.14"] [Round "9"] [White "Damljanovic, Branko"] [Black "Vovk, Yuri"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A15"] [WhiteElo "2564"] [BlackElo "2616"] [PlyCount "114"] [EventDate "2015.05.08"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "MNE"] [SourceTitle "Mega2015 Update 28"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2015.06.05"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. a3 b6 11. Rb1 Bb7 12. b4 cxb4 13. axb4 Nd4 14. Bb2 Nb5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Qa4 a6 17. Rfc1 Rfc8 18. Qa1+ f6 19. g4 Qd7 20. Rc4 Nd6 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Qd4 Rc2 23. e3 e5 24. Qxb6 Qxg4 25. h3 Qd7 26. Ne1 Bxg2 27. Kxg2 Rc6 28. Qb8 Nb5 29. Ra1 Nc3 30. Qa8 Qd5+ 31. Nf3 Rb6 32. Rxa6 Qxa8 33. Rxa8 Rxb4 34. Ra7+ Kh6 35. Nh2 f5 36. Nf3 e4 37. Ne5 exd3 38. Nxd3 Ra4 39. Rd7 Ne4 40. h4 Ra2 41. Kf1 Ra1+ 42. Kg2 Rd1 43. Rd4 Rd2 44. Kf1 Kh5 45. Ke1 Ra2 46. f3 Ng3 47. Nf4+ Kxh4 48. Nxg6+ Kh3 49. Nf4+ Kh2 50. Rd7 Kg1 51. Rxh7 Ra1+ 52. Kd2 Kf2 53. Nd3+ Kxf3 54. Ne1+ Rxe1 55. Kxe1 Kxe3 56. Ra7 Kf3 57. Ra3+ Kg2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Norway Chess 3rd"] [Site "Stavanger"] [Date "2015.06.18"] [Round "3"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A35"] [WhiteElo "2802"] [BlackElo "2805"] [PlyCount "111"] [EventDate "2015.06.16"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "NOR"] [EventCategory "22"] [SourceTitle "Mega2015 Update 32"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2015.07.03"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Nd4 Qd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qa6 15. Qb3 b6 16. Rc4 Rfd8 17. Rfc1 Rd7 18. a3 Rad8 19. Rf4 Bf6 20. h4 Qb7 21. Rc2 Qb8 22. Rf3 Rd5 23. Bg5 Qd6 24. Bxf6 exf6 25. Qa4 a5 26. Qf4 f5 27. Qxd6 R8xd6 28. Rf4 Rd4 29. Rxd4 Rxd4 30. Kg2 Kg7 31. Rc3 Kf6 32. e3 Rd6 33. Kf3 Ke5 34. a4 Kd5 35. Ke2 Rd7 36. Kd2 h6 37. Rc1 Kc6 38. Kc3 b5 39. axb5+ Kxb5 40. b3 g5 41. hxg5 hxg5 42. Rh1 Ra7 43. Rh7 f4 44. gxf4 gxf4 45. e4 a4 46. bxa4+ Rxa4 47. Rxf7 Ra3+ 48. Kd2 Ra2+ 49. Ke1 Ra3 50. Ke2 Ra2+ 51. Kf3 Rd2 52. Rd7 Kc6 53. Rd5 Kb6 54. e5 Kc6 55. Rd8 Kc7 56. Rd6 1-0 [Event "Moscow Aeroflot op-A 15th"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "2016.03.09"] [Round "9"] [White "Petrosian, Tigran L"] [Black "Wei, Yi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "2607"] [BlackElo "2714"] [PlyCount "54"] [EventDate "2016.03.01"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "RUS"] [SourceTitle "Mega2016 Update 23"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2016.03.11"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 O-O 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O c5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 Nc6 10. Be3 Bxb2 11. Rb1 Bf6 12. Qa4 Qd7 13. Qb5 Qe6 14. Qa4 Rd8 15. Bxc5 Qxe2 16. Rfe1 Qxd3 17. Rbd1 Qf5 18. Rxd8+ Nxd8 19. Qe8+ Kg7 20. Bxe7 Bxe7 21. Rxe7 Nc6 22. Rc7 Qb1+ 23. Ne1 Qxa2 24. Bxc6 bxc6 25. Qe5+ Kg8 26. Qe8+ Kg7 27. Qe5+ Kg8 1/2-1/2 [Event "EU-ch 18th"] [Site "Minsk"] [Date "2017.06.09"] [Round "10"] [White "Tomashevsky, Evgeny"] [Black "Sutovsky, Emil"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "2696"] [BlackElo "2646"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "2017.05.30"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "BLR"] [SourceTitle "Mega2017 Update 34"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2017.06.16"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Nd4 Qd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qa6 15. Qb3 b6 16. Rc4 Rfd8 17. Rfc1 Rd7 18. a3 Rad8 19. Qc2 Bd4 20. Bxd4 Rxd4 21. Qc3 1/2-1/2 [Event "CZE-chT 1718"] [Site "Czech Republic"] [Date "2017.11.19"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Cvek, Robert"] [Black "Votava, Jan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A38"] [WhiteElo "2504"] [BlackElo "2519"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "2017.11.18"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "CZE"] [SourceTitle "Mega2017 Update 57"] [Source "Chessbase"] [SourceDate "2017.11.24"] [WhiteTeam "Poruba Slavoj"] [BlackTeam "Pardubice"] [WhiteTeamCountry "CZE"] [BlackTeamCountry "CZE"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 Bxb2 11. Rb1 Bf6 12. Qa4 Qd7 13. Bxc5 b6 14. Bxb6 Nd4 15. Qd1 axb6 16. Nxd4 Rxa2 17. Nc6 Qd6 18. e3 Bf5 19. Rxb6 Qxd3 20. Nb4 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Rb2 22. Nd5 Rxb6 1/2-1/2