Tearing Down the Berlin Wall (chess analysis)

Tearing Down the Berlin Wall (chess analysis)

A recently completed group correspondence chess game played at chessgames.com with GM Arkadij Naiditsch features the Berlin line of the Spanish game:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6

My own analysis (into a move ultimately NOT played by the world team) revealed some interesting positions that might lead to unexplored possibilities for the white player. Section A below, the traditional main line, likely leads to a draw for correspondence games. Section B, however, offers new possibilities that in my opinion deserve a second look.

Could these lines bring down the "Berlin Wall" - for a second time?

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Komodo 10.1 +0.23/54 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.Bf1 Be7 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.Nc3 Ne8 10.Nd5 Bd6 11.Re1 c6 12.Ne3 Bc7 13.Nf5 d5 14.Ne7+ Kh8 15.Nxc8

and now: 13-Mar-2017 [Komodo 10.1]

+0.15/51 15...Rxc8 16.d4 Nd6 17.Bd3 f5 18.Bf4 Ne4 19.Bxc7 Qxc7 20.f3 Nd6 21.Qd2 Rce8 22.Rad1 g6 23.c3 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Re8 25.Rxe8+ Nxe8 26.Qe3 Nd6 27.g3 Nf7 28.Kg2 Kg7 29.h4 Qb6 30.Qd2 Qc7 31.Qc1 Qe7 32.Kf2 Kf6 33.a3 a5 34.a4 Qd8 35.Bc2 Qe7 36.Qf4 Qd6 37.Qe3 Qd8 38.Qe2 Qc7 39.b3 Qd6 40.Qe3 Qd8 41.c4 Qe7 42.Qxe7+ Kxe7 43.Ke3

+0.25/51 15...Qxc8 16.Qf3 Qd7 17.b3 Nd6 18.Bb2 Ba5 19.c4 Ne4 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.Qd3 Rad8 22.Rad1 Qd6 23.Bd4 Kg8 24.g3 Bb6 25.Kg2 a6 26.Qe3 Bxd4 27.Qxd4 Rfe8 28.Rc1 g6 29.b4 Ng5 30.Bd3 Rxe1 31.Rxe1 Ne6 32.Qf6 Re8 33.a3 Qd7 34.Re5 Qd6 35.Kg1 Qd8 36.Qxd8 Rxd8 37.Bf1 Kf8 38.Bg2 Nc7 39.f4 f6 40.Re1 Kf7 41.Rc1 Ne6 42.Kf2 Ke7 43.a4 Kd6

other choices for move 4:

4.d3 [Komodo 10.1] [21 February 2017]

+0.06/54 4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Nd7 7.Re1 0-0 8.c3 Re8 9.d4 Bf8 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bh4 exd4 12.Qb3+ Kh8

0.00/41 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bd6 6.0-0 Be6 7.a3 Qe7 8.Re1 h6 9.Nbd2 g5 10.Nc4 Nd7 11.Be3 Bxc4 12.dxc4 0-0-0 13.Qe2 Qe6 14.Rad1 Nf6 15.Nd2 Be7 16.b4 Rd7 17.c5 Rhd8 18.f3 g4 19.Bxh6 Nxe4 20.fxe4 Qxh6 21.Nf1 Qg5 22.Rxd7 Rxd7 23.Ne3 g3 24.hxg3 Qxg3 25.Nf5 Qxa3 26.Nxe7+ Rxe7 27.Qg4+ Rd7 28.Rd1 Qe3+ 29.Kh1 Qh6+ 30.Kg1 Qe3+

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4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 the proposed main line is Section B1: 5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 which now scores +0.16/36. Perhaps we continue 8...O–O 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.Rxe8 (see below for 11.c3 which is likely better) Nxe8 12.d5 d6 (b6 analysis is needed) 13.g3!? now +0.16/31 13...Bf5 14.Na3 c5 15.c3 a6 16.Nc2 b5 17.Bg2 Bd7 18.Qd3 Qa5

Please note that I am actively updating these lines. Check back every so often and see what has changed. For those readers who are lost in the large number of lines, I consider section B1 I or II to be (arguably) the main line.

Section A: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8

Section B1: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7* 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5

Section B2: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7* 7.Bf1 Nf5

Section B3: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 0-0

Section B4: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 a6

Section C: 4.d3 Bc5

Section D: 4.Nc3

Rybka4.1 analysis

<A. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8> this line is drawish

A1a. [+0.07] d=34 9.Rd1+ Ke8 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Bg5 Bxg5 12.Nxg5 h6* 13.Nf3 Be6 14.Rd2 Rd8 15.Rad1 Rxd2 16.Rxd2 g5 17.b3 g4 18.Ne1 Ke7 19.f3 gxf3 20.Nxf3 Ne3 21.Kf2 Ng4+ 22.Ke2 f6 23.exf6+ Nxf6 24.Nd4

A1b. [+0.06] d=33 <9.Rd1> Ke8 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Ne4 Be6 12.b3 Bd5 13.Re1 Rd8 14.Bb2 h5 15.g3 Kd7 16.Red1 Kc8 17.Nfg5 b5 18.Rac1 c5

*a) +0.06/34 12...h6 13.Nf3 Ne7 14.Nd4 Nf5 15.h3 Ke7 16.Nf3 h5 17.Rd2 Be6 18.Rad1 Rad8 19.b3 Rxd2 b) +0.15/27 12...Ke7 13.Rd2 h6 14.Nf3 Rd8

A2. +0.07/27 [<9.h3>] 9...Be7 10.Nc3 Ke8 11.Rd1 h6 12.a4 Be6 13.g4 Nh4 14.Nxh4 Bxh4 15.Ne2 Bd5 16.Be3 a5 17.b3 Bf3 18.Re1 h5

A3. +0.11/27 <9.Nc3> Be7 10.Re1 Be6 11.Rd1+ Ke8

A4. +0.09/26 <9.b3> Ke8 10.Re1 Bb4 11.Bd2 Be7 12.Nc3 Be6

A5. +0.05/26 <9.Nbd2> Be7 10.Rd1 Ke8 11.b3 b6

A6. +0.06/25 <9.c4> Be6 10.b3 h6 11.Nc3 b6 12.h3 Kc8

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<B1. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7* 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5**>

Section I 8...0-0 9.d4 lines

[+0.17] d=33 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 <Nxe5> 8.Rxe5 O–O** 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.Bf4 d5 14.Nd2 Bf5 15.Qe3 Qd7 16.Be5 Be7 17.Re1 Bf8 18.c4 dxc4 19.Nxc4 c6 20.Qb3

*6...Nxe5 7.Rxe5 Be7 8.Bf1 transposes

**[+0.16] d=36 8...O–O [now 0.16/37] 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.Rxe8(note 1, note 2) [now +0.14/34] 11...Nxe8 12.d5 d6(note 3) 13.g3 g6(note 4) 14.a4 Bd7 15.c3 Bg7 16.Qb3 Qc8 17.Bf4 Nf6 18.Na3 Bh3 19.Bg5 (380:46:38)

(note 1) [+0.14/37] 11.c3(note 2 for 11.Bf4) Rxe1 12.Qxe1 and now

a) +0.12/38 12...c6 13.Bf4 Ne8 14.Nd2 d5 15.Qe2 Qe7 16.Re1 Qxe2 17.Bxe2 g6 18.g4 Ng7 19.Bg3 Bd7 20.h3 h5 21.Bd1 hxg4 22.hxg4 Re8 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Nb3 Bd8 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.f3 The Berlin Defense is a tough problem for white.

b) +0.16/35 12...Ne8 13.d5 c6 14.Qd1 b6 (note to self: d6, cxd5, g6 need a look) 15.g3 cxd5 16.Bg2 Nc7 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Bf4 d6 19.Nc2 h6 20.Nb4 Bg5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Nc2

c) +0.17/35 12...Nf5 13.Bf4 c6 14.Nd2 d5 15.Nf3 Be6 16.Bd3 Nd6 17.Qe2 Qd7 18.Re1 Re8 19.Qc2 g6 20.h4 Be7 21.Qa4 a6 22.h5 Bf8

(note 2)+0.14/32 11.Bf4 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 and now both

a) 12...Ne8 [+0.13] d=37 13.c3 d5 14.Nd2* Nd6 15.Nf3 Bf5 16.Qe2 c6 17.Re1 Qf8 18.Qd2 Ne4 19.Qd1 Re8 20.h3 h6 21.Bd3 Re6 22.Re3 Qd8 23.Qc2 a6 24.c4

*+0.12/52 Komodo 10.1 14.Nd2 Nd6 15.Nf3 c6 16.Qe2 Bf5 17.Re1 Nc4 18.Ne5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 Bxe5 20.Qxe5 Qd7 21.f3 Rf8 22.Qf4 f6 23.h4 Bg6 24.a3 h6 25.Kf2 a5 26.Qd2 Qd6 27.g3 Qd7 28.Re2 b6 29.Bg2 b5 30.Bf1 Re8 31.Rxe8+ Qxe8 32.Bh3 Kf7 33.Qe3 Qe7 34.Qxe7+ Kxe7 35.Ke3 Bc2 36.h5 f5 37.Kf4 Kf6 38.Bf1 Ke6 39.Bg2 Bd3 40.Bh3 Kf6 41.Ke3 Bc4 42.Kf4 may be the most that can be obtained against the Berlin line

b) [+0.20] d=35 12...Bxd4 13.Bxd6 cxd6 14.Nc3 Be5 15.Rd1 b6 16.f4 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Bb7 18.Rxd6 Bc6 19.Rd2 Qf8 20.a3 Re8 21.Qb4 Re1 22.Qxf8+ Kxf8 23.Kf2 Rb1 24.c3 Ke7 25.g3 f5 26.Bd3 Rh1 27.Ke3 Kf6 are worth investigating further

(note 3) here we have:

a) [+0.14] d=34 12...b6 13.c4 h6 14.Qf3 Be5 15.Qe3 Qf6 16.Bd2 Nd6 17.Bc3 Bxc3 18.Nxc3 Bb7 19.Qd2 Re8 (scoring +0.09 in 35-ply underway)

b) [+0.16] d=33 12...d6 13.g3 [13.c4(note 5) needs a look] g6(note 4) 14.c3 a6 15.Be3 Ng7

c) [+0.19] d=32 12...h6 13.Nc3 b6 14.a4 Be5 15.Qd3 Bb7 16.a5 a6 17.Bd2 Nd6 18.Re1 Qf6

d) [+0.20] d=31 12...Qe7 13.g3 h6 14.a4 d6 15.Ra3 c6 16.Re3 Qd8

(note 4) now we have

a) +0.12/34 13...a6 14.c3 g6 15.Be3 Bg7 16.Na3 Nf6 17.Bd4 Bd7

b) +0.13/34 13...g6 14.Nc3 c5 15.Bf4 a6 16.Qd2 b5 17.Re1 Bg7

c) +0.14/34 13...Bf5 14.Na3 c5 15.c3 a6 16.Nc2 b5 17.h4 Bd7 [for these reasons, 11.c3 or 11.Bf4 are also worth considering. 9.Nc3 is looking better]

(note 5) 13.c4 and now:

a) +0.09/30 13...Bf5 14.Qb3 c5 15.Nc3 Be5 16.h3 Rb8 17.Be3 Nf6 18.Re1 h6 19.Qd1 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Qd7 21.Bf4 Re8 22.Rxe8+ Nxe8 23.f3 b6

b) +0.14/29 13...h6 14.Qb3 c5 15.h3 Qb6 16.Bd3 Qxb3 17.axb3 Be5 18.Nd2 g6 19.Nf3 Bg7 20.g4 b6 21.Kg2 a5 22.Nd2 Kh7

c) +0.15/29 13...Be5 14.Nd2 c6 15.Nf3 Bf6 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Rb1 d5 18.Bf4 Bf5 19.Bd3 Qd7 20.Qc2 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Nc7 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.b3 Re8 24.h3 Qb7 25.Bd2

Section II 8...0-0 9.Nc3 lines this avoids the exchange of material we see above (in line a below).

a) [+0.14] d=33 9...Ne8 10.Nd5 Bd6 11.Re1 c6 12.Ne3 Bc7 13.Nf5 d5 14.Ne7+ Kh8 15.Nxc8 Rxc8* [strange knight maneuver has been played before]

b) 9...Bf6 [+0.19] d=32 10.Re1 Re8 11.Rxe8+ Nxe8 12.Nd5 Bg5 13.d4 Bxc1 14.Rxc1 c6 15.Ne3 d5 16.c4 dxc4 17.Bxc4 Qf6 18.Qb3 Nd6 19.d5 Bd7 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.Bd5 Bxd5 22.Nxd5 Qe5 23.g3 Re8 24.Rd1 h6 25.Qc3

*now what? a1) 16.d3 is apparently the book move here +0.15/34 16.d3 f5 17.Bd2 Bd6 18.Qf3 Qf6 19.c3 Nc7 20.Re2 Rce8 21.Rae1 Ne6 22.Qh5 Kg8 23.c4 dxc4 24.dxc4 Qf7 25.Qxf7+ Kxf7 26.g3 Nd4 27.Rxe8 Rxe8 or a2) +0.14/31 16...f5 17.g3 Qf6 18.Bh3 Nd6 19.Qh5 g6 20.Qg5 Kg7 21.Qxf6+ Kxf6 22.Be3 Bb6 23.Bd2 Rfe8 24.Bg2 Nf7 b) +0.13/33 16.d4 Qd7 17.c3 f5 18.Bd2 Bd6 19.Qf3 Nf6 20.Bf4 a6 21.Be5 Ng4 22.Bxd6 Qxd6 23.g3 g6 24.Re2 Rce8 25.Rae1 Re4 26.Qd3 Nf6 27.f3 c) +0.16/31 16.d4 f5 17.Qh5 Kg8 18.Qg5 Qd7 19.Qh4 Rf7 20.Bd3 g6 21.Re2 Ng7 22.Bd2 Bd8 23.Qh6 Re7 24.Rae1 Rxe2 25.Rxe2 Bc7 26.c3 Re8 d) +0.15/29 16.d4 Nd6 17.c3 Qd7 18.Bf4 Ne4 19.Be5 Rce8 20.Bd3 f5 21.Bxc7 Qxc7 22.f3 Nd6 23.Qd2 g6 24.b3 Rf7 25.Re5 Rfe7 26.Rae1

Section III 8...0-0 9.c3 lines

[+0.08] d=24 9.c3 Ne8 10.d4 d5 11.Re1 Nf6 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Nd2 Bf5 15.Nf3 Bg4 16.h3 Bxf3

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<B2. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7* 7.Bf1 Nf5***>

[+0.16] d=34 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.c3 Nxe5 9.Rxe5 d6 10.Re1 c5 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 O–O 13.Nc3 Bf6 14.Nd5 Bxd4 15.Bd3 Be5 16.f4 Bf6 17.Bd2 Be6 18.Nxf6 Qxf6 19.Bc3 Qg6 20.Qf3 Rab8 21.Rac1

*[+0.18] d=31 6...Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 O–O 10.c3 Bd6** 11.Nbd2 h6 12.b4 Re8 13.Rxe8+ Qxe8 14.h3 Be6 15.Bd3 Qe7 16.Nb3 b6 17.b5 Nb8 18.Qc2 Qf6

**+0.19/27 10...Bd6 11.Bd3 h6 12.Nbd2 Qf6 13.b4 a6 14.a4 Bd7 15.Bb2 Rfe8 16.Qc2 Nh4 17.Nxh4 Qxh4 18.g3 Qg5 19.Nf1 f5 20.h4

*** [+0.17] d=34 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 O–O 10.c3 Re8 11.Bd3 Bd6 12.Rxe8+ Qxe8 13.Nbd2 Bd7 14.Qc2 g6 15.h3 b6 16.Nf1 f6 17.Bd2 Qf7 18.Re1 Nce7 19.b4 c6 20.N1h2 (this line is scoring +0.18 in 35-ply underway)

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

<B3. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 0-0> {September 10, 2014}

[+0.24] d=30 8.d4 Nf5 9.d5 Nxe5 10.Rxe5 d6 11.Re1 c6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.Bf4 Bd7 14.Ne4 h6 15.c3 g5 16.Bc1 cxd5 17.Qxd5 Qb6 18.Qd3 Rac8 19.Be2 Be6 20.Bg4 Nd4 21.Bxe6 Nxe6 22.Be3

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

<B4. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 a6> {September 13, 2014}

[+0.45] d=25 7...a6 8.d4 Nf5 9.Nxf7 Kxf7 10.d5 Ncd4 11.a4 Re8 12.c3 Bf6 13.Rxe8 Qxe8 14.cxd4 d6 15.Qh5+ Kf8 16.Qxh7 Nxd4 17.Qh8+ Ke7 18.Qxe8+ Kxe8 19.Ra3 Bf5 20.Nd2

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

<C: 4.d3 Bc5>

[Komodo 10.1] [4 March 2017]

+0.06/55 4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Nd7 7.Re1 0-0 8.c3 Re8 9.d4 Bf8 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bh4 exd4 12.Qb3+ Kh8 13.cxd4 Nb6 14.Bg3 Be6 15.Qc2 a5

+0.07/53 4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Nd7 7.c3 0-0 8.d4 Bd6 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 Qe7 11.Nbd2 c5 12.Re1 Qf7 [another machine]

[Rybka]

[+0.07] d=32 4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Bg5 c6 9.Bc4 h6 10.Bh4 d6 11.Nd2 g5 12.Bg3 Bg4 13.Qb3 0-0 14.h3 Bh5 15.Qc2 Bg6 16.Rfe1 Re8 17.a4 a5 18.Nf3 Kg7 19.Bh2 Re7

[+0.08] d=30 4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Nd7 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.Nc4 f6 9.h3 a5 10.Bd2 a4 11.b4 Be7 12.Ne3 Nb6 13.Qe2 Be6 14.c4 Nc8 15.Bc3 Nd6 16.Rac1 Qe8 17.Nh4 Qd7 18.c5

[+0.10] d=32 <5.c3> 5...0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nbd2 h6 8.Re1 Bd7 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bc4 Ng4 11.Rf1 Ne7 12.a4 c6 13.h3 Nf6 14.d4 exd4 15.cxd4 Ng6 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Nd5 18.Ne4 Qe7 19.Bxd5 cxd5 20.Nc3 Qe6

[+0.08] d=31 <5.c3> 5...0-0 6.0-0 <d6> 7.Nbd2 h6 8.Re1 Bd7 9.b4 Bb6 10.Nc4 a6 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.h3 Be6 13.a4 Re8 14.Nxb6 cxb6 15.a5 b5 16.Be3 Nd7 17.Qc2 c5 18.bxc5 dxc5

[+0.06] d=30 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 <Re8> 7.b4 Bf8 8.Bc4 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qb3 Nce7 11.a4 f6 12.Nbd2 Be6 13.Ne4 Bf7 14.b5 c6 15.Ba3 Nf5 16.Bxf8 Rxf8 17.Rfe1 Rb8

[+0.07] d=30 5.Nbd2 0-0 6.0-0 Re8 7.h3 Nd4 8.Nxd4

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<D: 4.Nc3>

[+0.08] d=26 4.Nc3 Bd6 5.O–O O–O 6.d3 a6 7.Bc4 b5 8.Bb3 Na5 9.Bg5 Bb7 10.Nd5 Bxd5 11.Bxd5 c6 12.Bb3 h6 13.Bd2 Nxb3 14.axb3 a5 15.h3 Bc7 16.c4